The outgoing president of the University of Vermont is reaffirming the college’s actions to rename a campus library in response to a eugenics survey that took place at the school from 1925 to 1936.
In October, the college’s Board of Trustees removed “Bailey” from the now Howe Library. Guy Bailey, UVM’s 13th president, was involved in the Vermont eugenics movement, according to the school.
Current president Thomas Sullivan apologized for UVM’s involvement in the study, saying it contributed to the stereotyping, persecution, and in some cases, state-sponsored sterilization of members of certain groups, including Native Americans.
Don Stevens, an Abenaki Nation Chief said “This statement is a great start toward healing.”
