University of Maryland Renames Stadium That Had Honored an Opponent of Racial Integration
Filed in African-American History on December 30, 2015
In October a task force was appointed by Wallace Loh, president of the University of Maryland, to consider the renaming of Byrd Stadium on the College Park campus. The stadium is named after Dr. H.C. Byrd who was head football coach and later president of the university from 1935 to 1954. Student protesters noted that during Byrd’s tenure he barred Blacks from participating in sports and enrolling at the University until 1951.
The task force and then President Loh recommended that the name be changed. Now the board of regents of the University of Maryland System has agreed to rename Byrd Stadium as Maryland Stadium.
But President Loh’s recommendation included a provision that no more building names be changed for at least five years. There are several other buildings on campus named after slave owners or opponents of abolition.
