The American Heraldry Society Selects Design Award Recipient

Armorial banners of the American Heraldry Society
and the School of Theology rendered by Lucas Hofmann.

The American Heraldry Society recently announced the 2024 winner of its design award, and this year's recipient is the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.  Established in 2006, the award is named in honor of Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941), the great American heraldic designer responsible for reviving heraldry in the US during the early 20th Century.  Click here to read the full press announcement.

Arms of the School of Theology,
rendered by Lucas Hofmann.

The award has a unique purpose, to encourage and support excellence in American heraldry by recognizing coat of arms that provide the bearer with a strong public identity embodying the best heraldic design of the highest form, function, and aesthetic.  Society members may nominate any US corporate body from academic, military, civic, religious, or social organizations whose arms exemplify the best in heraldic design. There is one additional requirement for the nominee:  the arms must have been designed in the United States. 

The Society's mission is, "to promote the study and proper use of heraldry in America," and one way it advances that mission is through the design award.  In other words, the award is a celebration of the best in American heraldry.

I was proud to nominate the arms of my alma mater and honor the important contributions its designer made to field of American heraldry.  Designed in 1981 by Sewanee alumnus and professor Dr. James Warring McCrady, the arms of the seminary incorporated the colors red and gold from the arms used by The Rev. William Porcher DuBose (1836-1918).  DuBose served as the seminary’s second dean and widely known throughout the Episcopal Church as a scholar and theologian.  

Armorial flag of the arms of the School of Theology,
rendered by Lucas Hofmann.

The fleam represents the dedication of the student body to St. Luke and the seminary's original chapel on campus--history has attributed the saint as a surgeon. McCrady added the bar on the surgical device to create a unique crossed charge to clearly identify the school’s mission of priestly formation for the church. One important contribution to American heraldry made by McCrady was his creation of the “Sewanee tressure.” The tressure was a creative way to show corporate unification within all three arms he designed, and its name was suggested by the Lord Lyon in 1981 as McCrady submitted his designs for peer review to the authority in Scotland. 

Blazon:  Gules, on a cross Or surmounted by a Sewanee Tressure counter-changed a crossed fleam Sable. 

Having spent three formative years on the Domain of the University of the South as a seminarian, I had a lot of time to "inhabit" and own these arms.  For me, at least, they represent far more than a great design, they hold precious memories and important life lessons learned.  Click here to read a deeper analysis on the arms of the School of Theology.