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. |