Over 12 years as provost at the University of Miami, Tom LeBlanc accumulated a lot of swag in school colors: Orange ties. Green ties. Orange-and-green ties. Some had the school’s “U” logo or ibises, the mascot. Others were more subtle.

As he prepared to become president last year at George Washington University—which uses buff and blue as its preferred colors—he had to cut the Miami ties.

For...