Winthrop quietly changes Tillman background to reflect his racist views, acts

While the name of Winthrop University’s most visible icon likely won’t be changing any time soon, how the school acknowledges the violent racism of “Pitchfork Ben” Tillman already has.

Quietly last week, the description of Tillman Hall in a “virtual tour” of the campus on the university’s website was amended to include these words about Benjamin Tillman, for whom the school’s most historic landmark is named:

“Tillman...also was an avowed white supremacist, architect of state Jim Crow laws, and a violent advocate of lynch law.”

Before that was added on July 7, Tillman was described only as “South Carolina governor, U.S. senator, and the driving force behind state support for Winthrop...a staunch supporter of agricultural populism...”

A Winthrop spokeswoman said Friday the change was initiated by Ellen Wilder-Byrd, associate vice president for university relations, and approved by Provost Debra Boyd and Jeff Perez, senior counsel to the president for public affairs.

The more complete description of Benjamin Tillman also was added to a more extensive history of Tillman Hall in the university’s Louise Pettus Archives — using almost the same wording as what appears now on the “virtual tour.”

Tillman Hall dates back to 1894, but it wasn’t named for Benjamin Tillman until 1962 — more than four decades after his death, and right in the midst of the Civil Rights movement.

Some students and faculty in favor of changing the name of the building refer to it as “Main Building” — what it was known as before 1962 — or “Main Hall,” to avoid using Tillman’s name.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Winthrop quietly changes Tillman background to reflect his racist views, acts."