From College to University
From College to University
Campus historian William Cashen describes how the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines became the University of Alaska, in his book, "Farthest North College President."
There were three college trustees in the 1935 legislature, representatives Andrew Nerland, A. A. Shonbeck, and George Lingo. These three were joined in Juneau by Mrs. Grace Wickersham, who resided there, and Mrs. Hess, who had accompanied her husband, Senator Luther C. Hess.
The Board of Trustees took no formal action on the Alumni request that they seek to change the institution鈥檚 name to the University of Alaska, but
Trustee George A. Lingo, who was a member of the Territorial House of Representatives
from the Fourth Division, introduced House Bill No. 97 which provided for this change
and the bill received little opposition. It passed the House on March 2, 11-2, and
the Senate by a 7-1 vote on March 8. It provided that the change be effective July
1, 1935.
On March 12, 1935, the trustees who were in Juneau assembled in the office of the
Governor John W. Troy to witness the signing of the bill which changed the Alaska
Agricultural College and School of Mines to the University of Alaska. Others present
included President Bunnell, James Wickersham, and J.S. Hoffman, Speaker of the House. The pen used in the signing was made of
Alaska ivory with a gold point and was given to Dr. Bunnell to place in the University
Museum.
Back on College Hill, news of the events taking place in Juneau were somewhat overwhelming.
Most of the 150 students and 20 faculty members had paid little or no attention to
the Alumni proposal six weeks earlier that the college be renamed the University of
Alaska. Others who had heard of the proposal thought it somewhat premature. And then,
suddenly, it was an accomplished fact: the Alaska Agricultural College and School
of Mines would become the University of Alaska on July 1. Perk Lucha, in his Collegian
column 鈥淐ampus Glimpses,鈥 remarked, 鈥淪omething that gives us no end of worry is to
think of becoming universitarians. We just have to get busy and find out all we can
about them, how they look and act and so on.鈥