On Jul. 1, 1939, Storrs Agricultural School became the University of Connecticut. Many in the University community believed that the name change was just an acceptance of the reality that over the years, the college had evolved into a university. Yet the change of status had been a matter of hot debate for decades.

The committee appointed by Gov. Wilbur Cross reported early in 1933 that the word “agricultural” was indeed no longer representative of what the college offered in its curriculum, and recommended that the name be changed to “Connecticut State College.”

The new version of House Bill #1227 was very brief, simply stating that “The name of the Connecticut State College is changed to The Connecticut State University.” That too was changed, and the final bill called for Connecticut State College to become the University of Connecticut. The bill passed both houses of the General Assembly without dissent, and was signed into law by Gov. Raymond Baldwin on May 26, effective July 1, 1939.