CINCINNATI (AP) - The name of a slave owner will be removed from the University of Cincinnati’s largest college after a unanimous vote Tuesday by the school’s trustees.
The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees voted to formally end the association of Charles McMicken’s name with the school’s College of Arts and Sciences.
The university created a commission last year to examine McMicken’s legacy. He owned slaves and created a will before his 1858 death that set aside funds to create a university for “the education of white boys and girls.”
The board agreed with the commission’s recommendation that McMicken’s name be removed from the college, but his name will remain on other spaces on campus. Digital displays outlining his biography will be placed near those areas to more fully and fairly represent the histories associated with McMicken, according to the university.
The university also has noted that McMicken’s bequest of real estate led to the founding in 1870 of the institution know today as the University of Cincinnati. McMicken did not request nor require that his name be formally associated with the university in any way, according to UC.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.