Posted on 05/19/2005 8:09:56 PM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE - A black doctor has offered $50,000 to a Southern heritage group to buy the naming rights to a Vanderbilt University dormitory at the center of a legal fight over the word "Confederate."
Dr. Eddie Hamilton, a 1985 Vanderbilt graduate, has offered the money and hopes others will chip in. He hopes the school will give the United Daughters of the Confederacy money to rename Confederate Memorial Hall.
Hamilton said he felt moved to make the public offer after an appeals court ruled against Vanderbilt's plan to strip the word off the building.
"Anything that makes reference to the Confederacy obviously is a personal affront to anyone of African descent. Our forefathers were enslaved by their forefathers," Hamilton said.
Earlier this month, the state Court of Appeals ruled that Vanderbilt was bound by a contract with the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The group gave $50,000 in the 1930s to help build the dorm when the building was part of Peabody College, which later merged with Vanderbilt.
The agreement stated that the dorm's name would remain on the building as long as it stands.
Vanderbilt is still considering an appeal of the ruling. A gift of $50,000 in the 1930s would be worth about $700,000 today when taking inflation into account. If $50,000 earned 5 percent interest over 70 years, it would be worth about $1.5 million.
"It is my hope that at least one of my children will choose to attend the school that gave me so much," Hamilton said. "I rather naively hope that when that day comes, we will have removed all vestiges of white supremacy, slavery, Jim Crow and racism from our campus."
Michael Schoenfeld, Vanderbilt's vice chancellor for public affairs, said the school has not spoken directly with Hamilton but would like to hear more about his idea.
UDC lawyer Doug Jones could not immediately be reached by The Associated Press for comment Wednesday, but he told The Tennessean newspaper Tuesday that the group would "look at any offer on the table."
as a somewhat proud Vandy grad...I see your "ha" and raise you a "ha ha"
I think it was determined that the present day value of the original gift was over $700,000.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1404496/posts
700,000 after inflation. Over 1.2 million if you assume it might have gained 5% interest : )
I was reading the Tennessean today and as a new Tenn-er and it was rough keepin my eyes from rolling out of my head.
I take offense at Mr. Hamilton taking offense.
FYI
Well, actually some of your forefathers were enslaved by your forefathers...yes, there were free blacks who owned slaves in the South...not to mention some of his cousins over in Africa who still own slaves today. I am quite confident that the UDC won't be bought off with this paltry offer.
"Anything that makes reference to the Confederacy obviously is a personal affront to anyone of African descent. Our forefathers were enslaved by their forefathers," Hamilton said.
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Hmmm. Not all Confederate soldiers were slaveowners, and vice versa.
A history book makes 'reference' to the Confederacy, is that an 'affront'?
Interesting idea, to pay off the gift, but it might be as good to put it in context.
Your forefathers were enslaved by fellow Africans. Who sold them to the United States, a portion of which became the confederacy. After you pay everyone in Africa to change the name of the continent, I'll support your plan to pay off Vanderbilt to change the name of the dorm.
Hamilton is -what Brian C. Anderson calls in his book "South Park Conservatives" - an "illiberal liberal". The only thing this guy knows how to do is play the race card.
If Hamilton were to search his family history and find out some of his forefathers fought for the Confederacy, I wonder what he would do?
I think Mr. Hamilton will be affronted by reminders of slavery as long as there are white people in the U.S. The only solution is for all white people to go back to Europe.
It would be interesting to know the value of the building on the open market.
So far, the high bid seems to be $50,000.
Take the money and rename the hall Robert E. Lee memorial hall, or Stonewall Jackson, or (and this will really slay 'em) Nathan Bedford Forrest memorial hall.
LOL!
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