For well over four hundred years, the blue ribbon has been a symbol of unparalleled excellence. In the 16th century, it stood for Les Cordon Bleus, an order of chivalrous French knights, so called for the blue ribbon they wore on their uniform.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, it inspired The Blue Ribbon, the ultimate accolade awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by the most powerful and luxurious passenger liners of their time. Since then, the blue ribbon has symbolized excellence in athletics as well as academia the world over.