Stanford University has announced it will remove the name of its first president from various campus locations because he promoted the eugenics movement, which supported controlled reproduction based on heritage.
The change comes following a review conducted by faculty, staff, alumni and students this past summer. David Starr Jordan’s name will be removed from Jordan Hall, the Jordan Quad, Jordan Modulars and Jordan Way. The school’s Department of Psychology currently resides at Jordan Hall.
A statue of Jordan’s mentor, Louis Agassiz, will also be removed from the outside of Jordan Hall and be taken "to a location where it can be given appropriate context."
Agassiz had no significant connection to the university, according to a news release.
The university's current president and board of trustees approved the changes after a review of Jordan's legacy last month. The review was prompted by votes from faculty at the school’s Department of Psychology and the Stanford Eugenics History Project.
Jordan criticized numerous races and cultures in his writings.
His advocacy for eugenics policies ultimately led to forced sterilizations.
