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Deadline for public comment on Marshall’s Jenkins Hall is Friday

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — After a public comment period regarding the name of Jenkins Hall on the campus of Marshall University began Monday, December 3, the nearly two week period will end Friday.

The public comment period of the name of the building stems from the controversy over who it is named after. Jenkins Hall is named after Albert Gallatin Jenkins, a general for the Confederate States of America and salve owner from Cabell County. Jenkins attended Marshall Academy, and his body is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington.

Lacy Ward Jr., Consultant to the Presidential Committee, appeared on MetroNews “Talkline” and said this has to be a careful decision.

“Obviously, this is not a decision that should be made in a vacuum. It should be made with public input.

“I think the Board of Governors will want a depth of opinion, a depth of information and a variety of ways to look at it to help them make the best decision possible.”

Ward Jr. said the Board of Governors will be getting that depth of opinion from students, faculty, staff and the community as the final comments are made towards the building that was originally named in 1937.

“Akin to probably what our namesake John Marshall would have said is take time to hear all the issues,” Ward Jr. said. “To get all the opinions out there.

“With this public comment period, now that students have spoken, some faculty members have spoken and some members of the community we want to broaden it so we can hear of more members of the Herd, a very powerful community and very involved in Marshall university and its success.”

Jerome Gilbert

University president Jerome Gilbert announced in April a look at renaming the hall as according to committee chairman Christine Kinsey, the Marshall University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society first proposed changing the name.

Ward Jr. said about 10 student organizations spoke at the last public meeting regarding their concern. He also said that this decision is not as easy as it looks as the public believes there are a number of factors to weigh.

“Its a number of issues and that is why you can’t make a snap decision, a quick decision,” he said. “There are a number of factors the public wants us to weigh in on. They have brought up the namesake, they have brought up Robert Byrd. This is an answer that goes back to the founding of the nation to determine the best way to move forward and it comes up to the present day.”

When the public comment period ends on Friday, the 12 person committee will be responsible for compiling a report to present to Gilbert, who will then present the report and his thoughts to the Board of Governors at its Feb. 28 meeting.

Anyone interested in submitting thoughts on the building’s name can do so at https://www.marshall.edu/president/building-names/ through Friday.





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