Princeton to drop Woodrow Wilson's name from school

By Sinéad Carew

 

FILE PHOTO: A student walks toward Princeton University's Wilson College in Princeton, New Jersey, November 20, 2015. REUTERS/Dominick Reuter

 

(Reuters) - Princeton University is renaming its public policy school and Wilson College after concluding that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies "make him an inappropriate namesake."

 

Announcing the move on Saturday, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber said it related to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks, Black Americans who died at the hands of police in recent months.

 

The board's Friday vote to rename the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College follows a wave of protests in the United States and around the world against racial injustice that were prompted by the deaths.

 

It contrasted with a 2016 decision to keep the schools' names intact after considering a change following student protests in November 2015.

 

Eisgruber said Wilson's "racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time," citing his segregation of the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades.

 

The policy school will be renamed The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

 

Wilson was the university's president before becoming governor of New Jersey, and then president of the United States from 1913 to 1921.

 

His policies make him an "especially inappropriate namesake for a public policy school," as it suggests he is a model for students at the school, which "must stand firmly against racism in all its forms," Eisgruber said.

 

Wilson College will instead be known as First College, accelerating the retirement of the name by two years. Princeton had already planned to close the college and drop its name when it opens two new residential colleges that are being built.

 

However, the university's highest honor for undergraduates - The Woodrow Wilson Award - will keep its name as it was the result of a gift, which gives the university a legal obligation to name the prize for Wilson, Princeton's board said.

 

(Reporting by Sinéad Carew; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-28

 

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I'm waiting on Yale (named after the slave trading merchant Elihu Yale). C'mon guys, you're supposed to be a bastion of liberal thought, don't let me down now. Ha!

And so history is obliterated not with a bang but a whimper.

And so the lunacy continues 

33 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Eisgruber said Wilson's "racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time," citing his segregation of the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades.

Did not know that.
 

Hard to understand how anyone could hold such foul views and be so ignorant that they would do such a thing. 

 

Well done Princeton, a little late but nevertheless...

When are we going to see FDR slammed for segregating public bathrooms? 

When will the WinDixe chain change their name? 

And those little paper dixecups? I am offended! ???? LOL

27 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

And so history is obliterated not with a bang but a whimper.

 

How is "history" "obliterated" by renaming a college at a University? Do you learn history from reading the inscription on a building or a statue? Or by reading a book?

 

There are quite few good biographies on Wilson.

 

He grew up in the South, so perhaps understandable why he was a racist?

 

He gets a plus for Suffrage, maybe a huge minus for his handling of the 1918/19 flu?

 

 

Just let the lunatics take over the farm.  While they are at it, Why not relinquish the lands all taken from the Indians and after the original 13 colonies were formed.  All those whose ancestors were slaves will need to return to the country of their ancestors origination as they were brought to the US Illegally. Return California, and Texas back to Spain and Mexico.  Give back New Orleans and the Louisiana purchase Area to the French, and of course Give Hawaii back to the actual Hawaiians and all others need to vacate.  Lots more to do to fix all the perceived wrongs, but then they do not want to be inconvenienced they just want to be satiated and given things like money.  But then I may be totally ignorant of the issues.  That is just the US, so lets start with all the colonization by the French, Spaniards and the British.  Give it all back and eliminate any issues.  In Asia, Thailand needs to go back to being Siam.  China needs to give back lands taken by Genghis Kahn and the Mongols.  Russia should return to what it was in the time of the Czar's.  Pretty sure I missed alot......all of this is being said with sarcasm dripping from my fingertips. 

32 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

When are we going to see FDR slammed for segregating public bathrooms? 

When will the WinDixe chain change their name? 

And those little paper dixecups? I am offended! ???? LOL

Did FDR segregate public bathrooms?

14 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just let the lunatics take over the farm.  While they are at it, Why not relinquish the lands all taken from the Indians and after the original 13 colonies were formed.  All those whose ancestors were slaves will need to return to the country of their ancestors origination as they were brought to the US Illegally. Return California, and Texas back to Spain and Mexico.  Give back New Orleans and the Louisiana purchase Area to the French, and of course Give Hawaii back to the actual Hawaiians and all others need to vacate.  Lots more to do to fix all the perceived wrongs, but then they do not want to be inconvenienced they just want to be satiated and given things like money.  But then I may be totally ignorant of the issues.  That is just the US, so lets start with all the colonization by the French, Spaniards and the British.  Give it all back and eliminate any issues.  In Asia, Thailand needs to go back to being Siam.  China needs to give back lands taken by Genghis Kahn and the Mongols.  Russia should return to what it was in the time of the Czar's.  Pretty sure I missed alot......all of this is being said with sarcasm dripping from my fingertips. 

