The Naming of Cooper Hall
Constructed in the early 1960s along with the other nine dormitories that made up the Fraternity Quadrangle, Cooper Hall was originally unnamed officially because it and the other buildings were known by the fraternities' letters. Once non-fraternity members began to occupy the dormitories, the halls became known as Quads one through ten.[1] In the early 1990s, Dickinson College set out to formally name each of the buildings in the fraternity quadrangle. For the purpose of "diversity," Thomas Cooper was chosen for his involvement in science. Out of the ten names, nine were white men. [2]
I see no point in naming a building after the first black or the first native American who attended Dickinson, nor the first woman professor. Given the heritage of this college, that leaves me only with other dead white men to choose among.” |
Sources
[1] George Allan, "Memorandum: Naming Quad Buildings," Dickinson College Archive's President's Papers Quad Buildings, (September 6, 1991).
[2] Dean George Allan, "Memorandum: Quad Buildings," Dickinson College Archive's President's Papers Quad Buildings, (April 17, 1991). {pictured above}
[2] Dean George Allan, "Memorandum: Quad Buildings," Dickinson College Archive's President's Papers Quad Buildings, (April 17, 1991). {pictured above}