Pink no more: Washington Avenue bridge gets paint job
Washington Avenue bridge gets paint job
By Pauline Oo
Published on April 29, 2004
The Washington Avenue bridge was grey in the '60s, brown in the '70s, and finally, fading maroon in the '80s. Today, more than 20 years later, the new University of Minnesota Maroon rules. The quarter-mile walkway was repainted the brilliant maroon shade on Beautiful U Day, April 22. The job was finished in an hour-and-a-half thanks to hundreds of volunteers, 12 University painters, and about 100 gallons of donated paint and brushes from The Sherwin-Williams Co. "We were overwhelmed by all the people that came by to help," says Tom Elton, who heads the University's painting crew. "We scrambled for a while to get them their equipment, but we pulled it off. It was great to see the community spirit. People really care about this bridge."
University colors
In the late 1870s, University English instructor Augusta Smith was
asked by President William Folwell to choose ribbons for the
University's graduation diplomas. She picked maroon to represent
the oak tree and gold for the maple.
It wasn't until the 1930s that her choices received the blessing of
the Unversity's Board of Regents, which made maroon and gold the
official University of Minnesota colors.
Neighbor-to-Neighbor
program
The Sherwin-Williams Co. is offering University of Minnesota staff
and students a 20 percent discount on all regularly priced
merchandise with the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Sherwin-Williams
University discount card.
Sherwin-Williams will donate three percent of all sales to the
University Relations Gopher Wagon project, an interactive traveling
exhibit featuring University research in children, youth, and
families.
The free card is available at the Coffman Memorial Union
information desk, the St. Paul Student Center, and Gopher Express
West on the West Bank until Friday, May 21. You can pick up the
card after May 21 at University Relations in 3 Morrill Hall. For
more information, call 612-624-6868.