You propose reversing history. This isn't about that. It's about undoing certain commemorations.

3 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

You propose reversing history. This isn't about that. It's about undoing certain commemorations.

Is it.  Think about the name changes for food stuffs, bands changing there names, and history books being re-written to disregard things that occurred.  You must look at the whole issue instead of justa piece of the greater woke movement puzzle. 

I love the smell of apoplexy in the morning.

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Think about the name changes for food stuffs

 

Indian removed from Land o Lakes butter (by the cooperative which operates the brand).

 

Aunt Jemima relegated to the dust bin.

 

 

Oh the horror, how will we you survive.

 

 

1 hour ago, bert bloggs said:

And so history is obliterated not with a bang but a whimper.

You mean because the school will no longer be named for Woodrow Wilson there never was such a person?

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Indian removed from Land o Lakes butter (by the cooperative which operates the brand).

 

Aunt Jemima relegated to the dust bin.

 

 

Oh the horror, how will we you survive.

 

 

I said my post was Sarcasm.....the whole issues at hand are systemic opinions and individual hurts, what one person likes another does not.  The whole world will have to be gray or neutral to appease everyone and even then that just will not work for some.  There is no easy answer except to leave as is, disclaimers on the Statues, Colleges can do what they want because they are mainly private institutions, but if my family was determined to be racist or anything not wanted, and we had donated millions to foundations and the school for scholarships and such, then all that donated money would need to be returned.....Not very likely but can you see the ramifications as they unfold.  

3 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

You mean because the school will no longer be named for Woodrow Wilson there never was such a person?

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States

Albeit his god given name at birth was Thomas Woodrow Wilson, he went by Woodrow.....

26 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

Did FDR segregate public bathrooms?

Somehow yes, he didn't offer bathrooms for trans and multiple other genders as defined by hard science! 

Edited June 28, 20206 yr by Brunolem

10 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I said my post was Sarcasm.....the whole issues at hand are systemic opinions and individual hurts, what one person likes another does not.  The whole world will have to be gray or neutral to appease everyone and even then that just will not work for some.  There is no easy answer except to leave as is, disclaimers on the Statues, Colleges can do what they want because they are mainly private institutions, but if my family was determined to be racist or anything not wanted, and we had donated millions to foundations and the school for scholarships and such, then all that donated money would need to be returned.....Not very likely but can you see the ramifications as they unfold.  

Well to my way of thinking there are different classes of historical monuments. The vast majority of statues raised to Confederate generals and politicians were actually part of a revisionist movement  to rewrite and glorify the Confederate cause. At the time of the war everyone  knew the war was about slavery. It was only decades afterwards that revisionist historians began to rewrite that history. So those statues should go.

So should the commemoration of Woodrow Wilson. He actually instituted regressive measures that badly hurt African Americans. He was behind the times. No good excuse for that.

On the other hand there are people of their time like Jefferson and Washington, who were slaveholders but not militant on its behalf. In fact, Washington had his slaves freed upon his death and Jefferson would have done so but for his debts. Both at least acknowledged that it was an evil.

26 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

You propose reversing history. This isn't about that. It's about undoing certain commemorations.

The problem lies with the word "certain". 

 

Who decides which "commemorations" are acceptable and which are not? 

 

The mobs? 

 

Are the mobs (BLM, Antifa and ultra leftists in general) representing the majority of the population? 

 

Are the American Indians, Native Americans, represented by the mobs? 

 

Haven't they suffered at least as much as other minorities? 

 

Anyway, what we are witnessing here is America disintegrating in front our eyes, after a few decades of decadence... Rome redux... 

 

Who would have thought? 

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Did not know that.
 

Hard to understand how anyone could hold such foul views and be so ignorant that they would do such a thing. 

 

Well done Princeton, a little late but nevertheless...

So the actual sins and crimes of the present are assuaged by the 'punishment' of the long dead?

 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Years in the future, if the human race still exists, we may look back on 2020 as the year when 'The Great Lunacy' began.  These actions are in response to anarchists.  I don't see any offers to return all the lands to the Native Americans.

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So the actual sins and crimes of the present are assuaged by the 'punishment' of the long dead?

 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Punishment?

Who exactly is being punished here?

 

Nothing is being assuaged, but hopefully a name will be chosen that celebrates those who promoted inclusivity not segregation. 

Edited June 28, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

The raving left crazies running some US colleges.   Taking the name of a distinguished President from its college ! Madness 

4 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

The problem lies with the word "certain". 

 

Who decides which "commemorations" are acceptable and which are not? 

 

The mobs? 

 

Are the mobs (BLM, Antifa and ultra leftists in general) representing the majority of the population? 

