Past publication names of the Iowa State Daily

While today, everyone can refer to the Iowa State Daily as simply “the Daily,” the name has only been around for about three-fifths of the publication’s history. It took nearly five decades for the Daily to achieve status as a daily, though it was a long-term goal for several editors going all the way back to the 1890s. Here is a quick history of the publication’s names during the past 130+ years.

The I.A.C. Student

1890 – 1896

The first name of what would become the Iowa State Daily, The I.A.C. Student, was a reflection of the then-name of Iowa State University: the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm.

The Weekly Student

1893

The Weekly Student was a short-lived name change. It started after the 1893 spring term ended and was dropped at the end of August, encompassing a mere six issues. The publication’s name reverted back to The I.A.C. Student, though it remained a weekly publication.

The Student

1897

Unlike The Weekly Student, this short-lived name was at least used for a full term. The Student began in spring 1897 when the publication returned to a booklet form, and remained until the end of the term. However, publication that term was only bi-weekly, so only seven issues carried the name.

The I.S.C. Student

1897-1914

The I.S.C. Student began in fall 1897 as the school also readied its first name change — to the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

Iowa State Student

1914-1938

The switch to Iowa State Student began in the middle of the spring semester and as the newspaper began to more consistently publish multiple issues a week. It also reflected the school’s shorter name of “Iowa State,” which was growing in usage. While not originally part of the name, a “The” was added to the name in March 1923 but dropped in January 1924. However, it was added again in September 1925 and kept through March 1931.

Daily Iowa State Student

1938

With the newspaper publishing five days a week, the word Daily was added to the name for 1938 spring quarter. However, the name change was another short-lived one, only in usage for the one term.

Iowa State Daily Student

1938-1947

The publication name got its words shuffled around a little in this name change that lasted through the World War II era.

Iowa State Daily

1947-present

Reflecting that its news coverage wasn’t always local anymore and that many in the student body had served across the world during in the war, Student was dropped from the name.

Iowa State Daily Prophet

2011

A one-time name change because the newspaper staff had some fun leading up to the theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2. The design imitated the Daily Prophet — though none of the images moved.