Report and Documents
In December 2020, the members of the Committee on Naming and Recognition (CNR), appointed by President Thomas F. Rosenbaum, unanimously recommended the removal from campus assets and honors of the names of past Institute leaders, including Robert A. Millikan, who had been associated with eugenics and the Human Betterment Foundation.
Executive Summary
On July 22, 2020, President Thomas Rosenbaum convened the Committee on Naming and Recognition (CNR) to explore how Caltech honors and memorializes significant historical figures. Of concern were demands from two petitions submitted to the President asking for the removal of the names of Robert A. Millikan, Harry Chandler, Ezra S. Gosney, William B. Munro, Henry M. Robinson, and Albert B. Ruddock from campus memorializations because of their affiliation with eugenics and the Human Betterment Foundation (HBF). Petitioners also demanded the removal of the name of Thomas J. Watson Sr. because of his role at IBM and IBM's connections to Nazi Germany. The Committee was charged to delineate general principles for current and future naming and to recommend specific actions, with a mandate to support Caltech's desire to be a destination of choice for a diverse community of exceptional scholars.
The CNR considered Caltech's existing Naming Policy, consulted with the authors of the petitions, met with experts on the history of eugenics and the HBF, consulted extensive documentation on these topics and on the individuals of concern, incorporated extensive input from the community, and surveyed similar efforts by peer institutions. In formulating its recommendations, the CNR delineated principles for naming and name removal and conducted its deliberations in full alignment with Caltech's core commitments (its mission, its values, its Honor Code, its aspirations for the future) and with its ongoing efforts to forge a diverse and inclusive community of excellence.
The CNR proceeded on the principles that removing names should be undertaken (1) only in exceptional circumstances, (2) when there is significant breach of Caltech's core commitments, (3) when there is a threat to Caltech's future, and (4) in a manner that recognizes the full complexity of Caltech's past.
All of these principles apply to the present challenge. As a result, the CNR unanimously recommends that Caltech remove the names of the individuals of concern from all assets and honors, except for Watson. This is a critical step toward realizing the brilliant, diverse, and inclusive future to which Caltech aspires.
By removing these names from campus assets and honors, the CNR does not propose that Caltech break its ties with Millikan or other problematic figures in its history. It urges that Caltech must not erase any of its history. It holds, instead, that Caltech should delve more deeply into its history, using it to launch initiatives constructed to inform and educate its community and the public.