How Jefferson Lost His Statue at Jefferson University

On November 16th, 2017, a student lead panel resulted in the removal of the Thomas Jefferson statue in the Tuttleman Center at Jefferson University East Falls.

During a panel titled, “Jefferson: The Man Behind the Name,” multiple attendees recall a pivotal exchange between a student participant, Kirsten Nocho, and Chancellor Stephen Spinelli that led to the decision.

“At that point in time, I was trying to put Spinelli in our shoes, or my shoes specifically, and basically what I said was that everyday I come into this building for class, and I get frustrated and angry because I see a slave owner sitting there,” said Nocho of the exchange. “He appreciated the point, and that it was something that needed attention and more focus and that he would handle it. Now, I didn’t know what that meant at the time.” An hour after the panel concluded, the statue was removed from the Tuttleman Center, according to Nocho.

Coming into the discussion, Nocho explained her feeling that there was a “quietness when it came to the fact he (Jefferson) owned slaves,” as Philadelphia University began transitioning into its new identity as Jefferson East Falls. For Nocho, the statue’s removal came as a pleasant surprise. “To know that Spinelli is open to listening is really reassuring, through this whole change and through this merger.”

While this decision came as a relief for some students, others had mixed reactions. Summer Koch, a junior at Jefferson East Falls, was not even aware the statue had been removed when asked. After she processed this information with friends, she said, “I think it’s ironic that now that we’re Jefferson University we got rid of the statue. I get the reasons why, but the timing is off.”

Erin Maher, a graduate law and society student who has defended legal protections for monuments on public lands, also had mixed opinions on the decision. “Do I think that it’s effective or accomplishes anything? No absolutely not. I mean his name is quite literally branded in our school. We see his face everywhere. We see his name. We learn about him. We wear shirts with his name on it,” she said. “It could have been the right decision. Especially for those students to alleviate their concerns. But do I think it could have been a broader campus wide decision? Certainly yes. Before something like that is done.”

The decision to remove the statue was a swift response to student concern that went unnoticed by many students on campus. Students expressed a mix of relief, support, and confusion depending on who was asked. Spinelli declined to comment on the decision.