Winthrop’s Tillman Hall target of vandalism on Convocation day

Winthrop University officials say someone has again vandalized Tillman Hall, and the act was discovered Monday morning – the day of the school’s ceremonial Convocation and first day of fall semester classes.

President Dan Mahony sent an email to campus employees Monday morning to say facilities staff workers found the vandalism. In his message, the president did not specify where the vandalism occurred at Tillman or what type of damage was done.

A Winthrop University spokesman said the vandalism was outside the building but declined to offer specifics. “We’re not going to give a voice to the vandalism,” spokesman Jeff Perez said.

He noted the vandalism, which has since been cleaned up, appeared to be related to the desire some people have to see Tillman Hall renamed.

The vandalism is the second instance at Tillman Hall this summer. In July, a suspect used red paint to scrawl “violent racist” over the portrait of Benjamin Tillman, after whom the administrative building is named.

Tillman, a noted white supremacist who advocated lynching any black who tried to vote, served as governor and as a U.S. senator from 1890 to 1918. Recently, concerns have been raised at Winthrop and Clemson University – which also has a building named for the former politician – with some people asking school leaders to rename campus buildings honoring Tillman.

In his email on Monday, Mahony wrote:

“As I have stated before, Ben Tillman was inarguably a racist. Under the leadership of our provost, Dr. Debra Boyd, we have begun an important conversation about how best to remember Winthrop’s history, both good and bad. However, no one has the right to attempt to monopolize this important conversation by defacing property of the university, which belongs to all of us.”

Winthrop’s Tillman Hall was originally called Main Building. It was finished in 1896 after two years of construction. The building was rededicated and named for Benjamin Tillman in 1962 after a building on Winthrop’s campus previously named for Tillman was torn down.

Winthrop leaders have assembled a group of employees and students to discuss whether the building should be renamed and how the university should address its history and Tillman’s dark legacy.

University Provost Debra Boyd on Monday said that group plans to make suggestions to the Winthrop board.

“Winthrop was built and grew in the shadow of discrimination and segregation, but we have worked to move into the sunlight,” Boyd said, noting the school’s record of diversity and student achievements across racial and socio-economic lines.

School officials, she said, intend to “appreciate the array of voices speaking on this matter.”

University board members have previously said they cannot rename Tillman Hall due to a state law prohibiting public agencies from doing so.

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Winthrop’s Tillman Hall target of vandalism on Convocation day."