Who's that Girl? Meet Minerva

By Kamal Tomlin, Class of ’26 

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 6, 2026) — Syracuse has the Orange. Clemson has the Tiger. Harvard has … a pilgrim? UAlbany has Damien, our spirited Great Dane. And, of course, a literal goddess. (Harvard, eat your heart out.)

While Damien might be more visible here — he’s out and about around campus, at sporting events, waiting to have his nose rubbed at the Campus Center entrance — Minerva has long been a quiet, contemplative presence. So, to kick off the launch of The Morning Minnie, we thought we’d introduce Minnie herself, the Roman goddess of wisdom. 

Sapientia et sua et docendi causa 

Since 1913, "Wisdom both for its own sake and for the sake of teaching" is our school’s motto. It’s imprinted on the University seal along with an image of Minerva and "1844," the year we were founded as a “Normal School” to train teachers to serve the state’s growing population. The Normal School developed further, becoming the New York State College for Teachers in 1914. In 1962, the University at Albany was established as a member of the State University of New York system, one of the system’s four University Centers. 

Besides the seal, you’ll find Minnie in stained glass at the entrance to the main University Library on the Podium, and a statue of the goddess in the Science Library, aptly facing the Barnes & Noble Reading Room. How she arrived at that spot is a story almost worthy of myth. 

Initially stationed in the original Downtown Campus, Minerva's statue has been around at least since 1888. In 1906, she was rescued by custodian Charles Wurtham when a fire broke out in the college’s administrative offices on Willett Street. Thanks, Charlie! After her relocation to the Draper Hall rotunda on the Downtown Campus, Minerva became a meeting spot for students, giving rise to the phrase “Meetcha at Minnie.”   

Minerva found herself on the Uptown Campus in 1966. UAlbany’s Class of ‘67 dubbed themselves the "Guardians of Minerva" and they took their title seriously. The class moved her to the new Uptown Campus, where she stands today.   

(Minerva is often depicted with an owl to symbolize wisdom and knowledge, which explains why UAlbany’s mascot before Damien was… a penguin?)  

Damien’s bust may dominate the entrance to the Campus Center, but if you look up, you’ll see the words to our school’s anthem — OK, our alma mater — printed around the second floor landing: 

"Wisdom's duty heeds thy call,  

Ever in Minerva's thrall,  

Pass the torch from one to all,  

Guide each destiny.  

'Neath the Purple and the Gold,  

Let thy history unfold,  

Sons and daughters, young and old,  

Hail to Albany.”  

Hail to Albany. Hail to Minerva. Good morning, Minnie.