“I believe it is important for students and the system to know and understand the history on our campuses and in our communities as we work together to build a better future. History is a great teacher,” said University System of Georgia Board of Regents member Don Waters. That basically summed up the view of the board overseeing Georgia’s 26 colleges and universities, which this week declined to tackle a complex renaming of college facilities named for 19th and 20th century historical figures.
An advisory board headed by Albany State University President Marion Fedrick explored the issue in response to complaints from the political Left that numerous buildings were named after “racists.” Over 900 names and buildings were targeted. The public figures ranged from post-Civil War journalist Henry Grady (the University of Georgia’s highly acclaimed journalism school bears his name) to former Gov. Carl Sanders.
The 19-member Regents, chaired by businessman Sachin Shailendra, reviewed several factors that led to their decision to stick to the status quo. Among the considerations:
· The totality of the person’s contributions to Georgia, the nation and society.
· The reasons behind the original naming decisions.
· The person’s relationship to the institution.
“The intent of the advisory group was to better understand the names that mark our buildings and colleges, recognizing there would likely be a number of individuals who engaged in behaviors or held beliefs that do not reflect or represent our values today,” the Regents said in a media release.
A large number of buildings were named over the decades by leaders of colleges and universities. The Regents now approve all name changes.
