Mrs. Joan Weill has offered a small upstate New York college $20 million; if they rename the school in her honor. Hmmm. I am sure her donations have heretofore been greatly appreciated. And I am certain that many times in the past colleges have solicited gifts and renamed buildings and even entire schools to thank a donor. But Mrs. Weill is insisting that the school change its name. I don’t quite like it. It reeks of politicians who steer federal dollars towards old state U with the expectation of seeing their name on the facade of the Science building, Student Center or the campus Stadium.
Wow. I must say that the library she funded is gorgeous.
The major problem with the name change is that it is just unwieldy. Weill Smith’s College would be better.
I wonder if they could shut down, a la Sweet Briar, and reopen with a new name?
Yes Consolation, that library looks better than the libraries of every campus I’ve visited or studied at.
Your suggestion about the name change may be just the ticket.
I was surprised to learn one day that my law school had a new name (not the whole university, just the school). Someone donated enough for a new building, got to name it. No one cared, except maybe Thurgood Marshall.
Colgate University changed its name for $1 million, but that was in 1890.
Inflation.
The Weill family already has Cornell’s medical school named in their honor. http://weill.cornell.edu/
Considering that they have donated more than $600 million to Cornell, mostly to the medical school, this does not seem inappropriate.
Philanthropists who can contribute large amounts of money to help a college meet its fundraising goals are crucial to colleges’ success. Some of these people want their names on things. Colleges don’t seem to mind that much.
I was always hoping the Schmuckers Jam people would donate money to something to have it named after the company. So if they got the naming rights let’s say for some school, they could say “Schmucker’s U, with a name like that, it has to be Good” lol.
https://www.gettysburg.edu/gallery/
It’s only Schmuckers Art Gallery in Schmuckers Hall, but maybe that’s good enough.
If corporations (who are people, too, as we now know) can buy their way into the signs on sports arenas, why can’t individuals memorialize their name in a similar fashion? It is all about the offer and acceptance, and the right price.
(Agree with Consolation that her proposed name sounds better. )
And in 1873, Vanderbilt was able to get his name on a university for $1 million. I think it is just the price/“what is named” (bench? tree? building? school? entire university?) ratio that is the issue.
Hey, John Harvard got it just for donating some books. 
Unless you live in NY you’ve probably never heard of Paul Smiths so the name change won’t be much of a big deal to most people and I’m sure they can use the money.
I have a friend who has never donated without having their name on the building. Some people just want that when they are giving millions.
I see nothing wrong with getting a building, school ( as in xx business school) , or even college / university named for a large donation. If I gave 20 million or more to a school I would want recognition. If not for me, at least for a loved one or a special cause.
My undergraduate school has a building named for the donors wife. He also has a hospital in NYC named after him and an MBA school.
Many wealthy people donate very large amounts of money. If nothing else, having their names on buildings, schools, hospitals, etc. reminds us that these people are not bad people just because they are rich.
Boca raton college was changed to Lynn U when the Lynn family made a generous contribution. Countess de H. Has made multiple contributions. She has a theatre In local HS named for her, second floor of library named for her, etc., but she has never asked a college to change its name. The Countess has also kept many nonprofits afloat. Her name is on many buildings, but she has never changed the name of a corporation or a school. A local,author has used her as a fictional character to get across the countess’ ideas about supporting women and the arts. To some of us, she has been an angel.
My wealthy Uncle loved the hoopla surrounding having a college building with his name on it. He never thought to say, “if a relative of mine applies, please give them extra consideration or $$$”.
Personally, I suspect if someone current offers more $$$, my uncles name will disappear.
If you lived in the West during the '80’s and remember the grocery commercials “It’s Joe Albertson’s Grocery store, but the produce department is mine!”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_Idaho
You can give enough that they rename the college, but pushback from alumni/alumnae can force your heirs to backtrack.
The issue here isn’t that the school doesn’t want to change the name, it’s that the original donation also had the requirement that it be named after the donor and remain that way forever. The question is ‘how long is forever’?. Vanderbilt might be a bit miffed if someone came in now and said “I’ll giver you $1 billion, but his name has to go and my name put on the gate.”
I can see wanting a facility to be renamed to honor a relative, say a deceased spouse or child, but to honor oneself? What a massive ego this woman has! And I guess when you’re that rich no one, not even your spouse, will tell you you’re behaving badly. (Nor will one’s rabbi, apparently–I believe this this kind of conditional gift establishes a new level of charity even lower than the lowest as defined by Maimonides.)
I also think it odd that the donor would make this request – I understand a library or a section of the campus, but the entire college? My donations might get a drinking fountain named after me…
And about Colgate University’s name change from Madison University in 1890, another interesting fact is that the Colgate family, long-time benefactors as they were, did not request the change and in fact discouraged it- so as to avoid unwanted publicity and attention. Blame the administration.
But the times… They were a-different then.
Go 'gate!
Some people give huge sums of money and choose to remain anonymous. IMO, that’s class.