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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-04-18-at-9.52.18-PM-e1f84e89ebfc25d9.png” title_text=”Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 9.52.18 PM” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”55%” min_height=”135px” animation_style=”fade” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”2.2px” custom_margin=”||1px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px|||” animation_style=”fade” inline_fonts=”Aboreto,Akshar,Aldrich,Caudex,Poppins,Alkalami,Bebas Neue,BioRhyme,Cormorant Infant,Varela,Allerta Stencil” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
For three years, it was the Undergraduate Student Government\u2019s mission to remove the name of John W. Bricker from Bricker Hall. They even challenged six other buildings for honoring legacies that do not align with Ohio State\u2019s mission of diversity, equity and inclusion. Although Thompson Library is the only official building name change to be requested, three years later, it has resulted in no change.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”150.7px” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#9e0000″ divider_weight=”1px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”58%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”|-22px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Before he graduated, Yondris Ferguson made it his mission to get Ohio State to remove John W. Bricker\u2019s name from an academic building on the Oval.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is a person whose whole career in public service was of no benefit to any marginalized group whatsoever,\u201d Ferguson said.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The campus activist used his platform as speaker of the house in the Undergraduate Student Government to write two of the three resolutions passed regarding the renaming of Bricker Hall and several other buildings between 2021 and 2023, arguing that the legacy of certain individuals was not worth honoring.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cWe felt it was counterproductive to the mission of diversity, equity and inclusion that Ohio State prided itself on,\u201d Ferguson said.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Ferguson was not alone. Citizen Advocates for Public Education \u2014 an organization that started in 2013 to support public education, quality curriculum learning and teaching experiences \u2014 also requested the removal of William Oxley Thompson\u2019s name from the Thompson Library for the leading role he played in segregating Columbus schools.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n According to university records, this lone request has been lying in the abyss of Ohio State\u2019s renaming portal for three years.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cThey had looked at the evidence that we submitted and they were going to give the request consideration,\u201d said Linda Fenner, Ohio State alum and retired Columbus educator.\u00a0 \u201cThat’s pretty much where we are now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n Though universities across the country\u2014 including UC Berkeley, Indiana University, University of Richmond and Yale University \u2014 have removed names with a problematic legacy from their buildings, the names of Bricker Hall, the Wexner Medical Center, Thompson Library and four other building names with challenged reputations remain at Ohio State.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cBuilding name changes is not an erasure of history. We still want the history to be told but we want it to be contextualized,\u201d said Shira Greer, a master’s student at UNC-Chapel Hill and one of the pioneers in the building name changes at Richmond University in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Despite Ohio State having an official naming portal for students, faculty and alumni to submit renaming requests, university spokespersons said removing a naming designation will occur under exceptional and narrow circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe naming review process is thoughtful and thorough and therefore could take several years,\u201d university spokesperson Ben Johnson said.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Former officials in USG, retired long-term Columbus educators and the examples of other universities show the appeal to align namesakes with the values of the institution has yet to result in any change.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Looking into past scrutiny<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It wasn’t until the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 that people began to collectively pay attention to the reputations of certain namesakes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n From the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus City Hall in <\/span>2020<\/span><\/a> to the <\/span>169%<\/span><\/a> increase in chief diversity and inclusion officer positions at the start of the new decade, the world seemed to have mobilized a revolution that acknowledges America\u2019s past.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Within two years, <\/span>USA Today<\/span><\/a> reported on Nov. 10, 2022, that 82 schools had removed some namesakes as a result of this new call to action.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n There are about 133 Ohio State buildings named after an individual, according to Ohio State\u2019s <\/span>building index<\/span><\/a>. Of those, nine are named after a former university president, 10 after donors or benefactors. The other names are individuals who either held a leadership role at the university, made historical contributions or died honorably.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n According to the <\/span>Naming of University Spaces and Entities<\/span><\/a> from the Office of University Advancement, building namesakes are placed under three categories: administrative \u2014 a formal assignment like 18th Avenue Library \u2014 honorific and philanthropic naming. The latter two give names to buildings to recognize a distinguished individual or appreciation for a donation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Originally issued in 1992, this policy has been revised five times, most recently in July 2020. Article <\/span>four <\/span><\/a>of this policy goes over the revision or removal process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlthough generally discouraged, existing spaces and entities with honorific naming recognition may be renamed with the approval of the President\u2019s Cabinet and the Board of Trustees,\u201d the policy states. <\/span>\u201cIf at any time the university determines that the continued naming of a space or entity may compromise the university\u2019s integrity or reputation, the university may amend or remove the name.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Before Ohio State developed its renaming request portal in 2021, naming requests were not processed officially, according to university spokesperson Chris Booker. Instead, individuals or groups made written or verbal requests, which were not maintained in any official process.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#9e0000″ divider_weight=”1px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”58%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”|-22px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Other universities<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The issue of naming buildings after people with reputations that contradict a university\u2019s commitment is not unique to Ohio State.