Labor omnia vincit

Labor omnia vincit inscribed on a floor tile showing the UBC Emblem.

Labor Omnia Vincit 1657, Glasgow Cathedral

Labor omnia vincit is a Latin phrase meaning "Work conquers all". The phrase is adapted from Virgil's Georgics, Book I, line 145-6: ...Labor omnia vicit / improbus ("Steady work overcame all things"). The poem was written in support of Augustus Caesar's "Back to the land" policy, aimed at encouraging more Romans to become farmers.

Labor movement

A frequent motto within the U.S labor movement, the phrase is a historically significant slogan. Used by the earliest U.S labor unions such as the American Federation of Labor and other precursors to the modern AFL-CIO, the motto continues to be a traditional and defining statement of purpose on contemporary labor union emblems including the International Union of Operating Engineers and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The motto also appears on the original 1925 flag of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the labor union of African-American Pullman Company porters founded by civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph.

The motto is used by the Geelong Trades Hall Council in Australia.

Cities, states, and recreation

The phrase is also a frequent motto across many townships, cities, and states. Currently the state motto of the State of Oklahoma and incorporated into its state seal in 1907, the motto originally appeared on the territorial seal of Oklahoma Territory. In addition, it has been known to be the motto of the city of El Eulma, Algeria as shown on its coat of arms, of the towns and cities of Bradford, West Yorkshire, West Bromwich, and Ilkeston in England, the motto of Wrexham County Borough Council in Wales and the state motto of Zacatecas and city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico, and in the city of Presidente Prudente, Brazil. It is the motto of Carlton Cricket Club in Barbados. It is also the motto of St Jago High School (Jamaica). It is a slogan of the football clubs Rasta IL in Norway and Luton Borough Youth in England. The phrase can be seen written in the golden letters on the so-called Kroch-Hochhaus in the center of German city Leipzig. It is also the motto of West Bromwich Albion FC • In cinema this slogan was used in a landmark French picture "Le Voyage dans la lune" or "A Trip To The Moon" a silent film brought to life in 1902 by director Georges Méliès. This is a classic vision about a group of men venturing to the moon and back. The scene in which the slogan is depicted comes at the end when they return to earth. Celebrating the triumph, a statue is brought forth with a scholar pointing to the heavens with the word SCIENCE surrounded by olive branches on the base, above this states the term LABOR • OMNIA • VINCIT *The film was ahead of its time being available in color hand painted frame by frame!

Educational institutions

Across the world, many educational institutions have adopted the phrase as a motto, including:

Angola

• Moçâmedes, est. 1840, former colonial name of currently named city of Namibe after 1985, Namibe, Angola

Argentina

• Balmoral College, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Australia

• Malanda State High, QLD Australia
• Liverpool Boys High School, NSW Australia
• Liverpool Girls High School, NSW Australia
• Birdwood High School, SA Australia
• Bourke High School, Australia
• Captains Flat Public School, NSW Australia
• Glenunga International High School, Australia
• Muswellbrook High School, New South Wales, Australia.
• Maitland Grossmann High School, Australia
• Hampton Senior High School, Morley, Western Australia
• Paddington Public School, Sydney, Australia.
• Peterborough High School, Peterborough, SA - Australia
• Princes Street Primary School, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
• Roseville College, Sydney, Australia
• Shepparton High School, Victoria, Australia
• Sydney Girls High School, Australia
• Hagley Farm Primary School, Tasmania, Australia
• Kapunda High School, Kapunda, SA, Australia
• Wellington High School, Wellington, NSW - Australia

Brasil

• Macarani, city of Brazil

South Africa

• H.T.S. Loiue Botha, Bloemfontein, South Africa

South America The Bishops' High School

• Robert Carruthers Primary School, Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Canada

• Hamiota Collegiate Institute, Hamiota, MB
• Ashton College, Vancouver, BC
• Barrie Central Collegiate Institute, Barrie, Ontario
• Brooks Composite High School, Brooks, AB
• Hants East Rural High School, Milford, NS
• Hartland High School, Hartland, New Brunswick
• Huntsville High School, Huntsville
• Newmarket High School, Newmarket, Ontario
• Liverpool Regional High School, Liverpool, Nova Scotia
• Paris District High School, Paris, Ontario
• Queen Elizabeth Junior and Senior High School (Calgary), Alberta
• St. Catharines Collegiate, Ontario
• Brockville Collegiate Institute, Brockville, Ontario
• Saugeen District Secondary School, Port Elgin, Ontario
• Rosemount High School, Montreal, Quebec
• W.L. Seaton Secondary School, Vernon, BC
• St. John's School, St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
• North Toronto Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario
• Elliot Lake Secondary School - ELSS, Elliot Lake, Ontario
• Naicam High School, Naicam, Saskatchewan

