The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted Friday afternoon to rename Alderman Library to Edgar Shannon Library. Other than an abstention by Paul Harris, the tally was unanimous. Stephen Long cast his vote “with reservations” but it counted as a “yes.”
The vote followed an extended closed session, which ran significantly over the scheduled time limit. The session had been preceded by a testy exchange between Hardie and Bert Ellis, who wanted to talk about the treatment of Jewish students at UVA, Hardie cut him off, saying, “We will discuss this in closed session.”
There is much more to be said about the Board’s discussion — or the stifling of discussion — about the treatment of Jews at UVA, and your humble correspondent will tell that story in the near future. For now, he will order a daquiri, retire to his hammock, and enjoy the fading moments of his Costa Rica vacation.
— JAB
The new library is a fix-down in all senses.
Did Bert Ellis vote to cancel Alderman?
Yes, and I don’t know his reasons for going along. I suspect he counted noses, knew he was on the losing side, and decided to save his ammo for the next fight. Just a guess. I haven’t communicated with him.
Well well synchronicity Mr. Bacon as I was just exiting my hammock here in balmy southwest Florida to grab a margarita after a day at the beach with my grandchildren when the TJC Alderman headline flashed across my iphone. Yes momentary sadness that the woke deed has been perpetrated by the UVA BOV but then pure joy to read the next newsflash headline that at my other “orange and blue school,” that being the University of Florida, this very afternoon all the DEI faculty were FIRED!!! As well as at all other public universities in the state of Florida!!!
Yes Virginia! you too can do the same we are doing here in Florida to provide a woke insanity free future for our grandchildren. Courage, concern and love for your children and grandchildren there in Virginia is all it takes!
I’m with you on this 100% Clarity ’77!
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Twenty years from now all those who supported affirmative action will suffer the same fate.
We can only hope.
It is a sad day indeed…Mr. Alderman was a product of his times. I applaud Mr. Harris for having a voice of reason and common sense. It is hard to recognize the place that shaped my youth.
I have lived just off Alderman Road on Kent Road.with my family since the early 1960’s.
Might we have some input on a replacement name that is surely coming?
What will the criteria be and who sets them? What activities and/or connections totally block potential nominees from any consideration? Association with eugenics or slavery is clearly a non-starter.
Professor of Law and Dean of Faculty, John Andrew Gardiner Davis, was shot and killed in front of Pavilion X by a student in 1840; he was a pioneer in establishing Virginia laws, but he did own a slave, so of course is not eligible for a new street name.
I assume all potential candidates should have lived well after 1865. (We have learned recently thet Eli Yale was involved in the slave trade, so Yale may eventually metamorphose into The University of Southeastern Connecticut.)
I would like to help in the renaming of our street whenever the time comes.
Thank you,
John Staige davis, IV
Gutless wonders. One isn’t on a board to get along by going along.
Agree with Ivor. Appears Ellis caved. Record will always show he voted to remove Alderman’s name from library.
To my fellow members of the TJC who love our University the BOV events as observed over the last two days do not sit well at all and are a gut check as to going forward. This was in no way our finest hour.
I will temper my language so as to appeal to what I hope will prove constructive in facing the fight ahead. It is clear once again our side does not fully understand the enemy we face in the form of the Marxist maniacally driven Ryan regime insanity. Anyone who has had first hand experience like myself knows full well you are never to give an inch, as in this Alderman episode, as now they are absolutely emboldened to move onto Jefferson. You can bet this very evening steps away over in Pavilion I, the Marxist dean of the library is laughing while raising a glass to his cohorts, which I would not be surprised might well include Larry Sabato, his next door Pavilion neighbor.
I have no clue as to Bert Ellis’ strategy in all this as the optics were very poor when he followed up Mr. Harris’ very inspiring statement with a surprisingly weak question as to “well, what do the students want?” It is patently obvious that an indoctrinated student body is of course going to answer in an indoctrinated way. This is where it behooves adults to step in, which brings me to John Nau who could so act if he were not such a fossil of an intellect. Consider that it so happened that yesterday on the very day he was presiding over the Alderman proceedings Anheuser-Busch, the company upon which his wealth is based, reported the woke Dylan Mulvaney related loss of $1.4 Billion. All as a result of having foolishly listened to the very same leftist woke Marxist elements that are likewise acting at UVA behind this renaming project. Who, other than a fossil would then go forward to vote both days in favor of the very element that would so act to destroy not only your own company(and wealth) but also the University you are supposedly aligned with. Ellis voted both days with Nau while Harris abstained both days. Could not Ellis have stood with Harris in abstention rather than leaving him twisting in the wind while voting “yes” with Nau, Hardie, and all the rest? IMO Bert has some real ‘splaining to do on that one. If his intent was to be “nice” let this be a lesson that it never works, especially going forward as the opposition smells blood.
Notwithstanding this episode of a battle lost, the war is certainly not over and the war shall be won as truth is on our side. Let this therefore serve to resharpen our focus and bring all to bear as Marxists are in fact bullies who will only respect you when you bring the bigger hammer. As a further reminder know this, they are no different than any other bully in that behind every bully is in fact always a coward. So let us see them as in fact the cowards they clearly are and let us march forward in the light of truth that Jefferson inspired us to so do!
