U. Texas Debates Dorm Named After Klansman

Let us save you some time: Vote yes. The University of Texas is debating whether or not to change the name of a dormitory named after William Stewart Simkins, who taught law at the school for 30 years—oh, and co-founded the Ku Klux Klan in Florida. Simkins died in 1929 and, as late as 1916, was giving speeches about whipping a “darkey” who insulted a white woman. The dormitory was named after Simkins in 1954, when the university was still fighting integration efforts. “The university can't run from its own history; you can't wish away the transgressions of those that came before us," says one man in favor of keeping the name. The university’s final public hearing on the matter is being held on Monday.