Don’t take down FSU’s Francis Eppes statue, Sandy D’Alemberte says

Sandy D'Alemberte. (YouTube screen cap)

As Florida State University begins its look at its historical “campus names and markers, including statues,” former university president Sandy D’Alemberte isn’t convinced that the contentious statue of school founder Francis Eppes needs to come down.

“I’ve heard from several people who criticize Eppes and I think some of what they’re saying is right, but that doesn’t lead me to the conclusion that we need to take down the statue,” D’Alemberte told Florida Politics on Tuesday.

The statue of Eppes, a Leon County slave owner who lived 1801-81, was commissioned by D’Alemberte in the 1990s as part of “an overall campus improvement project,” a university website explains.

“I think what we need to do is a better job of explaining our history,” said D’Alemberte, now a law professor emeritus. He was FSU president in 1994-2003.

FSU President John Thrasher on Tuesday announced the “creation of a panel of university students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni to examine and make recommendations on current university policies concerning campus names and markers, including statues and other recognitions,” he said in a release.

“As we seek to become a more inclusive campus for all, it is essential that we continue to engage in dialogue and inquiry with the entire university community,” Thrasher said. “We must continue to examine our history in order to collectively build our future.”

“The creation of the panel follows Thrasher’s condemnation of last month’s hateful and violent acts by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his pledge to the FSU community to protect free speech while ensuring the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff,” the release said.

Last October, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that FSU students “overwhelmingly defeated a proposal seeking the removal of a statue honoring former Leon County slave owner Francis Eppes from campus and the removal of his name from a campus building.”

The statue is on the campus’ Westcott Plaza. Eppes was the grandson of Thomas Jefferson, who also owned slaves.

D’Alemberte said, for instance, his office on campus is in a former home built by slaves.

He added that the university’s law school, of which he was once dean, is named after the late Florida Chief Justice B.K. Roberts, who wrote the court’s 1957 majority opinion to deny law school admission to an African-American student, Virgil Hawkins.

“I think we have a lot of things on campus that require more explanation,” D’Alemberte added. “Instead of removing them, let’s explain them … All of our histories are not entirely pure. That doesn’t mean some aspects of what we’ve done can’t be celebrated.”

The review panel will consist of “FSU undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members including Faculty Senate representatives, staff members and alumni representatives,” Tuesday’s release said.

“The panel will be charged with researching the issues, meeting and engaging with university constituencies to seek input and feedback, determining criteria for appropriate naming policies and, if necessary, recommending an appropriate process for renaming campus recognitions,” it added. “In the coming weeks, the university will launch a website to provide additional information and updates on the panel’s progress.”