Clemson won't rename Tillman Hall, board chair says

A day after Clemson University's faculty asked the school's leaders to change the name of Tillman Hall, the board's chairman, David Wilkins, said the board does not plan to change the name.

"While we respect the many differing opinions of our graduates, our students, our faculty and staff regarding this matter, the Clemson University Board does not intend to change the names of buildings on campus, including Tillman Hall," Wilkins said in a statement to The Greenville News.

Wilkins said Clemson is committed to diversity but the trustees believe there are other, more meaningful, changes Clemson can make than what he called a "symbolic gesture" to rename Tillman Hall.

Jane Lindle, a professor of educational leadership with a Tillman Hall office, disagreed. She said the Tillman name stretches beyond symbolism. It has affected searches for faculty members and, if that's the case, she said, then it's certainly also affected minority students looking at their college choices.

"I do know that there's an adverse effect out there," Lindle said. "When they start looking up where they're coming, Google rules the world when it comes to impressions. … They get this international perspective that's out there on the web and it's hard to overcome when you're having conversations with people."

Clemson's Faculty Senate voted Tuesday to ask university administrators to take immediate action to rename Tillman Hall. Faculty leaders joined the Graduate Student Government, which also had passed a resolution seeking a name change.

Maddy Thompson, Clemson's undergraduate student body president, said its Council on Diversity Affairs was organizing a debate on the issue between two history scholars, which would be followed by dialogue open to the campus community.

"This is a delicate issue, and we are committed to ensuring that the entire student body has their voice heard before a body of 64 speaks on their behalf," Thompson said, referring to the Undergraduate Student Government.

The faculty and graduate student resolutions asked trustees to rename Tillman Hall based on the trustees' policy that permits renaming a building "when continued use of a name reflects adversely upon the university."

In his statement, Wilkins said, "It is time to put this issue behind us and move on."

"Every great institution is built by imperfect craftsmen," he said. "Stone by stone they add to the foundation so that over many, many generations, we get a variety of stones. And so it is with Clemson. Some of our historical stones are rough and even unpleasant to look at. But they are ours and denying them as part of our history does not make them any less so.

"For that reason, we will not change the name of our historical buildings," Wilkins said. "Part of knowledge is to know and understand history so you learn from it. Clemson is a strong, diverse university in which all of us can be proud. That is today's and tomorrow's reality and that is where all our energy is focused."

Wilkins said the board recognizes Clemson has more work to do but has increased opportunities for minority students through scholarship programs like Emerging Scholars and Call Me Mister.

President Jim Clements has outlined a number of diversity initiatives aimed at increasing minority enrollment, adding more diverse faculty and staff and changing campus culture to be more inclusive of all minority groups.