Breakpoint: 'Should John Witherspoon’s Statue Remain at Princeton?'

 By John Stonestreet and Glenn Sunshine

Princeton University is considering a petition, signed by nearly 300 members of the campus community, to remove a statue of John Witherspoon.

Princeton University is considering a petition, signed by nearly 300 members of the campus community, to remove a statue of John Witherspoon. According to the petition, “paying such honor to someone who participated actively in the enslavement of human beings, and used his scholarly gifts to defend the practice, is today a distraction from the University’s mission.” In place of the statue, the petition requests an informational plaque that would describe both the positive and negative aspects of Witherspoon’s legacy.

Witherspoon was one of the university’s most important presidents and one of the most important, albeit less-known, of America’s founders.

Witherspoon accepted the presidency of the College of New Jersey in 1768. The Presbyterian school would not be renamed Princeton University until 1896.

Immediately, Witherspoon faced a series of problems at the school, Through a combination of fundraising in New Jersey and in Scotland, updating the curriculum based on the University of Edinburgh, purchasing maps and scientific instruments, and expanding the library (including contributing 300 of his own books), he transformed the school into a thriving and important institution. 

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See also:

• John Witherspoon Delenda Est - American Reformer
• John Witherspoon, 1723-1794 - Presbyterians of the Past