It was known as the Social Sciences Building until 1972 when it was renamed Mervis Hall and designated as the home of the Graduate School of Business. In 1983, when the Graduate School of Business moved into a new building also named Mervis Hall, it was renamed Thackeray Hall.
The building's designation as home to the Graduate School of Business led to its name change from Social Sciences Building to Mervis Hall in 1972. When the school relocated to a new Mervis Hall building in 1983, it assumed the name Thackeray Hall.