February 29, 2008
Yale Is Not for Sale
As Yale University raises money for two new residential colleges (what most campuses refer to as dorms), neither will bear the name of even the most generous donor, according to the Yale Daily News.
The Yale Corporation, the governing body of the university, has decided to abide by the institution’s long tradition of naming buildings after historical figures.
Can any price, no matter how outrageous, change the minds of the corporation’s members?
“…it is safe to cross ‘Bass College’ off the list of possibilities for Yale’s future 14-college world — even if that famous Yale family, armed with a war chest that Forbes Magazine placed at no less than $14 billion, offered to bankroll the entire project, University officials promised,” the article says.
Although, the newspaper reports, that students and alumni agree with the decision, it’s also estimated that the cost of the new buildings will reach $600-million — reportedly making them the most expensive residences halls in American higher education.
Erin Strout | Posted on Friday February 29, 2008 | PermalinkComments
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What’s wrong with putting a donor’s name on the building, after all, it is just a dorm. If the donation can foot the bill maybe Yale can reduce tuition? I guess Yale is way too rich to accept new donations. Hmm
— jack Feb 29, 10:35 AM #
It’s kind of nice to find that not everything is for sale to the highest bidder. I have to admit that when the NFL Broncos changed the name of (what I would have called) New Mile High Stadium to Invesco Field, a little bit of me died inside. ;-)
— Dave Feb 29, 11:59 AM #
“two new residential colleges (what most campuses refer to as dorms)”
This is an ignorant remark. If Yale were building a new museum would you say that a “museum” is what most campuses refer to as a warehouse?
— R.J. O'Hara Feb 29, 01:03 PM #
But Yale residential colleges are more than dorms, they’re an important part of how community is formed here. And the existing colleges are all named for people and places from Yale’s history. The donors who paid for the existing colleges, most notably Edward Harkness in the 1930s and Paul Mellon in the 1960s, understood this.
All that said, I suspect there will be plenty of naming opportunities in the the new colleges, from dining halls to libraries to fitness rooms to study carrels.
— Hank Feb 29, 02:21 PM #
Hmmmm, Enron Suites?
— marci Feb 29, 03:53 PM #