Caltech Works To Distance Itself From Racist Past

PASADENA, CA — Caltech is distancing itself from its racist past by removing the names of buildings and professorships named after known eugenicists, according to the Los Angeles Times.

One of those names belongs to Robert A. Millikan, Caltech’s founding president, who was involved in the Human Betterment Foundation — a Pasadena-based eugenics organization, the Times reported.

Many of the buildings and professorships will be named instead after a diverse group of people with ties to Caltech. The names include Grant D. Venerable, the first Black graduate from the university, and Shirley Hufstedler, a former university trustee who fought for diversity on campus.

Visit the Los Angeles Times website to read more about Caltech’s renaming efforts.