Princeton Drops Woodrow Wilson’s Name From School Over Racist Policies

Princeton University will remove former President Woodrow Wilson’s name from public policy school and Wilson College, the president said in a statement on Saturday.

Christopher Eisgruber posted a statement to the school’s website, stating that “Wilson’s racist views and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for the School of Public and International Affairs and residential college.”

On the president’s recommendation, the Board of Trustees voted to remove Wilson’s name at a special meeting that took place on Friday. The Board of Trustees also posted a statement to the school’s website, echoing Eisburger’s sentiment.

Students have been calling for the removal of Wilson’s name since 2015 when a group of student activists occupied the president’s office in protest. The school formed a committee to review Wilson’s legacy, and while it made some recommendations to make the school “more inclusive,” Wilson’s name remained on school buildings.

“Princeton is part of an America that has too often disregarded, ignored, or excused racism, allowing the persistence of systems that discriminate against Black people. When Derek Chauvin knelt for nearly nine minutes on George Floyd’s neck while bystanders recorded his cruelty, he might have assumed that the system would disregard, ignore, or excuse his conduct, as it had done in response to past complaints against him,” Eisburger’s statement read.

A prime example of Wilson’s racist policies included segregating the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, noting that his policies were even considered racist for his time.