 

Are the American Indians, Native Americans, represented by the mobs? 

 

Haven't they suffered at least as much as other minorities? 

 

Anyway, what we are witnessing here is America disintegrating in front our eyes, after a few decades of decadence... Rome redux... 

 

Who would have thought? 

There are demonstrations involving a few million people - deomonstrations that are overwhelmingly peaceful - and you claim that the country is disintegrating. If it's disintergration you're concerned about, look no further than the chaotic response of the current administration to Covid. 

And even govt. intelligence agencies concur, Antifa is small in numbers and loosely connected. It's really no different from what previous right wing parties did when they blamed the civil rights movement on Communists.

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So the actual sins and crimes of the present are assuaged by the 'punishment' of the long dead?

 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

“It is true that all of us are the beneficiaries of crimes committed by our ancestors, and it is true that nothing can be done about that now because the victims are dead and the survivors are innocent. These are good reasons for keeping our mouths shut about the past: but tell me, what are our reasons for silence about atrocities still to come?”

Damon Knight

 

Live for the Future, Use the past for reflection and do not continue to make the same mistakes, learn and move forward

Edited June 28, 20206 yr by ThailandRyan

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just let the lunatics take over the farm.  While they are at it, Why not relinquish the lands all taken from the Indians and after the original 13 colonies were formed.  All those whose ancestors were slaves will need to return to the country of their ancestors origination as they were brought to the US Illegally. Return California, and Texas back to Spain and Mexico.  Give back New Orleans and the Louisiana purchase Area to the French, and of course Give Hawaii back to the actual Hawaiians and all others need to vacate.  Lots more to do to fix all the perceived wrongs, but then they do not want to be inconvenienced they just want to be satiated and given things like money.  But then I may be totally ignorant of the issues.  That is just the US, so lets start with all the colonization by the French, Spaniards and the British.  Give it all back and eliminate any issues.  In Asia, Thailand needs to go back to being Siam.  China needs to give back lands taken by Genghis Kahn and the Mongols.  Russia should return to what it was in the time of the Czar's.  Pretty sure I missed alot......all of this is being said with sarcasm dripping from my fingertips. 

Don't forget to give Alaska back to the Russians... the real Russians of 1867 heritage though. Not that plonker in the Kremlin.

19 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

Washington had his slaves freed upon his death and Jefferson would have done so but for his debts.

Quite the magnanimous gesture, eh?

 

"I'm dead, I don't need you any more" versus "I would like to let you go, but I need the cash."

13 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

16 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So the actual sins and crimes of the present are assuaged by the 'punishment' of the long dead?

 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Punishment?

Who exactly is being punished here?

 

Nothing is being assuaged, but hopefully a name will be chosen that celebrates those who promoted inclusivity not segregation. 

Sorry, I'll try and make it clearer.

 

How does the removal of statues and monuments of people who died long, long ago who most folks had already forgotten about stop the ongoing abuse of minorities by white folks in the present day and age?

18 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Sorry, I'll try and make it clearer.

 

How does the removal of statues and monuments of people who died long, long ago who most folks had already forgotten about stop the ongoing abuse of minorities by white folks in the present day and age?

No one should forget the past, history is the study of past events and drawing conclusions from them. We need to learn from those events and not celebrate those who were responsible for some of the worst excesses of our shared past.
 

Slavers should be condemned for what they did and not have monuments erected to them.

 

Fund more museums where those controversial figures from the past can be studied, explained and explored.
 

Statues do not do that, they do not explain the complexity of the actions of those they celebrate, they do not explain how they profited from others misery, they do not tell the story of the people who they ruthlessly exploited, they do not attempt to show how callously profits came before morality. 

 

We may not be able to change the past, but to celebrate those responsible for the most vile actions carried out there is wrong on every level. 

Edited June 28, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

26 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

There are demonstrations involving a few million people - deomonstrations that are overwhelmingly peaceful - and you claim that the country is disintegrating. If it's disintergration you're concerned about, look no further than the chaotic response of the current administration to Covid. 

And even govt. intelligence agencies concur, Antifa is small in numbers and loosely connected. It's really no different from what previous right wing parties did when they blamed the civil rights movement on Communists.

What matters is not the numbers, but the actions and the support... which this minority gets from the media and intelligentsia. 

 

In the beginning, German nazis, Chinese communists and Cambodian red khmers were few, but they didn't face any strong opposition and were ultimately able to impose themselves. 

 

The response to covid 19 is certainly also part of the disintegration process, as well as was the election of Trump (the modern Nero) to the presidency, and the fact that his actual opponent is not in possession of all his intellectual capacities...not to mention the fact that the American economy is still standing thanks only to the massive creation of "fake" money...