[muiron]

I think it made sense to rename Serra Mall as Jane Stanford Way. Jane was instrumental in the university's history, and there's nothing important named for her elsewhere on campus. This seems overdue.

Totally Agree.

I am not upset at getting rid of the Serra names. I don't like the demonization of Serra, applying today's standards for a very different past, but neither do I particularly like the canonization of Serra - but the latter is not my call. He had brobdingnagian amount to do with California history but nothing directly with Stanford.  I'm willing to let him go.

BUT I will be more than made if the University goes after the Jordan or (Lewis) Terman names.  Palo Alto's school district renamed two schools away from them because they were "eugenicists." As were many people, left and right, in the 1910s and 1920s.  And Lincoln was, by today's standards, an extreme racist. I can accept, grudgingly, ahistorical judgments on people not connected intimately with the University.  But not with Jordan, a crucial figure in our history (and a pacificist, BTW) or, somewhat less so, Lewis Terman.

[muiron]

I think it made sense to rename Serra Mall as Jane Stanford Way. Jane was instrumental in the university's history, and there's nothing important named for her elsewhere on campus. This seems overdue.

Totally Agree.

I am not upset at getting rid of the Serra names. I don't like the demonization of Serra, applying today's standards for a very different past, but neither do I particularly like the canonization of Serra - but the latter is not my call. He had brobdingnagian amount to do with California history but nothing directly with Stanford.  I'm willing to let him go.

BUT I will be more than made if the University goes after the Jordan or (Lewis) Terman names.  Palo Alto's school district renamed two schools away from them because they were "eugenicists." As were many people, left and right, in the 1910s and 1920s.  And Lincoln was, by today's standards, an extreme racist. I can accept, grudgingly, ahistorical judgments on people not connected intimately with the University.  But not with Jordan, a crucial figure in our history (and a pacificist, BTW) or, somewhat less so, Lewis Terman.