Swarthmore College Removes Professor's Name from Building Over Native American Remains
Swarthmore College, a liberal arts institution in Pennsylvania, has removed the name of former biology professor Spencer Trotter from a campus building following revelations that he excavated a Native American burial site in 1899. An eighteen-month investigation confirmed that Trotter dug up Lenape remains and displayed them on campus, actions now condemned as scientific racism. College President Valerie Smith announced the renaming as an acknowledgment of historical harm and a commitment to dignity, though she admitted the decision might be divisive. The burial site was officially returned to the Delaware Nation tribe in March 2022. While the hall is temporarily named Old Science Hall, a task force of students and staff is selecting a permanent replacement. The move has sparked debate among alumni and faculty; critics argue it represents revisionist history and undermines intellectual honesty by judging past actions through modern standards. Supporters maintain that the college must confront its legacy of mistreating indigenous remains. This incident highlights ongoing tensions within academic institutions regarding how to address historical injustices and the ethical treatment of ancestral remains discovered during earlier archaeological practices.
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Swarthmore College Removes Professor's Name from Building Over Native American Remains
Swarthmore College, a liberal arts institution in Pennsylvania, has removed the name of former biology professor Spencer Trotter from a campus building following revelations that he excavated a Native American burial site in 1899. An eighteen-month investigation confirmed that Trotter dug up Lenape remains and displayed them on campus, actions now condemned as scientific racism. College President Valerie Smith announced the renaming as an acknowledgment of historical harm and a commitment to dignity, though she admitted the decision might be divisive. The burial site was officially returned to the Delaware Nation tribe in March 2022. While the hall is temporarily named Old Science Hall, a task force of students and staff is selecting a permanent replacement. The move has sparked debate among alumni and faculty; critics argue it represents revisionist history and undermines intellectual honesty by judging past actions through modern standards. Supporters maintain that the college must confront its legacy of mistreating indigenous remains. This incident highlights ongoing tensions within academic institutions regarding how to address historical injustices and the ethical treatment of ancestral remains discovered during earlier archaeological practices.
New York Post