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n As an undergraduate at the University of Richmond, Greer became involved in the Black student coalition to push for the change of two campus buildings that were named after a slave owner and a segregationist, the Rev. Robert Ryland and Douglas Southall Freeman, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>\u201cWe sort of had an organic student movement among Black students who were advocating for those building names to be changed for greater academic accommodations for students,\u201d Greer said.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/04\/shira-greer-3-31b6fbb41561e6f9.jpeg” alt=”%22%22″ title_text=”shira greer 3″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Shira Greer is a master’s student in library science at UNC-Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate at the University of Richmond, she played an active role in advocating for the removal of a few building names.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 2022, about a year after an initial rejection to remove these names, Richmond officials decided to update their naming policy, resulting in the renaming of not just Ryland and Freeman Hall, but <\/span>more<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe were only initially advocating for the changes of two building names, and I believe when they actually did that, it was like six buildings,\u201d Greer said.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n At Yale, students also campaigned for the change of an undergraduate residency college, formerly known as Calhoun College.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Julia Adams, a professor of sociology and director of the college, said she not only played a role in this name change but she also noticed a positive change in the student body culture as a result.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Just like Richmond, the university initially announced in 2016 that the name would not change after students voiced their displeasure with Calhoun\u2019s legacy and its misrepresentation of the university values.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAfter the university had first announced that the name would stay, it had really already been culturally rejected by the students, and so that was a period in which we all, for quite a long time, kind of tried to handle that collectively as a community,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The name eventually changed a year later to the Grace Hopper College in honor of Yale alum Grace Murray Hopper, a computer scientist, mathematician and U.S. Navy rear admiral.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think what worked here, not just in the college but also with renaming, was leading with scholarship that is putting a serious thought and research into the decision,\u201d Adams said. <\/span>\u201cIncluding scholarship about the individuals themselves, the character and the impact of names, how they function and all sorts of aspects. It keeps us all honest.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#9e0000″ divider_weight=”1px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”58%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”|-22px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A look at Leslie H. Wexner<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/04\/Image-for-Wexner-a2c79b33adf46060-31896ed81e7671e6.jpg” alt=”%22%22″ title_text=”Image-for-Wexner-a2c79b33adf46060″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Leslie H. Wexner was given the name of The Ohio State University hospital in 2012, which is now known as the Wexner Medical Center. This philanthropist and billionaire has faced criticism for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein, which has produced 524 signatures in a petition to remove his name from the university.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Ferguson introduced resolution 54-R-42 in USG along with parliamentarian John Fuller in 2022, calling on the university to rename seven building names with legacies that contradict Ohio State\u2019s values. The Wexner Medical Center was included in this resolution.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/04\/Request-4290b71236871dc7.png” title_text=”Request” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”74%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 2022, USG passed a resolution urging the university to make its naming portal more publicly known to the student body and subsequently remove the names of individuals with \u201cracist and other lascivious\u201d characters from several campus buildings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”43%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Philanthropist and billionaire Leslie H. Wexner was given the name of The Ohio State University hospital in <\/span>2012<\/a>, which is now known as the Wexner Medical Center. The 1959 alum began his philanthropic connection three years after graduating with a donation of $5 million. According to the <\/span>medical center<\/a>, Wexner donated more than $200 million to the university within 30 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Wexner founded Limited Brands, or<\/span> L Brands<\/span><\/a>, in 1963 and was the owner of several retail chains including but not limited to Victoria\u2019s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bath and Body Works. He also served on the board of trustees from 1988-1997 and 2005-2012 and was chairman of the board from 2009-2012.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Wexner had a close relationship with financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who he gave control over his <\/span>personal finances<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of procuring a child for the means of prostitution in 2008 and was arrested in 2019 on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Wexner resigned from his position as the CEO of L Brands in February of 2020 allegedly due to brewing <\/span>controversy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nAmani Bayo<\/span>
<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\nJohn R. Oller Special Projects Editor<\/i><\/span><\/h2>\n
\u201cBuilding name changes is not an erasure of history. We still want the history to be told but we want it to be contextualized.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 — Shira Greer, UNC-Chapel Hill master’s student<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u201cIf at any time the university determines that the continued naming of a space or entity may compromise the university\u2019s integrity or reputation, the university may amend or remove the name.<\/b>\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0— Naming of University Spaces and Entities, Article Four<\/span><\/h3>\n
Courtesy of Shira Greer<\/h6>\n
\u201cAfter the university had first announced that the name would stay, it had really already been culturally rejected by the students, and so that was a period in which we all, for quite a long time, kind of tried to handle that collectively as a community.<\/b>\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0— Julie Adams, director of Yale undergraduate residency college<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u201cIncluding scholarship about the individuals themselves, the character and the impact of names, how they function and all sorts of aspects. It keeps us all honest.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0— Julie Adams, director of Yale undergraduate residency college<\/span><\/h3>\n
Credit: Molly Goheen | Managing Editor for Digital Content<\/h6>\n
Credit: Ohio State Office of University Advancement<\/h6>\n