The university has officially decided to remove the name from the building. I am deeply thankful to the hundreds of people who engaged with this difficult history and helped push for a more reflective campus environment. We will continue to observe the implementation of this change to ensure the process …
December 15, 2017
Final supporters
On September 1, 2017 members of the faculty of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, along with an undergraduate student, at the University of Michigan formally submitted a case to have C.C. Little’s name removed from the building on campus that has carried his name since 1968. The cover letter is included below.
Led by Professor John Carson (History) they worked throughout the summer to assemble an impressive case fully aligned with the new university guidelines that govern these kinds of requests. You can read the complete document HERE. And you can access the guidelines articulated in the memo from the President’s Advisory Committee on University History HERE.
This is the among the first powerful test cases of whether this process will allow us to productively debate the merits of renaming requests, and whether it will prove to be a mechanism for institutional change. After you read the case, and if you are convinced by its merits, you can endorse the request here by adding your signature and/or by sending your own thoughts to President Mark Schlissel ([email protected]) between now and November 1, 2017. We hope that this process will encourage open debate, and that your endorsement will bolster the case for renaming the CC Little Building.
Respectfully,
John Carson, Associate Professor of History
Matthew Countryman, Associate Professor of History
Joshua Hasler, Undergraduate Honors History Major
Martin Pernick, Professor of History
Alexandra Stern, Professor of American Culture, Women’s Studies, History, Obstetrics and Gynecology
_____________________________________
The Cover Letter, submitted September 1, 2017
Dear President Mark Schlissel and Professor Terrence J. McDonald,
I write on behalf of a group of faculty and students in response to Professor McDonald’s note of March 15, 2017 inviting me to elaborate on my request that the name of the C. C. Little Building be changed (see below). I apologize for the delay in writing back, but the task proved more involved and time consuming than I had anticipated, and could have only really been done outside of the press of teaching and administrative duties.
Attached you will find our document providing background on President Little and the C.C. Little building, as well as our detailed argument for why we believe the name of the building should be changed. At the end of the document we reply specifically to each of the eight principles enunciated in the President’s Advisory Committee on University History memo to the President of January 6, 2017. We found that speaking to the principles alone did not allow us to develop our case as fully as we deemed necessary, and so we have adopted this hybrid format.
We hope that as part of the process of considering a change in the name of the Little building, and any other building for that matter, there will be some sort of public discussion open to the entire U-M community, where any interested party will be invited to participate. We see such a forum as vital to enhancing the pedagogical value of name-changing, as well as signaling that names are a matter of public interest and communal ownership.
...
In the end, the greatest single beneficiary of a careful consideration of the university’s names is the university itself. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are vital contributors to this process and, as members of the university community, are affected by the names the university has chosen to memorialize. Going forward, we encourage a broad, inclusive process that addresses all of the stakeholders.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
September 27, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
September 3, 2017
130 Comments
If we're willing to change the name of a building named after a UM president because of a large donation, I really hope we're willing to change the name of a building named after a UM president because of offensive and harmful actions he took
Glad to see this is finally getting the attention it should. This building name has made me uncomfortable for years as a Black student on this campus, and I hope if this is approved it will get renamed after someone more appropriate.
As a historian of science, my stomach turns every time I enter the C.C. Little Building. Little was on the wrong side of so many issues. He left a pernicious legacy we are still struggling to overcome. UM has plenty of heroes to choose from.
Naming a building after someone indicates that they are someone worthy of honor and respect. CC Little was the president of the American Eugenics Society and advocated for restricted immigration and forced sterilization of the "unfit". We cannot consider ourselves leaders & best if we are elevating and honoring a eugenicist.
C. C. Little argued that university was not for everyone, and admittance should be screened. Surely the same standard applies to people memorialized by U-M bldgs. They should represent our best ideals, and this report suggests he fails the test.
Taylor Landeryou
While renaming the building, include a plaque on the building, near the new name, that states what the old name had been and why it was renamed.
