Students walk along the sidewalk near the 19th Avenue and Holloway Avenue entrance to campus. The freestanding sign reads simply “San Francisco State,” reflecting the institution’s transitional naming period following its 1972 shift from San Francisco State College and its 1974 renaming as San Francisco State University. Additional students move between campus buildings in the background.
Context:
<p><strong data-start="250" data-end="286">Institutional Name History Note:</strong><br data-start="286" data-end="289" /> San Francisco State was known as <em data-start="322" data-end="351">San Francisco State College</em> from 1935 to 1972. In 1972, following the reorganization of the California State Colleges system, it was briefly designated <em data-start="476" data-end="520">California State University, San Francisco</em> (1972–1974). In 1974, the institution was officially renamed <em data-start="582" data-end="614">San Francisco State University</em>. Signage from the 1970s may reflect transitional branding, including the simplified form “San Francisco State.”</p>
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<p><strong>Credits:</strong> Some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
