Whatever happened to Dixie State University?
The power of student protests to wake up the folks in the Ivory Tower
Probably most people in the 50 states have never heard of Dixie State.
And those who have likely assume it's a college or university in the Deep South.
Actually, Dixie State is no more. After a number of loud and long and thoughtful student protests, two years ago the name of this proud university was changed. It is now officially Utah Tech. Technically, Utah Tech University.
The Governor of Utah, ignoring the outcry of many who opposed the name change, signed it into law and that was that. Dixie State was no more.
Yes, the Governor of Utah.
Not Alabama or Mississippi or Georgia.
But the original settlers who came to Southern Utah to raise cotton and other crops were indeed from the Deep South. So they referred to the entire area around what is now the city of St. George as "Dixie."
The name stuck.