College Insignia

The Bethany Lutheran College seal, logo, and mascot all speak to the proud purpose and heritage of the institution.

Seal

The college seal was made official by a resolution of the Board of Regents in 1932. The idea of the college seal originated with Ruth Seidel, who was an instructor at Bethany, and her artist brother, Wilbur Seidel of Chicago, who furnished the detailed drawing.

The seal is distinctive and most appropriate. The inscription (“henos estin chreia,”) is Greek and means “One Thing Is Needful,” the words of Christ spoken to Martha at that first Bethany. The “One Thing Needful” is the Gospel of the crucified Savior, expressed by the cross upon which the inscription is placed. For Bethany Lutheran College we thereby wish to declare that there is no true education, even as there is no salvation, without the Gospel of Christ, Son of God and Savior of the world from sin. That Gospel is, and must remain, the heart and soul of every educational effort at our beloved institution. The cross is encircled by a star with twelve points, upon which are shown rays of light extending from the cross. As the twelve apostles were commissioned to be bearers of the light from the cross, so the goal of our training at Bethany must not be our own advancement, but the spread of the Gospel.

Logo

The Bethany Lutheran College logo reflects the institution’s continuing commitment to the cross of Christ as the central foundation for learning. The prominent steeple of Trinity Chapel, clearly visible to much of Mankato, shows here the college’s unabashed love for the Gospel message. Bethany’s Norwegian heritage can be seen in the white crossbars, which echo the flag of Norway. With a nod to the school song, the logo shows Bethany overlooking the Minnesota River from “high amid the trees” on McMahan Hill.

The logo was designed and adopted in 1997, and slightly revised in 2004.

Mascot and school colors

With its strong Norwegian heritage, the Viking was a clear choice for the Bethany Lutheran College mascot.

Bethany’s athletic colors are red, white, and black.