James Madison University School Colors
James Madison University's school colors are JMU Purple (#450084) and JMU Gold (#CBB677). James Madison's brand standards define 20 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the James Madison colors
JMU's purple and gold go back to the school's first session in 1909-10, when it was the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg. That year two literary societies formed, and each chose its own colors: violet and white for the Lanier Society and gray and gold for the Lee Society. The school colors combined the Lanier violet with the Lee gold, and within a few years the violet had become purple, which was easier to find for pennants and decorations.
Sources: jmu.edu
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Gregory Koch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Gregory Koch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
James Madison primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMU Purple | #450084 | 69, 0, 132 | 92, 98, 0, 0 | PMS 2685 | |
| JMU Gold | #CBB677 | 203, 182, 119 | 0, 9, 50, 24 | PMS 4515 |
James Madison secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Purple | #B599CE | 181, 153, 206 | 58, 62, 0, 0 | PMS 265 | |
| Light Purple | #DACCE6 | 218, 204, 230 | 20, 23, 0, 0 | PMS 263 | |
| Dark Gold | #AD9C65 | 173, 156, 101 | 26, 31, 62, 10 | PMS 4515 | |
| Light Gold | #F4EFE1 | 244, 239, 225 | 6, 10, 36, 0 | PMS 7499 | |
| Slate Gray | #333333 | 51, 51, 51 | 57, 50, 60, 69 | PMS Black 2 | |
| Dark Gray | #595959 | 89, 89, 89 | 52, 40, 36, 21 | PMS Cool Gray 9 | |
| Medium Gray | #B2B2B2 | 178, 178, 178 | 24, 18, 16, 3 | PMS Cool Gray 5 | |
| Light Gray | #F5F5F5 | 245, 245, 245 | 22, 15, 16, 0 | PMS Cool Gray 2 |
Additional James Madison palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metallic Purple | — | — | — | PMS 8802 metallic, print only | |
| Metallic Gold | — | — | — | PMS 8383 metallic, print only | |
| Dark Green | #5F791C | 95, 121, 28 | — | — | |
| Dark Blue | #3C738B | 60, 115, 139 | — | — | |
| Medium Green | #ADCC23 | 173, 204, 35 | — | — | |
| Medium Blue | #5498B6 | 84, 152, 182 | — | — | |
| Light Green | #DEEBA7 | 222, 235, 167 | — | — | |
| Light Blue | #D2EBF5 | 210, 235, 245 | — | — | |
| Red | #A4232B | 164, 35, 43 | — | — |
James Madison athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray (athletics) | — | — | — | PMS Cool Gray 5 |
Matching James Madison colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from James Madison's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to James Madison's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 89 styles close to JMU Purple, 205 styles close to JMU Gold.
Clothing in JMU Purple #450084
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to JMU Purple, measured from the garment itself. 89 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in JMU Gold #CBB677
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to JMU Gold, measured from the garment itself. 205 matching styles in stock.
James Madison colors: frequently asked questions
What are James Madison school colors?
James Madison University's school colors are JMU Purple (#450084) and JMU Gold (#CBB677).
What is the hex code for JMU Purple?
JMU Purple is #450084 (RGB 69, 0, 132, CMYK 92, 98, 0, 0).
What is the hex code for JMU Gold?
JMU Gold is #CBB677 (RGB 203, 182, 119, CMYK 0, 9, 50, 24).
What Pantone color is JMU Purple?
JMU Purple is PMS 2685.
What Pantone color is JMU Gold?
JMU Gold is PMS 4515.
Why are James Madison's colors JMU Purple and JMU Gold?
JMU's purple and gold go back to the school's first session in 1909-10, when it was the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg. That year two literary societies formed, and each chose its own colors: violet and white for the Lanier Society and gray and gold for the Lee Society.
Color values are taken from the official James Madison University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by James Madison University. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.