BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo State College Council Friday voted to rename Porter Hall after discovering the residence hall's namesake was a slave owner. The residence hall will temporarily be referred to as 'Bengal Hall' until a new name is chosen.
Final approval will still be needed by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.
Katherine Conway-Turner, Buffalo State College President, shared the news in a daily bulletin released Thursday. Signage and references to Porter Hall in all publications and websites will be phased out over the coming weeks and months.
Conway-Turner learned late last week that Peter Buell Porter - Porter Hall's namesake - and his wife were slave owners.
Conway-Turner writes in a bulletin published Thursday, "many communities, including institutions of higher education, have been confronted with historical and painful reminders of a world that once embraced slavery and a United States history that includes the enslavement of generations of African Americans."
After consulting with the College Council Chairman Linda Dobmeier, she requested that the College Council's Naming of the Buildings and Grounds Committee review the matter and consider renaming the residence hall, Bengal Hall, until a new permanent name can be identified.
The Buildings and Grounds committee unanimously recommended the change to the full College Council.
