Years ago, Latin teacher and prolific writer Rose Williams sent me lists of mottoes she had collected. I have added to them ones that have been sent to me. No translation of the Latin is provided. Translation is skilled interpretation. There is rarely an exact one-to-one correspondence between each and every Latin word and an English word. If I did provide a translation it would be unlikely to be the one the school uses. If you wish to try your hand at putting these mottoes into English and do a reasonable job, I'd be happy to link to your list.
Colleges and Universities
- University of Michigan
Artes, scientia, veritas - University of Florida
Civium in moribus rei publicae salus - University of Chicago
Crescat scientia, vita excolatur - University of Texas
Disciplina praesidium civitatis - University of the South
Ecce quam bonum - Kenyon College?
Esse quam videre? - St. John's College (Annapolis)
Facio liberos ex liberi libris libraque - Brown University
In Deo speramus - Columbia University
In lumine tuo videbimus lumen - Ohio Wesleyan
In tuo lumine videbimus lumen - University of Nebraska
Litteris dedicata omnibus artibus - Kalamazoo College
Lux esto - University of North Dakota
Lux et lex - Yale University
Lux et veritas - University of New Mexico
Lux hominum vita - University of North Carolina(Chapel Hill)
Lux/Libertas - University of Washington
Lux sit - University of Rochester
Meliora - University of Oregon
Mens agitat molem - Hunter College
Mihi cura futuri - Brooklyn College
Nil sine magno labore - Tulane University
Non sibi, sed suis - New York University
Perstare et praestare - Trinity College
Pro ecclesia et patria - Baylor University
Pro ecclesia, pro Texana - University of Mississippi
Pro scientia et sapientia - City College of New York
Respice, adspice, prospice - University of Missouri
Salus populi - Fordham University
Sapientia et doctrina - Delaware College
Scientia sol mentis - State University of New York (Buffalo)
Spe - University of Vermont
Studiis et rebus honestis - Amherst College
Terras irradient - Harvard University
Veritas - Johns Hopkins University
Veritas vos liberabit - Florida State University
Vires artes mores - Dartmouth College
Vox clamantis in deserto
United States
- E pluribus unum
State Mottoes in Latin
- Kansas
Ad astra per aspera - Wyoming
Cedant arma togae - New Mexico
Crescit eundo - Maine
Dirigo - Arizona
Ditat Deus - South Carolina
Dum spiro, spero - Massachusetts
Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem - North Carolina
Esse quam videri - Idaho
Esto perpetua - New York
Excelsior - District of Columbia
Justitia omnibus - Oklahoma
Labor omnia vincit - West Virginia
Montani semper liberi - Colorado
Nil sine numine - Connecticut
Qui transtulit sustinet - Arkansas
Regnat populus - Missouri
Salus populi suprema lex esto - Maryland
Scuto bonae voluntatis Tuae coronasti nos - Virginia
Sic semper tyrannis - Michigan
Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice - Mississippi
Virtute et armis
Misc.
- U.S. Coast Guard
semper paratus
- Eton
Floreat Etona - Harrow
Stet Fortuna domus - Fettes College in Edinburgh
Industria
Georgopoulos adds that in that school there are boarding houses, the best of which is Glencorse House whose motto Numquam Onus, which means that everyone has to contribute something in the House. - Merchant Taylor
Concordia parrae res crescunt
- Residential Colleges at Yale University
- Trumbull
Fortuna favet audaci - Sybrook College
Qui transtulit sustinet (Also for the State of Connecticut)
- University of Pennsylvania
Leges sine moribus vanae
V.E.D. Georgopoulos also sent the following interesting historical tidbits.
"As you might already know the U Penn was founded by Benjamin Franklin and by William Penn and the latter's Family. William Penn's (who aparently I think, though I'm not so sure, that he was an Etonian) motto which appears in his coat of Arms is Dum clavum teneam.
At U Penn there are also residential houses which possess their own history and sometimes their own motto.
Hill house is one of them founded by Robert C. Hill, class of 1889, a Wharton graduate and a trustee of Penn, was an offspring of the 7th Viscount Hill (Sir Gerald Rowland Clegg-Hill of Hawkstone and Hardwicke). This Family had as motto: Avancez which means Forward.
Another House at Penn is Gregory College House founded by Emily Lovira Gregory, who was the first woman on Penn's Faculty. Her family motto is: 'Sriaghal mo dhream which means Royal is my Race. The spelling of the latter doesn't have to surprise you, it is correct.
Finally another House at Penn is Hamilton College House named after William Hamilton, class of 1762 who was an offspring of 3d Baron Hamilton of Dalzell. The family motto and the motto of the House is: Quis occursabit which means: Who will Run to Meet them. Closing Harrison College which was named after Provost Charles Curtis Harrison, Class of 1862, possesses the motto of Harrison Family which is Perseverance.
I think that the above will come out helpful for you and that you will add them to your list."
