# Changing the name of a college **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014 "2004-07-07T21:35:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/1 "2004-07-07T21:35:50Z")
One of our local colleges recently changed its name from University of South Carolina Spartanburg to University of South Carolina Upstate. Does anyone know any other colleges that have changed its name in the last 20 or 30 years. I know of Beaver College in Penn., and I am not talking about schools that went from college to university or dropping State from its name. Any help will be, well, helpful. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/2 "2004-07-07T21:41:01Z")
Not helpful probably but my University changed from ‘Preston Polytechnic’ to ‘University of Central Lancashire’ ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/3 "2004-07-07T21:46:38Z")
My old school went from Trenton State College to The College of New Jersey about 10 years ago. In the past 50 years, it has changed several other times (Trenton State Teacher’s College, Trenton Normal School). Glassboro College changed to Ryder University (I think I have those names right) maybe 15 years ago; this is also in NJ. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/4 "2004-07-07T21:47:37Z")
I’m not entirely sure, but I believe the University of Indianapolis was called Marian College until a few years ago. Their web site is not much help on UIndy’s history. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/5 "2004-07-07T21:53:13Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Not helpful probably but my University changed from ‘Preston Polytechnic’ to ‘University of Central Lancashire’ All the polytechnics in the UK changed their names in the 90’s when they were converted to unis. So, for example, Leeds Polytechnic changed its name to Leeds Metropolitan University, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/6 "2004-07-07T21:55:58Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > All the polytechnics in the UK changed their names in the 90’s when they were converted to unis. So, for example, Leeds Polytechnic changed its name to Leeds Metropolitan University, etc. I know. But I thought Lancashire’s was vaguelly relevant because instead of changing to ‘Preston University’ or ‘University of Preston’ it changed to ‘University of Central Lancashire’ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/7 "2004-07-07T22:11:29Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > All the polytechnics in the UK changed their names in the 90’s when they were converted to unis. So, for example, Leeds Polytechnic changed its name to Leeds Metropolitan University, etc. All except for Anglia Polytechnic University, which has made a very concious decision to stick with the ‘poly’ title. In a quite forward-thinking way - while all the others were desperate to drop the ‘poly reputation’, APU now has a unique (in the UK) name, with the current generation of undergrads knowing little or nothing of the former poly system. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/8 "2004-07-07T22:12:49Z")
Oh, and London Metropolitan University came into being recently, from a merger of the University of North London and London Guildhall University. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/9 "2004-07-07T22:13:07Z")
In the Shelby County, TN area State Technical Institute of Memphis and Shelby State Community College merged and the combined entity is now called Southwest Tennessee Community College… Also, Rhodes College here in Memphis changed its name in the early 80s from Southwestern at Memphis. critter42 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/10 "2004-07-07T22:17:18Z")
Northeast Missouri State University changed to Truman State University. Northwest Missouri State University is in the midst of becoming a campus of the University of Missouri and changing its name. Southwest Missouri State University keeps asking the state legislature to allow it to change its name to Missouri State University. The proposal keeps getting turned down because of opposition by both the University of Missouri and the other “compass schools.” Not in your 20 year timeline, but my wife attended Case University in Cleveland while it was merging with Western Reserve. Graduates from each school were given the choice of having their diplomas printed with the name of either the old schools, or the new CWRU. According to my wife, all the Case graduates chose Case, while the Western Reserve graduates chose Case Western Reserve. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/11 "2004-07-07T22:19:19Z")
Now that I think about it, if one were to disregard your stipulations about dropping state or going from state to University, three of our major 4-year colleges and our two major junior colleges (that merged into one) have changed names in the last 20 years… Southwestern at Memphis --\> Rhodes College Memphis State University --\> University of Memphis Christian Brothers College --\> Christian Brothers University Shelby State Community College \> Southwest Tennessee Community College State Technical Institute of Memphis / critter42 ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/12 "2004-07-07T22:20:12Z")
Alliance College in Cambridge Springs, PA, changed it’s name (had it’s name changed) to State Correctional Institution at Cambridge Springs. And this was well before John Ashcroft. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/13 "2004-07-07T22:23:42Z")
Sometime in the 60’s Illinois State Normal University changed its name to just plain Illinois State University. (in response to no longer being normal?) However, that is a bit longer ago than the poster specified, so if it’s too long ago, just never mind. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/14 "2004-07-07T23:38:49Z")
Glassboro Normal School (1923) \> to New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro (1937) \> Glassboro State College (1958) \> Rowan College of New Jersey (1992), in honor of the $100M donation by Henry & Betty Rowan - at the time, the largest donation ever to a public college. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/15 "2004-07-07T23:41:11Z")
Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC changed its name to Barton College some time in the last decade or so. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/16 "2004-07-07T23:57:44Z")
South Dakota State College at Brookings, South Dakota changed its name to South Dakota State University. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/17 "2004-07-08T00:05:26Z")
[Colby-Sawyer](http://www.colby-sawyer.edu/information/library/archives/history.html) College has changed names several times over the years, most recently in 1975, after a potential lawsuit over the name “Colby College-New Hampshire” from [Colby College](http://www.colby.edu) in Maine (my alma mater). ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/18 "2004-07-08T00:59:59Z")
Western Maryland College became McDaniel a couple years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/19 "2004-07-08T01:07:12Z")
North Texas State University changed its name to the University of North Texas. NTSU sounds way better the UNT Wow, they’ve changed their name [seven times](http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/UU/kcu53.html). And once by accident. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014/20 "2004-07-08T01:18:18Z")
Does this include old normal schools removing evidence of that from their name? Buffalo area: Rosary Hill College --\> Daemen College Buffalo State Teacher’s College --\> SUNY / Buffalo State College Mount St. Joseph College --\> Medaille College [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-the-name-of-a-college/254014.md?page=2)