Hundreds of alumni and supporters gathered on a sunny lawn in Rockford this morning for the official unveiling of Rockford University, formerly known as Rockford College.
Board of Trustees Chair Charles Colman got the purple-clad crowd cheering when he started the ceremonies by saying “Let me be the first to say we are now Rockford University!”
University President Robert Head says the new name better reflects what the school is today: a four-year university with graduate degree offerings. It also helps marketing overseas, where “college” denotes different institutions of learning.
Rockford College has a long history in the city: it started as Rockford Female Seminary in 1847, became Rockford College in 1892, and is now Rockford University. School leaders also used the name change celebration as an opportunity to introduce plans for major campus improvements, including five million dollars in renovations to the Blanche Walker Burpee and Seaver Physical Education centers.
