in 1946-48, the governor appointed a temporary commission on the need for a state university. it was chaired by owen d. young, then-chairman of the general electric company. the commission studied new york's existing higher education institutions and recommended consolidating them into a state university system. while thomas e. dewey was governor, the state legislature established the state university of new york in 1948. the new law followed the commission's recommendations. the system was greatly expanded during the administration of governor nelson a. rockefeller, who took a personal interest in the design and construction of new suny facilities across the state.