Dixie State University history

When it opened, the institution was called “The St George Stake Academy.” It offered three years of high school and in 1912 the fourth year was added, allowing students to graduate from high school.

In 1926 the LDS Church decided to close most of its academies because public high schools were coming into existence.

In 1933, the LDS Church discontinued its support of the college, and rather than give up on it, the local citizenry came together and maintained the school's operation through donations and labor for two years.

While the newlyweds were honeymooning in Austria in July 1934, the vice-premier of Austria was assassinated by Austrian Nazis, a precursor to the beginning of World War II. During World War II, the Nazi-controlled government confiscated the Udvar-Hazy textile warehouse.

In 1935, the State Board of Education took over the funding for the school, but wanted to split the college students from the high school students, with the high school moving under the direction of Washington County.

The college mascot was changed from “Flyers” to “Rebels” in 1951.

The first building, a new gymnasium, was completed on the new campus in 1957.

Much of this expansion was linked to the amazing growth of the county that was ten times its population in 1965.

In 1973 he and two partners started the International Lease Finance Corporation, which eventually grew into the world’s premier commercial aircraft leasing company.

Disclaimer: Information on this site was converted from a hard cover book published by University of Utah Press in 1994.

Udvar-Hazy School of Business, dedicated on March 28, 1996

Community members undertook a campaign to gain four-year status for Dixie State University which the legislature and Governor Leavitt agreed to in March 1999.

Enrollment grew to 2000 students and then continued upwards gradually.

The proposal was approved by the Dixie State College Board of Trustees on October 7, 2007, and by the University of Utah Board of Trustees on October 14, 2007; however, this did not come to fruition.

In 2011, a bill was drafted for the review of the Utah State Legislature and the Utah State Governor to support Dixie State College's transition to university status.

The Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons was dedicated in September of 2012.

Governor Gary Herbert signed the bill into law in a ceremony on campus, calling the new university into existence on February 16, 2013.

In December 2014, theater professor Varlo Davenport received a notice of dismissal and termination of employment in connection with a student complaint of an alleged assault but because of his tenure was allowed to request a termination appeal hearing as outlined in DSU Policy.

In 2015, in accordance with school policy, three students requested permission from the university to post fliers with satirical images of former President George W. Bush and revolutionary leader Che Guevara on campus.

In the ensuing 2016 City of St George v.

The process of changing the university's name began in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests.

In March 2021, Utah bill 278S01 delegated the task to a committee that recommended a name for approval of the state board of higher education and legislature.