Who designed the Interstate shield?
Following enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) asked State highway officials to suggest designs for an Interstate marker. Dozens of proposals were submitted. The best were displayed along a road when State highway officials attended a meeting in Illinois so they could observe the signs in different situations, such as day and night. Based on the officials’ observations, AASHO’s Route Numbering Subcommittee adopted the design submitted by Texas, with the addition of the word “Interstate” as proposed by the Missouri design for the top portion of the shield. It was approved on August 14, 1957. AASHO secured Trademark Registration 835.635 for the shield in 1967, to prevent private entities from using Interstate-like advertising signs near the highways where they might confuse motorists.
