University of Tulsa law school removes name of founder with KKK ties

It was a GOOD week for eschewing racist ideologies and the Ku Klux Klan as the University of Tulsa removed the name of John Rogers from the building home to the College of Law.

The Board of Trustees voted this week to eliminate Rogers’ name because of his ties to the Klan. Rogers was a lawyer and philanthropist who helped found the law school in 1943, and he was the first dean of the school. But Rogers, who died in 1977, had also co-founded Tulsa’s KKK chapter in 1922, months after the Tulsa race riots, also known as the Tulsa Massacre of Black Wall Street, which left up to 300 dead and an affluent black community burned to the ground.

The university hired an attorney about a year ago to review all programs and buildings named after individuals. “This decision represents TU’s demonstrated commitment to fostering an academic environment that is informed by historical perspective, guided by the search for truth and motivated by service to a diverse society,” the school said in a statement. 

A plaque at the College of Law building entrance will still memorialize the life of Rogers and his contributions to the university.

There are no plans to rename the building for anyone else at this time.