Flashback: U.S. Higher Education -When Auburn University and North Carolina State University received their current names

Flashback: U.S. Higher Education -When Auburn University and North Carolina State University received their current names

Dilemma X

Sometimes the boards of trustees at colleges and universities feel the need to change their institutions’ names. Many times name changes are just done in a simple ceremonial process by: the boards of trustees, the state university systems/boards of regents and state legislatures.

But, sometimes institutional name changes can send alumni and students into angry rage. Here we reflect back on how these two universities arrived at their current names: Auburn University and North Carolina State University.

___________

Alabama Polytechnic Institute -Alabama Land Grant University (ALGU)
Auburn University
Established in 1856 as the East Alabama Male College (1856-1872). The Alabama legislative act giving the institution a charter was passed on February 1, 1856. The state legislature authorized charters for both the Southern University at Greensboro and the East Alabama Male College at Auburn.

On February 26, 1872, the Toomer Bill was passed and the college became the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (1872-1899).

Dr. William Leroy Broun, president of A & M College of Alabama persuaded the legislature to change the college’s official title in 1899 to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute because “the college has developed as originally designed into an institution where students are taught not only the branches that relate to agricultural and mechanical arts but also the sciences and arts in general that relate to the industrial development of modern civilization.”

Alabama Polytechnic Institute (1899-1960) became Auburn University on January 1, 1960.

Auburn University at Montgomery was established as a separately accredited campus in 1967.

___
The current Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University

___

___________

North Carolina State College -University of North Carolina at Raleigh (UNC Raleigh or UNCR)
North Carolina State University