I so completely agree – but the degree of brainwashing among all ages is astonishing. Perhaps Ellis and the other surprising votes felt they have bigger fish to fry. That is not a winning tactic with zealotry.
Agree 100%! Being “nice” is a big reason as to why this problem exists.
The more things change the more they stay the same. These Youngkin appointees are just a bunch of spineless quislings.
This is but the latest in what has become a long string of sad and regrettable decisions by the BOV and university administration that serve neither the university nor its community.
Before you know it they’ll be calling this place Sally Hemings University!
You think you are kidding…
But when Ian Baucom was recruited to begin destroying the College – I mean as Dean – one of his PLUS marks in his interview was he wanted UVA to become known as Sally Hemings U – I KID YOU NOT. I have a transcript.
There is a program called SHUCT – Sally Hemings University Connecting Threads – it produces some mag/booklet – I have requested all versions of it
https://www.instagram.com/sallyhemingsuniversity/?hl=en
“Sally Hemings University Connecting Threads interrogates pedagogy and cultural criticism via kinetic learning.”
Like most of these diversity initiatives, they incorporate a bunch of words that collectively amount to nothing.
Well…if they used words in their ordinary meanings … everyone could understand they are full of fecal matter much quicker!
Lemme see if I can put that in Woke-ese…
Utilization of accepted pedagogical linguistic norms reinforces systemic bulwarks oppositional to the intersectionality of an equitable society as a necessary resultant outcome from understanding of the remnants of rape survivorship from generational enslavement…
How was that?….
What’s the over-under on when they’ll come for Mr Jefferson?
I’m going to defend Bert. I haven’t talked with him. He was slandered and UVA Admin and the BOV kept quiet – maybe helped organize the campaign – I think they did.
I suspect the Governor wanted all to keep silent until next year’s appointments get through a Mad Dog, Crazed Left General Assembly…in February 2025!
I would have voted NO, just for the record, and that is why I will never be on a Board! Mr. Harris may have bucked orders abstaining.
However, just based on the action of the Rector, I think the Governor should remove Mr. Hardie. GY has the statutory authority to do that. And then he gets to appoint a successor. All GY has to do is write a letter explaining why. I’ll be happy to draft the letter for the Governor. Give me a call!
So, when will the BOV members selected by Gov. Youngkin start to make a difference?
The following is from an article about the matter in UVA Today. While I am disappointed in the outcome and how it came to this point, if the policy is as it states, I feel a bit better about it all.
“While the University’s policy on philanthropic namings generally requires they remain in place at least 75 years, an honorary naming such as Alderman’s is available for review after 25 years. At 85 years, the Alderman name was “way past the statute of limitations” and qualified for reconsideration, Suarez said. At the same time, the library’s four-year renovation has been so extensive, “it is practically a new entity,” Suarez continued. “This is a new beginning.”
Don’t believe it. When did this “policy” get adopted? This was put in to justify what they already wanted to do…they were just following “the policy…” We had to do it!
I don’t really care about either name. I care about stopping the Marxist destruction.
Florida serves as a model for “stopping the Marxist destruction” as yesterday, in contrast to a sad day in Virginia, it was a glorious day in Florida as Governor DeSantis followed through with the firing of ALL state university DEI faculty!
And before that Florida had joined with 32 other states to ban the transgender surgery mutilation of children. While in Virginia the butchery continues as I write with the blessing of Ryan and the current BOV!
In Florida we have a citizenry that understands how to deal with the maniacal Marxist left which boils down to always going toe to toe, never giving an inch and finally bringing to bear on them the bigger hammer. These are sick people who will readily subject their very own children to disfiguring, sterilizing, and lifelong drug taking to promote what is at best a horrific science experiment. Worse I would argue than even what the Nazi doctors did in the concentration camps as they would certainly not subject their own families to such. You cannot reason with these sick people and they simply have to be hammered down. If you think appeasing or being nice will work be assured they are laughing at you.
The Virginia citizenry and Governor Youngkin would do well to follow Florida’s lead, especially as it pertains to the state universities. Governor Youngkin though cannot do it all on his own and that is where the TJC must learn from this latest episode so as to bring heightened focus on what must be done so as to win.
I would urge all concerned to attend in just over a month the April 9 TJC meeting where collectively we can plan to never have a repeat performance of what just happened. As alumni and friends of Virginia’s flagship university we owe this to our children and grandchildren and the citizens of Virginia. I can get back to my golf game and fishing at a later time as time is of the essence.
I hope that all you who are reading this would likewise pitch in any way possible whether financially or otherwise so as to help our TJC cause such that in Virginia we too can look forward to and join Florida in celebrating glorious days of victory over this current leftist lunacy.
I read that same article and was dumbfounded. (The same timelines were described in a recent article from the magazine of the Alumni Association; it was available last week, but has now been “disappeared.”)
