The names of Berg and Bailey Halls will soon be seen on two different campus buildings to better illustrate the roles President Sherwood Berg and Provost Harold Bailey had at SDSU.

Agriculture Hall will be named Sherwood O. and Elizabeth A. Berg Agriculture Hall because of Berg’s professional background in agriculture. Berg served as president of SDSU from 1975 to1984.

Rotunda will be renamed Harold S. Bailey Classrooms to reflect the efforts of Bailey’s 24 years serving as provost.

“The name changes were prompted by the fact that their roles on campus were both academic in nature,” Provost Laurie Nichols said. “It was only fitting to put their names on academic buildings.”

“Both [Sherwood and Elizabeth] were very much a team when [Berg] was president,” Nichols said. “She was a much loved and admired first lady and was seen at almost all of the events with the president.”

Ty Littau, a sophomore agriculture business major, said he is in favor of Ag Hall’s new name because it’s a great way for the university to show its thanks to his contributions to agriculture.

“I think it is probably better,” Littau said. “That way there is more connection to the individual on campus.”

“We wanted to promote the academic leadership of these two individuals by putting their names on academic buildings that fit their profile and their background,” Nichols said.

Doug Wermedal, assistant vice president for student affairs, said the current Berg and Bailey Halls will be renamed Meadows North and Meadows South.

“We gave a lot of consideration to potential names, and [the buildings] were both in a meadow,” Wermedal said.

Wermedal said the new names not only give recognition to the physical setting in which the buildings are in, but it also reflects the land grant mission of the university.

Littau said he thinks changing the names will help students understand the important contributions Berg and Bailey made to the university.

“… I think it is great, and it is our way to really thank all of those who have contributed to SDSU,” Littau said.

Nichols said a naming committee is responsible for naming or changing names to building on campus. The committee’s job is to make suggestions, proposals and requests for building names. Once they make sure a name meets all of a building’s guidelines, it is recommended to the president and must be accepted by the Board of Regents.

For classrooms and small facilities, Nichols said, the president is responsible for making the final decision.

Wermedal said changing the building names is a part of a larger plan for residential living on campus, which includes building new residence halls on the southeast corner of campus. With the new names and possible future residence halls, Wermedal said the university wants to return Berg and Bailey Halls to their original function, which is to house 320 juniors, seniors and graduate students.

“This plan is something that should be realized within a two to three-year span as long as we have the Board of Regents’ approval,” Wermedal said.

Nichols said in the future, students will be seeing more name changes to other buildings, one of them being Dairy Microbiology.

Nichols said a dedication of the Sherwood O. and Elizabeth A. Berg Agriculture Hall is set for April 28, and the dedication of the Harold S. Bailey Rotunda Classrooms is tentatively set for next fall.