COLUMBIA, S.C. ― Clemson University trustees passed a resolution Friday calling the racist views of one of its founders, Benjamin Tillman, “repugnant to our values and our fundamental purpose,” but did not call for removing the name of the late governor and U.S. senator from a key campus building.
Instead, the trustees unanimously agreed to create a task force to study the Tillman issue for at least six months. The task force also will review other building names on campus and how the university presents its story.
The task force should also review how the university can better portray the ways in which minorities have helped the school grow, Clemson President Jim Clements said in a statement.
“Evaluating, discussing, critiquing and debating key issues are what great universities do to arrive at the best solutions,” Clements said. “Understanding and communicating the full story of Clemson’s history is an important part of creating a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment.”
Another school Tillman helped to establish, Winthrop University on Rock Hill, has a Tillman Hall.
In a statement, the school said it was committed to “taking command of a dark chapter in our past and denying it the power to divide us.”
“Our campus dialogue will continue this fall, and we will identify and act on campus initiatives that will have a long term impact and that will reflect Winthrop’s culture of diversity,” the statement said.
