Academic

Indiana University's Renaming A Building

By propertyprof

In the continuing saga that is the law and morality of building names (what I affectionately call monument law), the Chroncile of Higher Education brings news that Indiana University--Bloomington is recommending adding the name of its first African American basketball player (William L. Garrett) to the name of its gymnasium in light of evidence that the judge for whom the building is now named (Ora L. Wildermuth) was a proponent of segregation. 

This first came to light when a sports reporter for the Indiana student newspaper came across a 1945 letter from Wildermuth opposing integration.  As the Chroncile reported in June 2007:

Andrew Shaffer, a sports columnist for the Indiana Daily Student, first took note of Wildermuth's views while writing about Bill Garrett, the university's first black basketball player. Months later, he came across a 1945 letter in which Wildermuth, then president of the Board of Trustees, wrote: "I am and shall remain absolutely and utterly opposed to social integration of the colored race with the white. I belong to the white race and shall remain loyal to it. It has always been the dominant and leading race."

Those views were more representative of the 1910s and 1920s than the 1940s.  They were, of course, tragically common in the first part of the nineteenth century.  I'm glad that we have a chance to revisit our nation's history and to learn about it.  Much as I'm opposed to honoring people who've held us back as a nation, this seems like a reasonable compromise.  There's an important value to tradition.  Judge Wildermuth's complex life was--like all of ours--complex and had points that were positive, as well as points that were negative.  On the positive side, he helped build the Gary Public Library.

Alfred L. Brophy

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on November 11, 2008 (boomark / email).