What is significance of (US) university heraldry

Question

I apologize if this is a bit too basic of a question, as it's my first time using the site to actually ask a question. From what I understand, the history of heraldry in university settings seems to have begun with Oxford and other British universities in the early to mid 15th century. Following this tradition, each of the nine colleges in British colonial America assumed shields. Since these were explicitly British colleges at the time, the motivation behind these should be more or less similar to that of mainland British institutions established during similar times. Anglophone universities founded during or since the 19th century have frequently touted shields. A similar and seemingly stronger statement holds for British universities. Of course, this isn't unique to Anglophone institutions — Bologna or MGU, for example, both have armorial shields, though it looks like continental European shields occur with lesser frequency and a shorter history.

With this in mind, my questions are as such:

1. Was there any motivation behind early British university heraldry beyond a symbolic association with nobility/elite?
2. Was there any motivation behind modern US universities taking up heraldic seals (particularly shields) beyond simply participating in a tradition started in America by British colonial colleges?
3. What, if any, connection was there between the rise and creation of university heraldry and that of European (British) nationalism?

It's been surprisingly difficult to find high quality resources detailing the broader history of collegiate heraldry, so if there is anything good concerning these questions, I'd greatly appreciate references. Thank you!

Answer 1

A nice amateur essay by a heraldry enthusiast lays out the generally ambivalent historical attitude towards heraldry in United States political culture. Western heraldry in general is fundamentally inseparable from the general system of European feudalism and the rule of the nobility. By the early modern period it was highly formalized and strictly regulated. In the early United States however, there was a decisive move away from formal heraldry as part of the larger rejection of the traditional power of the nobility. As a cultural level it was deeply influential, and has remained so, but in a purely informal way.

Unless the question can be refined, I don't think there's much to add except to consider the general history of the university. There is nothing surprising about the fact that heraldry was incorporated into the "brand image" of institutions like universities--not just in the United States about around the world. Similarly, the traditional roots of the university in medieval Europe are clearly on display in the persistent popularity of graduation gowns and caps.

If you want detailed studies of specific university insignias in the US, you may find a few such as Mercurio's (1949) thesis on those of Catholic men's universities in the east.