Swarthmore College removes professor's name over burial site scandal

A small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania is removing a professor's name from a campus building after revelations that he excavated a Native American burial site and promoted racial hierarchies.

Swarthmore College, located outside of Philadelphia, has already removed Spencer Trotter's name from the building formerly known as Trotter Hall, now temporarily named “Old Science Hall,” while it works toward a permanent replacement. The university also removed Trotter's name from the adjacent lawn.

The push to remove Trotter's name follows a more than two-year investigation by the university, according to the school's student newspaper, The Phoenix. The review followed a 2022 report that highlighted the excavation of a Lenape burial site whose ownership was later returned to Native American hands, the outlet reported.

According to The Phoenix, a faculty-chaired task force that includes students, faculty and staff has spent months reviewing records, surveying the campus community and narrowing down potential names, with a final recommendation pending to the university president by May 1, 2026, before being sent for Board of Trustees approval.

CALIFORNIA TO REMOVE RACIST TERM FOR NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN FROM MORE THAN 30 PLACES

The building has been named after Trotter since 1937, but a university review, detailed in a campus communication from President Val Smith, found that the veteran biology professor excavated a Lenape burial site in 1899, removed human remains and displayed them on campus, actions the university now says were unethical.

The university has said it has not been able to determine what ultimately happened to the remains Trotter displayed, according to The Phoenix.

In an earlier letter to the university community, Smith apologized for the story, stating that the remains “should never have been removed from their burial site” and calling the actions “inexcusable,” even if such practices were more common at the time.

DAVID MARCUS: BRING BACK THE REDSkins AND EVERYTHING ELSE THROWN DOWN BY THE WOKE

Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith speaks during the Young Women's Workshop: The Importance of Speaking at the 2018 Pennsylvania Women's Conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on October 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images)

But the decision has also raised questions about whether such measures amount to rewriting history.

At a recent town hall, that concern was raised directly, The Phoenix reported, with some alumni and community members questioning whether removing Trotter's name constitutes revisionism.

DO YOU HAVE ADVICE?

Some alumni have criticized the move as “revisionist,” arguing that it risks undermining the university's commitment to historical research, according to The Phoenix.

Critics of the name change say keeping Trotter's name could allow the university to confront its history rather than remove visible reminders of it. Supporters say the change recognizes the damage caused by the excavation and display of Native American remains.

CONFEDERATE MONUMENT DISMANTLED AFTER PROVOKING DEBATE, WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO VETERANS PARK

Bob Weinberg, a member of the task force and a history professor, responded by saying that reassessing historical figures is part of the academic process.

FOLLOW US ON X

Academic building at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where officials are renaming Trotter Hall (Photo by: GHI/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“You don't want to erase the past, but you want to acknowledge it… and explain why it's important that we change this,” he said, according to the student newspaper.

The task force has worked to identify a replacement name aligned with the university's current priorities, including increasing diversity and electing someone with direct ties to the institution.

RECEIVE BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

“It turns out that individuals are really complicated,” task force chair Cat Norris told The Phoenix, noting the difficulty of vetting potential names.

Trotter, who taught for more than 30 years in the early 20th century, has also received criticism for writings described as “scientific racism,” including claims that Native Americans underutilized lands later farmed by Europeans.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

Proposals to name the building after the Lenape people were considered but ultimately rejected out of fear they could be seen as performative without further action, according to The Phoenix.

The university also launched a broader review of its collections and handling of human remains, including new ethical standards for acquisition and repatriation, The Phoenix reported.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A final decision on the building's new name is expected later this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to the school for comment.