Princeton retains Wilson namesakes

Philadelphia — Princeton University will keep Woodrow Wilson’s name on its school of public and international affairs and its undergraduate residential college despite the former president’s racist past, the university announced Monday.

The university had been under pressure from student protesters to remove the name of its former president because of Wilson’s racist views and policies, including keeping black students from enrolling at Princeton when he headed it.

But a board of trustees committee at Princeton decided to maintain Wilson’s name, while committing to work on diversity and inclusion issues, and more fully educate people about Wilson’s legacy.

The 10-member trustee committee said the Ivy League university in New Jersey must be “honest and forthcoming about its history” and open “in recognizing Wilson’s failings and shortcomings as well as the visions and achievements that led to the naming of the school and the college in the first place.”

Princeton is one of a number of schools around the country facing criticism for names or titles with racist connections. The University of Pennsylvania in December changed the title of its tenured, full-time professors who live in student dorms from faculty masters to faculty directors. Princeton and Harvard also changed similar titles last year.