1953 Design Changes

 

INTRODUCING THE WASHINGTON FEDERALS

In a private press conference inside the historic Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., owner Bernard McCollough finally unveiled the name of the new Washington team: the Washington Federals. McCollough wanted the team to have a patriotic ring to it, shortlisting names such as the Nationals, Americans, and the Stars. The original name of the team was going to be the Eagles, but the fact there were two other bird teams in the league made McCollough change the name to the Federals.


The eagle still remains in the logo, with the primary based on the eagle seen in National Recovery Administration posters during the Great Depression. The eagle had symbolized hope for a brighter future during those troubling times, and McCollough chose to use it for a similar reason. Washington had not had a pro team in nearly 3 decades, and the Columbus Buckeyes had struggled for an equal amount of time. McCollough wanted to bring a brighter future to both a tormented franchise and a city that was desperately missing a franchise. The eagle sits between a star and a W, both white outlined in both blue and white while the eagle contrasts in red.


Columbus’s blue and red color scheme was perfect for the nation’s capital, but their color scheme and uniforms were, for the most part, an exact copy of the University of Ohio Buckeyes. These were changed to create a more unique look for the team. The least affected were the colors, with the blue darkened and the red made slightly brighter. The uniforms still remained blue at home and white on the road, but the striping was changed to be more in line with one another, with the road’s striping changed to be more blue focused than red. The red pants were swapped out for a pair of white ones, with a stripe added down the side resembling the ones on the white jersey. The socks remained almost intact, with McCollough keeping them the same to respect the team’s past with the new era. The Federals became the second team to feature some design on their helmets, with the W found in their logo featured on their helmets. 



The Detroit Knights made some minor adjustments to their color scheme and uniforms. They darkened their red and blue, as well as removing the red pants for their white jerseys and changing the blue socks on the road to red to match their home.


 

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