<p>I know Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is referred as California Polytechnic State University, but I was wondering why Cal Poly Pomona is referred as California State Polytechnic University. Even though Cal Poly Pomona broke off from Cal Poly SLO, why couldn’t Cal Poly Pomona keep the name Cal Poly SLO uses. For instance, when UC Davis broke off from UC Berkeley, they still had the rights to use University of California. Cal Poly Pomona is in the same university system as Cal Poly SLO. With that said, all the UC’s, which are in the same university system, are allowed to use University of California. So again, why is Cal Poly Pomona referred as California State Polytechnic University? Or do they want to?</p>
<p>It’s probably because they focus on engineering, math, and architecture just like Cal Poly SLO. Most polytechnic schools tend to focus on those majors. (ex. Georgia Tech, Virginia tech, Cal Tech, MIT, ect.)</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply, but sorry. I meant why does Cal Poly Pomona refer themselves as California STATE Polytechnic University instead of California POLYTECHNIC State University (like SLO does). In a clearer sense, why does Cal Poly Pomona reverse the order of Polytechnic and State? I just find it puzzling that the UC’s that broke off from UC Berkeley can still use University of California in their school names, while Cal Poly Pomona cannot refer themselves as California POLYTECHNIC State University, like SLO. Sorry if I confused you.</p>
<p>oh lol… maybe they are trying to be unique??? I don’t know haha</p>
<ul>
<li>California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo</li>
<li>California State Polytechnic University, Pomona</li>
</ul>
<p>I have no idea.</p>
<p>I imagine it was just to distinguish between the two campuses. By the way Cal Poly SLO officially calls itself “Cal Poly” with no modifier and they get very touchy when Pomona people forget the Pomona modifier to refer to their own campus. They were the parent campus so I guess they get to call the shots when it comes to the nomenclature of the two campuses.</p>
<p>[Graphic</a> Standards Manual - Cal Poly Pomona](<a href=“http://www.csupomona.edu/~publicaffairs/graphics/nomenclature.shtml]Graphic”>http://www.csupomona.edu/~publicaffairs/graphics/nomenclature.shtml)</p>
<p>Oh I see. Thanks guys!</p>
<p>I agree with egmontus about SLO people being touchy, lol. I was having lunch at a restaurant in Cambria back in April (SLO county town) and the waitress noticed my GF’s Cal Poly Pomona sweater and said, “oh, you’re from the ‘other’ Cal Poly”. I thought it was kind of amusing.</p>
<p>I hope this chronology is clear enough:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>From 1901-1938 Cal Poly SLO is the only one in existence; however it is only a High School.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1927 the elided moniker “Cal Poly” starts being used to refer to the High School in SLO.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1932 Cal Poly SLO becomes a two-year college.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1937 Cal Poly SLO is renamed “California State Polytechnic School”.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1938 Charles B. Voorhis donates his all-men agricultural high school in San Dimas, California to then two-year college in SLO. The “Voorhis School for Boys” now becomes known as “California State Polytechnic School, Voorhis Unit” or simply “Cal Poly Voorhis Unit”. Then Cal Poly president Julian McPhee is the leader of both institutions and starts refering to them as “Cal Poly San Luis Obispo” and “Cal Poly Voohis Unit” to avoid confusion, still the two campus works as one big university.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1940 state legislature grants college (not university) status to Cal Poly (both campuses since they only work as one institution).</p></li>
<li><p>It is until 1947 when the university administration officially renames them (remember still represented by the two campus) as “California State Polytechnic College”.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1949 the Kellogg Arabian ranch in Pomona, California is given to Cal Poly and due to its proximity with the Voohis Unit the two merge and becomes Kellogg-Voorhis unit. Still the two branches are known in an elided form as Cal Poly.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1966 Cal Poly president McPhee retires, the two campus split, and become two independent colleges known as,</p></li>
<li><p>California State Polytechnic College (aka Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly SLO or Cal Poly)</p></li>
<li><p>California State Polytechnic College, Kellogg-Voorhis (aka Cal Poly Kellogg-Vorhis, Cal Poly K-V or Cal Poly)
respectively.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1972 state legislature creates the “California State University and Colleges” system today known as "California State University”. However, former San Diego State University student body president Calvin Robinson wrote the bill, signed into law by Ronald Reagan, and which allowed every California State University the option to revert the schools back to their pre-1972 names. Hence, </p></li>
<li><p>California State Polytechnic College
officially becomes:</p></li>
<li><p>California Polytechnic State University
And </p></li>
<li><p>California State Polytechnic College, Kellogg-Voorhis
officially becomes:</p></li>
<li><p>California State Polytechnic College, Pomona</p></li>
<li><p>In 1979 Warren J. Baker assumes the presidency at Cal Poly SLO.</p></li>
<li><p>In 1982 Cal Poly Pomona drops football and Cal Poly SLO has ever since then pushed the envelope to become known only as “Cal Poly” completely disregarding the history of both campuses. Hence it should be frowned upon when Cal Poly SLO tries to be known only as Cal Poly.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>By the way, I think it is not exactly correct in the history to say that Davis and the other UCs “broke-off” from Berkeley. UCLA was founded as a southern branch of Berkeley but the rest eventually started as seperate UC schools.</p>
<p>In addition, both campus field a yearly rose float known as:</p>
<p>[Cal</a> Poly Universities Rose Float - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Poly_Universities_Rose_Float]Cal”>Cal Poly Universities Rose Float - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Why is my moniker “CalPolyEngineer”?
