University of West Florida
State University System of Florida
1999-2000 Catalog

The Chambered Nautilus Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea! --Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem selected by Harold Bryan Crosby, the founding president of The University of West Florida, inspired the university seal. The University's colors, blue and green, symbolize the sky and the sea, the vast knowledge that humankind has explored and the future yet to be conquered.

The Alma Mater Where learning's light sends forth its beam Through darkness of our youth, There you, West Florida, home of dreams Prepare the way of truth. You guide us toward tomorrow's shore With knowledge of our past; Your power in us rests secure, And evermore will last. Your stately mansions were our home Where minds and hearts are free And though we may far from you roam, We'll always honor thee. Composer: Lynn Lauderdale, D.M.A. Lyricist: A. Michael Yots, Ph.D.