I’m not inclined to conspiracy theories, but there is something odd happening. The president created a “naming committee” and populated it. The work of the committee is cloaked by design (according to the presentation yesterday, but delivered as if this were a positive attribute as if dutiful monks worked without thanks). The evidence and work product cannot be reviewed by anyone outside the committee. They are not FOIA-able as the President deems them to be his “work papers.” It is unclear if even the BOV members of the Building and Grounds Committee can see or review the totality, or instead are being called to vote upon some synthesis or brew from the Star Chamber. From the meeting yesterday (including comments from Wetmore and Long) it did not seem like non-B&G members who must ultimately vote on these things of apparent and obvious consequence can review the evidence behind the recommendations.
While I understand that a President can create and charge committees, the only power of these groups is the mere giving of advice to the President. I suppose these naming and re-naming recommendation come to the entire board second hand as the President’s recommendations to B&G; I don’t think B&G must necessarily take up any issue. (Someone will correct me if I’m misunderstanding.) I assume the Rector assign members to committees.
I remarked in another thread yesterday about what I thought was a “smug” response yesterday to Wetmore’s question about the scope of the work the Naming committee was doing — with the response being none “currently.” I see now that the person providing that response was the chair of the Naming committee, who is the person also supplying this new “statute of limitation” or “lifespan” of names.
Despite consistent attention to BOV minutes and actions over many decades, and despite my review of the published BOV minutes, I cannot determine when this “policy” was adopted or by whom. And it seems that ONLY the board can create such a policy as a result of the powers enumerating to them in the BOV manual (section 3.22).
So is the policy illusory — or illegitimate?
If actual and enforceable, what other names are currently at risk? It would seem to be indeed most of them.
Great questions.
Here is the official “Naming Policy” – last revised 10/26/ 2023…
I don’t recall seeing it or the approval for it…. But maybe that is why UVA says all the work of the Committee is “working papers.” Impossible to be true within the meaning of the “narrow” working papers exception…
Meanwhile, here is the Committee page – https://namingandmemorials.president.virginia.edu/
everybody not named Rusty Conner is well on the Left side of the spectrum. And from what I hear about Rusty now, he is definitely on Team D.
A joke of governance. Was it even disclosed yesterday that Lilian Rojas was also on the Committee, or was all that just kept quiet?
Thank you. I think that confirms my idea of how this all works. That policy directs how the President and everyone else below should interact when creating suggestions and recommendations for namings and renamings. But that policy in no way encumbers the BOV’s powers and responsibilities to assign names to buildings.
Also, the previous versions of this policy (10/26/23, 10/12/18, and October 1996) must be public or FOIA-able. It would be interesting to see when the “term limits” or “statute of limitations” were introduced.
Finally, I wish to note the amazingly obscure message on the webpage for the Namings committee: “Thereafter, the committee will render decisions on particular cases that come before the group.” How does the process work? Who can put “something before” the committee and how so? What discretion to hear (or ignore) does the committee have?
I’ll FOIA the previous versions. The changes were in ““Policy” where they put all the New Marxist stuff. UVA changed its Mission statement too… 2014 maybe? The prior versions were better. 1985 was ok. 1974 and 1964 were excellent.
And you are right…the BOV is supposed to be in charge. The BOV sets policy. Ryan is to administer it. Totally upside down.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-florida-fires-dei-employees-eliminates-department/24944
And last year, UNC revoked its DIE policies……..
“The University of North Carolina (UNC) moved against encroaching woke culture and voted to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statements and politically preferential hiring.
UNC voted to ban DEI statements and compelled speech from admission, hiring, promotion and tenure at its Board of Governors meeting Thursday.
The board stated the university “shall neither solicit nor require an employee or applicant for academic admission or employment to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles regarding matters of contemporary political debate or social action as a condition to admission, employment, or professional advancement,” according to the resolution. An employee or applicant also can’t “be solicited or required to describe his or her actions in support of, or in opposition to, such beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles.”
A heads up as to DEI and faculty bloat, given Ryan, Baucom and the rest of their Yale cabal at UVA, where we’ve been and where they would have us go, yes a la Yale.
https://heartlanddailynews.com/2024/03/yale-university-employs-nearly-one-administrator-per-undergrad/
Meanwhile, here in sunny FLA at our flagship university, I predict an influx in the very near future of even more top national university educators who thankfully will focus yes on actual teaching and not indoctrination. A welcome brain drain from the north benefiting our citizens who have the sense to elect, demand and require those in office fulfill the will of the people along with actually acting to guard their health and safety.
And furthermore, here we do not have to worry about our children and grandchildren being butchered by the woke transgendering monsters such as you have there at the UVA medical center. We in healthcare here in Florida actually believe in the Hippocratic Oath as it has been practiced for centuries before this Marxist evil appeared.
And I will add our Florida students have not had to suffer the ongoing medical travesty related to the COVID mandates as Ryan and his Yale cabal imposed on innocent, vulnerable UVA students.
I cannot wait for the day when they are all brought to justice, especially by way of class action law suits which will deplete their coffers which then might actually cause them to have to fire their disgusting DEI bloated faculty.
It is disappointing that Bert Ellis and the other Youngkin appointees (with the exception of Paul Harris) voted for this.