Display of various merch with the name 'Edgewood College'

From Andrew Holbrook,
Operations and Archives Librarian

When Edgewood College officially becomes Edgewood University on July 1st, more is changing than just a name.

Some of these changes are already well underway and, in fact, started decades ago. For example, the term “university” will more accurately reflect the ongoing growth of our graduate programs as well as our increasingly international student body.

Other changes will be brand new — and will touch every aspect of the school’s brand, visual as well as verbal. The official school seal will be updated as will our logo, color palette, and fonts. The new identity will appear everywhere from stickers to street signs, from pencils to pennants, from sweatshirts to stationery.

Various artifacts with the names 'Edgewood College of the Sacred Heart' and 'Edgewood University'

This summer won’t be the first time we have changed our name. In fact, Edgewood University will be at least the fifth different identity in the first century of our campus. And we’re not alone. Between 1992 and 2001, nearly 800 higher ed institutions changed their names — almost one-fifth of all colleges and universities in the country. From 2001 to 2016, almost 25% of four-year “colleges” became “universities.”

Part 1 of our “What’s in a Name?” exhibit explores reasons why educational institutions change their names, looks back at Edgewood College’s own history with name changes, and bids a fond farewell to soon-to-be-vintage souvenirs and swag.

Part 2 (coming late summer) will offer a first look at new Edgewood University merch and delve deeper into the complex, months-long process that made the redesign possible.