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Miles Kelly, the former Republican state legislator who sponsored the bill to rename Dixie State University to Utah Tech, said leaving Dixie Technical College’s name intact was a reflection of the fact that it was more of a local college.
“Dixie State had become a regional university and was drawing students from out of state and placing students in graduate and professional programs in other universities. It had more of a national reach than Dixie Technical College,” said Kelly, who lost his reelection bid for House District 11 to Katy Hall in the GOP primary in June.
Dixie State University’s name became a hot-button issue in 2020 in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Proponents of the name change argued the word “Dixie” evoked images of the Confederacy and white supremacy. Opponents contended leaving “Dixie” in the title honored the area’s heritage.”
2 ½ miles to the west of Utah Tech, atop Tech Ridge on the site of St. George’s old airport, Dixie lives on – not only in the large block letter D that adorns the side of the ridge but also atop the mesa where Dixie Technical College is situated.
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It was a republican that suggested the name change. Of course, that republican got booted via voters electing someone else.
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