[1] The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded the Royal Purple a Silver Crown in 2006.
The yearbook underwent several name changes, including The Sledge, Sunrise, The Bell Clapper, and The Banner.
[citation needed] The Royal Purple was the first yearbook that included an opening section with yearly highlights in chronological order, "tilted" pictures, numerous "bleed" pages, news headlines, and a "tip-on"—an applied color picture placed on a cover; it was first used on the 1938 Royal Purple.
The 1941 Royal Purple staff produced the first full-color lithograph cover in the United States.
In 1997, the Royal Purple added a CD-ROM to its coverage and in 2003 changed to a DVD supplement.