American College of Heraldry and Arms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about a defunct heraldic organization. For the existing body with a similar name, see American College of Heraldry.

A seal bearing the arms of The American College of Heraldry and Arms. The arms incorporated elements from many different national arms. They can be blazoned as Quarterly of eight (1) Or a Lion Rampant within a Double Tressure fleury-counter-fleury Gules (2) Azure three Fleur-de-lis Or (3) Gules three Lions passant guardant Or (4) Azure billety a Lion rampant crowned holding a Sword in the dexter paw and a bundle of arrows in the sinister Or (5) Azure three Crowns Or (6) Or a double headed Eagle Sable (7) Azure a Harp Or and (8) Per pale Gules a castle Or and Argent a Lion rampant Purpure (9) on an Escutcheon over all Argent six Pallets Gules on a Chief Azure thirteen Mullets Argent.

The American College of Heraldry and Arms, Inc. was an American organization established in 1966 to promote heraldry in the United States. The corporate address of the College was Harbormaster's Building, Herald's Mews on Longneck, Pier 4 Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD.

The organization was divided into two administrative divisions: the American College of Arms concerned with the granting of arms to individuals across the country and the College of Arms of the United States concerned with the arms of corporate entities, such as businesses and municipal heraldry.

The College was established by Donald Franklin Stewart, William Henry Lloyd, Charles Francis Stein, Jr., and Gordon Malvern Fair Stick. Their titles were, respectively, Chief Herald Marshall, Herald Genealogist, Herald Chancellor, and Telorum Rex.

On 1 June 1968, the College granted arms to President Lyndon Johnson; the grant was presented to Johnson by Mr. Donald Stewart in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, June 10, 1968 at 10:00 AM with U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster in attendance.^[1] The arms were blazoned Azure on a Saltire Gules fimbriated between four Eagles displayed a Mullet Or.^[2]

In October of 1968, they granted a coat of arms to Vice President Spiro Agnew. The blazon of these arms was Azure on a Cross between four Horses Heads couped Argent a Cross botony Gules.

By January of 1969 the College had refused over 1000 requests for arms. The petitions were denied because they were assumed arms or armorial petitions with errors in their genealogy. The College also excluded helms or coronets from their armorial grants.

The College existed until 1970.