The official State Colors of California have their origins in the early history of the state’s first university at Berkeley. The school’s yearbook – first published in 1875 – was entitled “Blue and Gold.” Though initially used as the colors of UC Berkeley in the 1870s, blue and gold have long been associated with California.

Blue represents the color of the sky, and gold the precious mineral of the same name. In 1913, California Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan began using ribbons in these colors on official documents. Blue and gold became the official colors of the state in 1951 upon the suggestion of his son, Secretary of State Frank M. Jordan.

(Senate Bill 122, Chapter 1214, 1951)