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The university has officially decided to remove the name from the building. I am deeply thankful to the hundreds of people who engaged with this difficult history and helped push for a more reflective campus environment. We will continue to observe the implementation of this change to ensure the process …
December 15, 2017
Final supporters
On September 1, 2017 members of the faculty of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, along with an undergraduate student, at the University of Michigan formally submitted a case to have C.C. Little’s name removed from the building on campus that has carried his name since 1968. The cover letter is included below.
Led by Professor John Carson (History) they worked throughout the summer to assemble an impressive case fully aligned with the new university guidelines that govern these kinds of requests. You can read the complete document HERE. And you can access the guidelines articulated in the memo from the President’s Advisory Committee on University History HERE.
This is the among the first powerful test cases of whether this process will allow us to productively debate the merits of renaming requests, and whether it will prove to be a mechanism for institutional change. After you read the case, and if you are convinced by its merits, you can endorse the request here by adding your signature and/or by sending your own thoughts to President Mark Schlissel ([email protected]) between now and November 1, 2017. We hope that this process will encourage open debate, and that your endorsement will bolster the case for renaming the CC Little Building.
Respectfully,
John Carson, Associate Professor of History
Matthew Countryman, Associate Professor of History
Joshua Hasler, Undergraduate Honors History Major
Martin Pernick, Professor of History
Alexandra Stern, Professor of American Culture, Women’s Studies, History, Obstetrics and Gynecology
_____________________________________
The Cover Letter, submitted September 1, 2017
Dear President Mark Schlissel and Professor Terrence J. McDonald,
I write on behalf of a group of faculty and students in response to Professor McDonald’s note of March 15, 2017 inviting me to elaborate on my request that the name of the C. C. Little Building be changed (see below). I apologize for the delay in writing back, but the task proved more involved and time consuming than I had anticipated, and could have only really been done outside of the press of teaching and administrative duties.
Attached you will find our document providing background on President Little and the C.C. Little building, as well as our detailed argument for why we believe the name of the building should be changed. At the end of the document we reply specifically to each of the eight principles enunciated in the President’s Advisory Committee on University History memo to the President of January 6, 2017. We found that speaking to the principles alone did not allow us to develop our case as fully as we deemed necessary, and so we have adopted this hybrid format.
We hope that as part of the process of considering a change in the name of the Little building, and any other building for that matter, there will be some sort of public discussion open to the entire U-M community, where any interested party will be invited to participate. We see such a forum as vital to enhancing the pedagogical value of name-changing, as well as signaling that names are a matter of public interest and communal ownership.
...
In the end, the greatest single beneficiary of a careful consideration of the university’s names is the university itself. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are vital contributors to this process and, as members of the university community, are affected by the names the university has chosen to memorialize. Going forward, we encourage a broad, inclusive process that addresses all of the stakeholders.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
September 27, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
September 3, 2017
130 Comments
As the parent of a disabled student at U of M, having a building named after a person who would have forcefully called for their sterilization is a slap in the face. This building needs to be renamed.
If we're willing to change the name of a building named after a UM president because of a large donation, I really hope we're willing to change the name of a building named after a UM president because of offensive and harmful actions he took
Glad to see this is finally getting the attention it should. This building name has made me uncomfortable for years as a Black student on this campus, and I hope if this is approved it will get renamed after someone more appropriate.
As a historian of science, my stomach turns every time I enter the C.C. Little Building. Little was on the wrong side of so many issues. He left a pernicious legacy we are still struggling to overcome. UM has plenty of heroes to choose from.
Naming a building after someone indicates that they are someone worthy of honor and respect. CC Little was the president of the American Eugenics Society and advocated for restricted immigration and forced sterilization of the "unfit". We cannot consider ourselves leaders & best if we are elevating and honoring a eugenicist.
C. C. Little argued that university was not for everyone, and admittance should be screened. Surely the same standard applies to people memorialized by U-M bldgs. They should represent our best ideals, and this report suggests he fails the test.
Taylor Landeryou
While renaming the building, include a plaque on the building, near the new name, that states what the old name had been and why it was renamed.
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As the parent of a disabled student at U of M, having a building named after a person who would have forcefully called for their sterilization is a slap in the face. This building needs to be renamed.