By Any other Name
"College Renamed,” headlined the first issue of the Lycoming Courier, published in November 1947. The institution that, for the last century, had been known as Williamsport Dickinson, first as a seminary and then as a junior college, had a new name to reflect its new status as a four-year college of the liberal arts and sciences.
But, Lycoming wasn’t the only name under consideration for the changing school. The earliest discussions of a four-year college had included the need for a new name without “Dickinson” in it. Shortly after the board of trustees made its final decision for a senior college, the school announced the leading candidates for a new name: Northern Methodist College, Pennsylvania Wesleyan College, Lycoming College, Crever College and Rich College.
Congressman Robert F. Rich conveyed that, although his father and many in his family had been and were supporters of the institution, he personally would not agree to have the family name on the new college. Not without a sense of humor, he added that he did not think “Rich College” was a good idea for it would give people the impression that it already had all the money it needed. Why not, he suggested, “Williamsport College?” College President John Long spread the word about Rich’s preferences. He also let others know that his personal choice was Crever College. Loyalsock College and Muncy College were among other names that surfaced.
The board finally decided, a week before Homecoming, to name the school Lycoming. Both Lycoming Wesleyan and Lycoming Junior College had been considered as possible names during the junior college years, but the reason given for the choice was that the name was identified with the Williamsport area.
Specifically, it was the name of a stream which flowed south through the western part of the city of Williamsport and into the Susquehanna River. The Delaware Indians had called the stream Legani-hanne—sandy stream—a name later written Lycaumick. European settlers called it Lycoming. The name had another historic root, a Methodist one. The Lycoming Circuit was the name of the first Methodist presence in the area, and therefore Lycoming was a
most appropriate name for the Methodist institution.
Two things happened as soon as the name appeared. First, everyone immediately adopted it. Students and townspeople attached it to every group at the College, including most prominently the Lycoming football team and the Lycoming choir. The Dickinson Union published an October issue, which without warning became its last. The newly named Lycoming Courier became its successor in November.
The second response was to the Native American heritage of the name. Newspaper reporters were informed thata new nickname would be chosen for all the athletic teams as soon as the new college had a name. Suggestions included Indians, Chiefs, Warriors, Redskins, Susquehannocks and Braves. No record has survived of who made the final choice, but the athletic teams became and have remained the Warriors.
The term was first used to describe the football team during its Homecoming game with the Western Maryland JVs. The team won the game 31-0, in what became an undefeated season. After the season was over, football letterwinners were the first to receive gold “L’s” recognizing their success on the field. The new uniforms for the band had Indian-head insignias on the sleeves.
The editor of the Williamsport Sun celebrated the decision to adopt “Lycoming.” He recommended that Lycoming should now turn its attention to helping people pronounce its name correctly, and offered a rhyme to match preferred local usage: “Keep things humming at Lycoming.”
Editor’s note: This article was crafted using material from “Lycoming College 1812-2012: On the Frontiers of American Education,” written by Dr. John F. Piper Jr., dean and professor of history emeritus.