- Because I know there are two polytechnics in California.</p>
<p>Ok, so who’s responsible for this?</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Hitler rants about Cal Poly in Pomona](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kv4q0c8TYU]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kv4q0c8TYU)</p>
<ul>
<li>California State Polytechnic College, Kellogg-Voorhis (aka Cal Poly Kellogg-Vorhis, Cal Poly K-V or Cal Poly)
respectively.</li>
</ul>
<p>I think you’ll find students just call it CPP or Cal Poly.</p>
<p>By the way, Cal Poly Pomona is an absolute charm. This school was not on our list at all but we checked it out on the very strong recommendations of two alumni. We were very pleasantly surprised, and DD is finishing her 1st year next week.</p>
<p>Let’s set the record straight. I was attending the CSU Board of Trustee’s meeting when the CSU by virtue of state legislation was granted “university status” in 1972. Each campus of the existing system was instructed to be referred to as either California State University(or College) followed by the campus geographic location name. However there were a number of campus exceptions made to the initial directive. Some of the campuses decided to modify this policy, e.g., San Diego State University as opposed to California State University, San Diego. Along those lines of modification, the two existing “Cal Poly” campuses of San Luis Obispo and Pomona petitioned the CSU Board of Trustees to retain the word “Polytechnic” in their official titles as it was so ingrained in each campus’ history. The Board of Trustees determined there should be some distinct difference in the arrangements of the title wording to differentiate between the two campuses. Therefore the Trustees instructed the two Cal Poly’s to alternate the placement of the word “Polytechnic” in their respective titles. Since CPSLO was the “mother campus” it was given the opportunity to make the first selection and it chose to become officially known as “California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo” and CPP got the “left-over” version or “California State Polytechnic University, Pomona” To this day both campuses use the “Cal Poly” familiar form however the Pomona campus decided to begin adding the word “Pomona” to its “familiar” title during the time Dr. Bob Suzuki was the president (mid 1990’s) so as to have a clear distinction between the two campuses. “Cal Poly Pomona” The Pomona campus even added the additional “P” to its “CP” on the hill to read “CPP” for this movement.</p>
<p>I hope this helps to clear up the mystery!</p>
<p>
LOL, that’s great.</p>
<p>MrCalPolyPomona,</p>
<p>Thanks for your first hand insight into this topic. Were you a student or faculty back then? It’s good to know you’re still tuning in.</p>
<p>[Cal</a> Poly Name Usage - University Identity - Web Authoring Resource Center - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://www.warc.calpoly.edu/universityid/univnameuse.html]Cal”>http://www.warc.calpoly.edu/universityid/univnameuse.html)</p>
<p>[Graphic</a> Standards Manual - Cal Poly Pomona](<a href=“http://www.csupomona.edu/~publicaffairs/graphics/nomenclature.shtml]Graphic”>http://www.csupomona.edu/~publicaffairs/graphics/nomenclature.shtml)</p>
<p>great post and a small little footnote…in the CPP bookstore you can buy shirts that read, i’m not SLO, i go to pomona. haven’t seen those in the el corral bookstore on the poly north campus lately…</p>
<p>My friend made me a shirt that reads: </p>
<p>To hell with San Luis Obispo State!</p>
<p>Greetings from:
Cal Poly
Pomona, California</p>
<p>[Hitler</a> rants about Cal Poly in Pomona - YouTube](<a href=“Hitler rants about Cal Poly in Pomona - YouTube”>Hitler rants about Cal Poly in Pomona - YouTube)</p>
<p>This video was absolutely freaking hilarious!!! Loved it! I am a big fan of both schools and have always been baffled by the rivalry over the name. This video puts the controversy into the correct context – it is just dumb to fight over the name.</p>