University of Texas poised to re-title dormitory named for KKK leader

[RamboLiberal]

A college dorm named after a notorious Ku Klux Klan leader has officials at a Texas university in a tizzy.

Simkins Residence Hall, an all-male dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin, was named for beloved law professor and Confederate War veteran William Stewart Simkins, who spent over 30 years mentoring students before his death in 1929.

But it also turns out that Simkins is the co-founder of the Florida branch of the KKK, and university administrators are looking to see if his legacy should be erased.

In March, former UT law professor and historian Thomas Russell cast a harsh spotlight on Simkins with the online publication of an academic paper delving into his violent background.

After serving in the Confederate Army where he was even rumored to have fired the first shot of the Civil War, Simkins moved to Florida and organized the local Klan chapter with his brother. Russell writes that Simkins - who described himself as the Florida Klan leader — claimed he never drew blood but did openly speak of having assaulting freed blacks.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/09/2010-06-09_university_of_texas_may_redub_dormitory_named_for_kkk_leader.html#ixzz0qP3QFIVt

[Dont TS Me Brah]

1. before I clicked... I expected to see a Nathan Bedford Forrest dorm... nt

[aquart]

2. "Mentoring students"? WHITE students? Teaching them WHAT?

Still say giving Texas back to Mexico is an option. I was going to say charge a dollar, but that was before the spill.

[Hannah Bell]

3. more evidence that tx & fla are run by the same gang. the presence of a bush

in both states ought to be a clue.