By AP/KWMU
Springfield, MO – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed the SMS name change into law on Thursday, during centennial celebrations at the Springfield campus.
That means the name Southwest Missouri State University will go away on August 28th. The campus will then be known as just Missouri State University.
The school had sought the name change for about 20 years, but only broke through the deadlock this year, in part, with help from a new governor who is also a Springfield native.
The legislation that signed into law also changes the name of Harris-Stowe State College to Harris-Stowe State University.
Blunt signed the bill privately at the Capitol and then took part in a ceremonial signing late Thursday with a few hundred people at the university.