Lone Star College System (Lone Star College System) is shedding its lengthy moniker after 16 years in favor of one that unites all the five colleges, leaves the district room for growth, is simple enough for everyone to recognize, and draws upon its historical roots–Lone Star College System.
The name Lone Star College System was approved at the Board of Trustees meeting this evening as the final step in the review process.
“We needed a shorter name that not only links our colleges together, but also reflects the growth of the district,” said Lone Star College System’s Vice Chancellor of External Affairs Ray Laughter. “Everyone involved, from the Board of Trustees to the thousands of people who made their thoughts known through our online selection process, recognized Lone Star College System as a solid “fit” for this great college district. We couldn’t be more excited to greet a new era in the school’s history.”
The Lone Star name is of particular interest in the area because of its heritage. According to House Resolution #1123 adopted by the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas Legislature, Montgomery County is the birthplace of the Lone Star Flag.
The flag was the vision of Dr. Charles B. Stewart, a Montgomery postmaster and pharmacist and the first Secretary of State for the Republic of Texas. He and his committee sketched on vellum three rectangles of equal size, one vertical and two horizontal. In the vertical he placed a lone star. The rectangles were marked as blue, white and red to signify loyalty, purity and bravery.
“We are delighted that the college system chose Lone Star College System as its new name,” said Montgomery County Judge Alan “Barb” Sadler. “It is both relevant and pertinent as it reflects the important local history of our community as the recognized birthplace of the Lone Star flag.”
The system, which has grown from an original 613 to more than 49,000 students, realized that the current name was simply too cumbersome and difficult to remember. In addition, the district name includes the names of two of its colleges: Lone Star College-North Harris and Lone Star College–Montgomery. This affinity creates an “identity challenge” for the district’s three other colleges.
“Many residents as well as students on the individual campuses do not associate their area college experience with the greater district of Lone Star College System,” said Chancellor Dr. Richard Carpenter. “A simple, straightforward and locally pertinent name like Lone Star College affords us the opportunity to build a stronger brand throughout our district and beyond for years to come.”
The district wanted to ensure that everyone–students, faculty, staff and the area’s general population–had a voice at each stage of the re-naming process. Suggestions for the new name were submitted and narrowed down via the system’s Web site. After another round of input on the final three, Lone Star College emerged as the top choice.
The new name will take effect the week of January 14, the first week of the spring semester, in a series of campus events.