“New Names on Campus” (On the Campus, May 17) mentions that my uncle, Harold W. Dodds *1914, will have his name removed from the auditorium at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and put up in an atrium.
The Princeton Committee on Naming has guidelines for naming buildings and other spaces so as “to recognize individuals who would bring a more diverse presence to the campus” rather than (my verbiage) someone who had contributed for years to the University in a major leadership role. The committee goes on to say that “the atrium in Robertson Hall serves as a principal entryway into the Wilson School, and in our view it would be more than fitting to name the space for Harold Dodds.” Also, it appears to me that my uncle has been inadvertently affected by some of the fallout over Woodrow Wilson 1879. This change was planned to go into effect as of July 1.
Now it appears that Princeton is even more interested in fulfilling its mission of amplifying diversity and political correctness than honoring a man who served longer as president of Princeton University (1933–57) than any other Princeton president in the 19th or 20th century. He brought the University through some difficult times during World War II, and his longevity as president attests to his inherent skills.
What next, a potted plant with his name on it?