Dartmouth students call to rename building named after Leon Black
Billionaire Leon Black faced the House Oversight Committee on Friday to answer questions about his longstanding friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.Black is not accused of any wrongdoing and maintains he was unaware of Epstein’s “demonic life.”Black graduated from Dartmouth College in 1973. In 2012, a building was named after him on campus – the Black Family Visual Arts Center – and now, students are calling for his name to be removed.”People are human, and we’re going to find out that folks who we might have admired for one thing in the past had something else in their past that is less than admirable,” said political analyst Chris Galdieri.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go
Billionaire Leon Black faced the House Oversight Committee on Friday to answer questions about his longstanding friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Black is not accused of any wrongdoing and maintains he was unaware of Epstein’s “demonic life.”
Black graduated from Dartmouth College in 1973. In 2012, a building was named after him on campus – the Black Family Visual Arts Center – and now, students are calling for his name to be removed.
“People are human, and we’re going to find out that folks who we might have admired for one thing in the past had something else in their past that is less than admirable,” said political analyst Chris Galdieri.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go
Over the past 10 years, there have been more calls to reexamine the people immortalized through statues and buildings.
“I think subsequent generations are saying that, ‘No, we have a say in that, too. We get to ask questions about these people. We get to call into question whether these are deserved or appropriate memorials,'” Galdieri said.
Dartmouth’s newspaper has reported calls from students to pull Black’s name from the building because of his longstanding working relationship with Epstein, who died in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Dartmouth College’s Board of Trustees is aware of the issue and recently announced it would create a naming committee to create policy and guidance for honorary naming and renaming of buildings.
“Convictions of the heart are not the same thing as a conviction in a courtroom,” said Evan Nierman, CEO of the crisis PR firm Red Banyan.
Nierman said Dartmouth is moving too quickly when there’s no proof of any wrongdoing.
“A rush to judgment is never a wise course of action,” he said. “And so, I think Dartmouth needs to weigh their move very carefully, and we are far away from a full accounting. So, I think any decision on removing his name from the building is extremely premature.”
In a statement sent to News 9, Dartmouth called the allegations against Black “troubling.”
“The allegations against Leon Black and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are deeply troubling, and we continue to evaluate any new information with the seriousness it warrants,” Dartmouth said. “Dartmouth has no current financial relationship with Leon Black.”
DOCUMENTED REFERENCES
Exploring Documented Records
Public interest in the Epstein case continues not only because of court proceedings and testimonies, but also due to the growing body of documented records that help researchers and readers understand the broader context. Beyond legal files and media reports, some independent projects have organized publicly available data connected to Epstein’s activities.
One example is a structured archive of documented Amazon order records, where purchases are cataloged with dates and product details. While individual items do not prove wrongdoing on their own, examining documented information alongside established facts helps paint a clearer picture of the environment and circumstances surrounding the case.
For readers looking to review primary-source style data rather than interpretations, exploring compiled records can provide additional context to the broader discussion.
