Another law school is changing its name to disassociate itself from slave owners. The University of Richmond in Virginia is removing the name of T.C. Williams from its law school name.
Kevin Hallock, president of the University of Richmond, and the school’s board of trustees unanimously voted to change the school’s name. The change was announced to the school’s community on Sept. 23.
T.C. Williams was a businessman who owned slaves. The announcement detailed T.C. William’s history as a student at the college in the mid-1800s and his help to establish the school of law, later as a donor. It also shared research findings proving that Williams enslaved people to work for his tobacco business and serve him at his home.
Even though the school had been going by University of Richmond School of Law for about 20 years, the name hadn’t been officially changed. Now the school is making the change to adhere to its newly adjusted naming principles. This prohibits any building, program or entity to be named by someone who engaged or advocated for slavery.
“We recognize that some may be disappointed or disagree with this decision,” Dean Hallock said in the announcement. “We also recognize the role the Williams family has played here and respect the full and complete history of the institution. Consistent with Principle 9 of the Naming Principles, we will preserve and make accessible a full historical record.”
In late March, the school changed the name of six campus buildings that were named after people linked to the support of slavery. The change happened a year after students and faculty protested.
Hallock stated that he would spend time this past summer developing a plan to be consistent with the naming principles while acknowledging the history of the school.
“Across our community, we heard clearly that a continued commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging must be a core element of our University and its culture. We share that commitment and believe these decisions are consistent with that objective,” Hallock stated in a letter.
