Unafraid of the Darkness: UM Students and Faculty Voice No Qualms With Building Names

There are several ways to get a building named after you on the Ole Miss Campus.

Alexander Bondurant did it by establishing intercollegiate football here in 1893.

James Stockard and John Martin did it by donating a large amount of land on which the school was founded.

Sarah Isom did it by becoming the first ever female professor at the University of Mississippi.

All of these people are remembered for their contributions to our revered and beloved institution. Their names are visible on the brick outer walls of lecture halls and dormitories becuase they gave a large swath of their time and effort to the well-being of Ole Miss.

James K. Vardaman and Paul B. Johnson Jr. left different legacies for themselves.

In their years after leaving the university, they each rode political platforms based on segregation and white supremacy, Johnson even going as far to physically block James Meredith from enrolling here when he was lieutenant governor (Johnson would be elected governor two years later).

Vardaman, governor 60 years before Johnson (1904-1908), was known across the state as "The Great White Chief" for his speeches filled with violent hatred geared towards African Americans. He even drove a significant number of blacks out of the state altogether.

Both of those men got their buildings, too. Vardaman Hall sits on Dormitory Row West, right up the hill from Johnson Commons. The JC, as it is known, is a mere 200 feet from the statue erected in James Meredith's honor. The same man that Johnson tried to bar from acceptance into the school.

So why, after years of repairing its reputation, would the university not change the names of these buildings to honor somebody who adds an arguably more positive image to the school?

Many think that doing so would be running away from the problem. Dr. Jennifer Stollman, who works in the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation (located in Vardaman Hall), explained the decision to keep the names.

"For those who do know the history of these individuals, they might believe that this amounts to supporting the actions and beliefs of these men. Others have felt that to erase these names amounts to attempting to keep hidden the history of the university," Stollman said Tuesday evening, "While perhaps, I wish the building carried a different name, it does give me an opportunity to teach campus community members about the history of the university and these people and also the efforts of those individuals who fought racist policies."

Johnson Commons, a dining hall at Ole Miss named after late Mississippi politician Paul B. Johnson Jr.

 A portion of students, however, do not know about this part of the history of Ole Miss. When they are actually informed about the men the buildings in question are named for, the main reaction seemed to be "who cares?"

Many students, along with sophomore Abi Lako, see the building name as part of a campus with a rich culture, if anything, and think the name change would be petty.

"The campus holds well to its traditions," Lako said, "We're not trying to be racist, but why should we change the name and create unnecessary confusion even if a few people are offended?"

   

As far as the student body goes, it may be less than a few people that even know about the history behind the names of the buildings. This may be why various efforts to change the name of Vardaman Hall in recent years haven't gained significant traction, according to Dr. Stollman. 

Lako, who is from Detroit, MI, takes the governors' political careers out of the equation.
 

"What did they do for the school? They weren't just a racists."

Both had exceptional careers as students at the university. Each man studied law at Ole Miss, while Johnson did hold the honor of being the only sophomore ever elected student body president.

Fellow sophomore John Lewis showed apathy when asked whether he thought the building names should be changed. 

"No one really knows the meaning behind the names. If people would stop talking about them, there wouldn't really be an issue." 

Lewis did admit that it could send mixed signals for those who did know the history behind the names.  You can watch his full take on the issue below.

Although students may want the names to stay the same for the sake of less confusion, Stollman sees the change as unnecessary for different reasons. 

"I believe that changing symbols, names and traditions are important if they impede the work done on the campus and hurt its participants," Stollman said, "However, I do believe that we need to move beyond looking at just symbols, names, and traditions and work to change the systemic, infrastructural and individual racism and oppression on campus. I believe that through this a sustained cultural change can take place."