Chile

• Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera, Santiago, Chile
• Liceo de Hombres Manuel Montt, Puerto Montt, Chile
• Primera Compañia de Bomberos, Concepción, Chile (A firefighters company)
• Gendarmería de Chile

Caribbean and Central America

• Escuela Agrìcola Panamericana Zamorano, Honduras
• The Bishops' High School, Guyana
• St. Jago High School, Spanish Town, Jamaica
• Rusea's High School, Lucea, Jamaica
• The Convent High School, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica
• Zeta Mu Gamma Fraternity, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
• San Juan Senior Comprehensive, Trinidad
• Bahamas Baptist Community College, Nassau, Bahamas
• Merl Grove High School [St. Andrew, Jamaica]

Ecuador

• Academia Naval Illingworth, Guayaquil, Ecuador

Honduras

• Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School

Hong Kong

• Queen's College, Hong Kong
• St. Simon's Lui Ming Choi Secondary Technical School

India

• College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, India
• Grant Medical College, Mumbai, India
• Government Aizawl College, Aizawl, India
• Albany Hall Public School, Kolkata, India
• St. John's Senior Secondary School, Meerut, India
• St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School, Cuddalore, India
• St. Jude's School, Amritsar, India
• St. Kabir Public School, Chandigarh, India
• St. Mary's Convent High School, Nainital, India
• St. Sebastian Goan High School, Mumbai, India
• Sydenham College, Mumbai, India
• Indus Academy, Hyderabad, India

Malaysia

• Kajang High School, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
• St. Xavier's Institution, Penang, Malaysia
• Gajah Berang Secondary English School, Malacca, Malaysia

Peru

• Peruvian Northamerican Abraham Lincoln School, Lima, Peru

Romania

• Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

Sri Lanka

• [[Lexicon International School, Kandy]]

Thailand

• Assumption College, Thailand
• Assumption University of Thailand, Thailand
• Saint Gabriel's College,Thailand
• Assumption College Sriracha, Thailand
• Assumption College Samutprakarn, Thailand
• Assumption College Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
• Assumption College Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
• Assumption College Lampang, Thailand
• Assumption Technical School Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
• Assumption College Rayong, Thailand
• Assumption Commercial College, Thailand
• Montfort College Chiangmai, Thailand
• St.Louis College Chachoengsao, Thailand
• Assumption College Thonburi, Thailand

United Kingdom

• Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
• Collingwood School, Wallington, Surrey
• Cheltenham College, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
• Elmfield College (1863–1932), Heworth, York
• Ilkeston Grammar School, Ilkeston, Derbyshire
• Midhurst Grammar School, Midhurst, West Sussex.
• Strathallan School, Forgandenny, Perthshire
• Strathaven Academy, Strathaven, Lanarkshire
• Kettlethorpe High School, Maths And Computing College, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
• The Eastwood School, Leigh On sea, Essex
• Villiers High School, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, West London
• Tredworth Junior School, Tredworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire
• Ysgol BrovGwaun, Ysgol Bro Gwaun - Fishguard

United States

• Alpha Phi Tau Fraternity, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio
• Beverly High School Lacrosse Team, Beverly, Massachusetts
• Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana
• Fessenden School, West Newton, Massachusetts
• Columbia City High School, Columbia City, Indiana
• Gardner High School, Gardner, Massachusetts
• Sumter High School, Sumter, South Carolina
• Peter Donahue Mechanics Monument, San Francisco, California
• Loudon High School, Loudon, Tennessee
• Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, Massachusetts
• The Potomac School, McLean, Virginia
• Puyallup High School, Puyallup, Washington

Ghana (West Africa)

• St Augustine's College, Cape Coast, Ghana

Nigeria (West Africa)

• Offa Grammar School, Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

Lesotho (Southern Africa)

• Mamathe High School, Teya-teyaneng,Berea, Lesotho

Kenya ( Eastern Africa)

• Mombasa Technical Training Institute, Mombasa Kenya.

Other

• Bhujoharry College (Boys), Port Louis, Mauritius
• Escuela Nº 1 Dalmacio Vélez Sarsfield, Concordia, Argentina
• Queen's College, Hong Kong
• Sekolah Menengah Gajah Berang, Melaka, Malaysia
• St. Xavier's Institution, Penang, Malaysia
• Elite's Co-Ed School, Kathmandu, Nepal
• Outram Secondary School, Singapore
• "Nicolae Kretzulescu" Superior Economic School (College), Bucharest, Romania
• Universidad a distancia de Madrid,(UDIMA), Madrid, Spain
• Rusea's High School, Lucea Jamaica
• Instituto Mairiporã - Thomaz Cruz, Mairiporã, Brazil
• St. Jago High School, Spanish Town, Jamaica
• Flintstone Engineering, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Universidade A Politecnica,Maputo, Mozammbique
• Greenwich University, Karachi, Pakistan
• Suva Sangam College, Suva, Fiji Islands