San Jose State College - La Torre Yearbook (San Jose, CA)

Page 7 text:

The historic city of Sparta, Greece, on the occasion of San Jose State's Centennial year, presented the college with a replica of Sparta's proud symbol of bravery and freedom -- a shield. This is not intended as a belated obser- vance of that gift. Rather, we wish to cite the heritage and meaning implied by that shield and its intrinsic relation to our modern Sparta. Grecian culture has been acclaimed as the citadel of free and creative thought which nu- tured Western civilization. The epic deeds and eloquent records of Grecian warriors and philo- sophers emerged as the wellspring from which has flowed the basis and essence of our own democracy. It is our task to affirm the real symbolism that relates the precepts and aspirations of the noble Grecian civilization with those that per- meate our contemporary Spartan campus . . . Toward that end, we dedicate the 1959 La Torre.