Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

In May 2023, I wrote to the community about Professor Spencer Trotter’s involvement in the excavation and display of Native American human remains, along with the promotion of racial hierarchies in his academic work. I encourage you to read my message for a fuller account of these disturbing practices, but I want to restate this important point: 

“No matter the educational intentions or that these practices may have been commonplace at the time they occurred, these remains should have been treated with dignity and respect and should never have been removed from their burial site. Considering these actions today, with our values, convictions, and compassion, the act of collecting any Native American remains is unethical and inexcusable. I deeply regret these actions, and on behalf of Swarthmore College, I apologize for the harm they have caused.” 

During the past 18 months, I’ve heard a range of views on how to move forward, including from our Committee on College Relations with Indigenous Communities. Informed by those perspectives, I am writing to share one immediate next step: We will rename Trotter Hall and Trotter Lawn. I know some of you felt that removing the name could be seen as an attempt to hide from or erase our past. As you’ll see below, we are fully committed to acknowledging, learning, and growing from this moment.

Identifying a New Name

I have convened a task force to guide this important work. My thanks to the following students, faculty, and staff members for agreeing to serve on this group. I am particularly grateful to Associate Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of the Faculty for Academic Programs and Research Cat Norris for chairing the task force:

• Cacey Bester, Assistant Professor of Physics
• Erin Brownlee Dell, Chief of Staff and Secretary of the College
• Alisa Giardinelli, Assistant Vice President for Communications
• Ayla Gordon-Mandel ’27
• Danika Grieser ’26
• Nora Johnson, Professor of English Literature
• Sharmaine LaMar, General Counsel
• David Obermayer, College Archivist and Records Manager
• Brooke Vick, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Bob Weinberg, Isaac H. Clothier Professor of History and International Relations
• Kimberly Williams, Consultant; Professor and Chair of Anthropology, Temple University

As part of the process, members of the task force will create opportunities to engage with the campus community to seek a broad range of input and perspectives. I’ve asked them to make a recommendation to me by May 1, 2026, which I will bring to the Board of Managers for approval.

In the meantime, we will immediately begin removing physical and digital references to Trotter Hall and Lawn. During this interim period, we will refer to the building as Old Science Hall, a reference to its original name, Science Hall. I hope you can appreciate that updating every reference to the current name will take some time, and that in some cases, it may make sense to wait for the new permanent name to make those changes. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we move through this process. 

Remembering the Past

I’ve also asked the task force to collaborate with Friends Historical Library and College Archives to ensure that this moment is documented as part of our evolving institutional history. As I noted above, removing the Trotter name is not merely a matter of renaming spaces. It is an acknowledgment of harm, a commitment to learn from our past, and an affirmation of our responsibility to care for the stories and legacies held on this campus.

I recognize that this news may stir a range of difficult emotions and concerns. I also hope it offers space for healing, understanding, and a clearer sense of our shared purpose. Swarthmore’s strength has always come from its willingness to confront difficult truths with humility and resolve. I am grateful to the students, faculty, and staff whose thoughtful work brought us here, and to all of you who will help shape what comes next.

Sincerely,

Val Smith
President
Roy J. and Linda G. Shanker Presidential Chair