Clemson's BOT releases statement on renaming Tillman Hall

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Wed Feb 11 15:23:02 GMT-04:00 2015

Clemson's board of trustee chairman David Wilkins released a statement on Wednesday about changing the name of an iconic building on campus - Tillman Hall.

"The board does not intend to change the name of the buildings on campus, including Tillman Hall," Wilkins wrote in a statement.

This is one day after Clemson's faculty senate voted to ask administrators to change the name of the building.

Here is Wilkins' full statement:

The Clemson University Board of Trustees is committed to diversity and will continue to be so. 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. We believe that other, more meaningful, initiatives should be implemented that will have more of an impact on the diversity of our campus than this symbolic gesture.

Every great institution is built by imperfect craftsmen. 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. 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 and tomorrow's reality and that is where all our energy is focused.

To that end, the Board recognizes there is more work to be done. President Clements has recently outlined a number of new diversity initiatives that will make meaningful progress towards our goals.

We are proud of Clemson's national reputation and leadership in increasing opportunities for minority students on our campus and elsewhere through programs such as Emerging Scholars and Call Me Mister. We are committed to increasing the number of minority students on our campus, increasing diversity among our faculty and staff, and providing an environment that is supportive of everyone.

It is time to put this issue behind us and move on. We need to look to the future, not to the past, and the future is bright for Clemson University.

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