Southern Utah University has decided to do away with its Harry Reid Outdoor Engagement Center. Not the building itself, but the current Senate majority leader’s name on the building due to his unpopularity as well as unfulfilled promises in donations.

The St. George Spectrum reports that university president Scott Wyatt and local officials began receiving calls for Reid, a one-time SUU Thunderbird, to no longer have his name on the building. “We had people step up and pledge money towards removing his name. In five days I received pledges totaling $40,000 — in just five days,” said a city councilman in Cedar City, Utah, where the university is located, who took part in the meetings. Wyatt decided not to accept such pledges, however, saying he did not want to disrespect or offend the senator.


While Wyatt initially resisted the calls, he recently decided to drop Reid’s name, but said that it may be given to another building in the future. He noted that another reason for dumping it from the Outdoor Engagement Center is because the expected donations to put his name on the building never came.

“They thought there would substantial donations from Harry Reid’s friends,” Wyatt told the newspaper. “But there has never been any money donated for that purpose.”

The building’s faculty also agreed with removing Reid’s name.


Reid attended SUU before ultimately graduating from Utah State University.