Princeton announced Saturday that it was striking the name of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson from its public and international affairs school as well as a residential building, citing his “racist thinking and policies” during his time in office, as well as his tenure as president of the famed Ivy League school. The decision came after weeks of massive demonstrations across the country calling for an end to police brutality and structural racism.
Trustees noted that Wilson infamously segregated the nation’s civil service after decades of racial integration. That legacy, trustees concluded, was not befitting a school geared toward public service.
“We have taken this extraordinary step because we believe that Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school whose scholars, students, and alumni must be firmly committed to combatting the scourge of racism in all its forms,” the board said.
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The school will now be known as the School of Public and International Affairs, and the residential building bearing Wilson’s name will be referred to as “First College.”
Wilson was an alumnus of the prestigious school, and after more than ten years working at Princeton as a professor, he became the university’s president in 1902. During his tenure, Wilson blocked black students from matriculating at the university. He would continue enforcing racist policy as America’s 28th president, resegregating a federal government workforce that was previously integrated.
The move to strike Wilson’s name was applauded by Princeton alumna and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who tweeted her support for current students who have been pushing the school to grapple with its legacy.
