The first part of this history and timeline, what happened before the naming dedication ceremony in 1995, hasn't been written because it is not entirely known yet. The naming process of Catt Hall was done behind closed doors, not open to the public, so a lot is still unclear. We do feel that ISU President Jischke should have appointed an independent committee or task force to investigate the naming process to determine the following:
If and when we get the answers to these questions, we will update our history and timeline accordingly.
We would like to see the naming process "reopened" a diverse representation of Iowa State University faculty, staff, and students. If the University's position on Catt is solid, it would certainly stand the test of being analyzed again.
To see the University's policies on naming buildings, press here.
September 29, 1995 -- The Catt's Out of The Bag
An essay about Carrie Chapman Catt was published in UHURU!, the newsletter of ISU's Black Student Alliance. The essay entitled "The Catt is out of the Bag: Was she racist?" raised issues of racism within the woman suffrage movement and questioned whether Catt was racist.
October 6, 1995 -- Catt Hall Naming Dedication Ceremony
Official naming dedication of Catt Hall takes place. President Jischke declares "This building is a symbol of Iowa State's commitment to equality." For Iowa State Daily news coverage of the naming ceremony press here.
October 17, 1995 -- Director of Women's Center Questions Issues of Racism
Celia E. Naylor-Ojurongbe, then-Director of ISU's Women's Center, authors an essay explaining her disappointment with a panel discussion about Carrie Chapman Catt which took place during the week of the naming dedication. According to Naylor-Ojurongbe, The panel discussion, "Race, Ethnicity and Gender in the Suffrage Movement" did not sufficiently address issues of racism and ethnocentrism within the woman suffrage movement. Also included in this essay is Naylor-Ojurongbe's reaction to how Professor Cox responded to the issue of racism.
The Community reacts . . .
As the Iowa State community hears of the connection between Catt and charges of racism, a reaction is seen in the opinion pages of the Iowa State Daily.
The Iowa State Daily newspaper reports on the unfolding story, including not just racism, but also issues of xenophobia and classism. The newspaper reports that in a speech entitled "Danger to Our Government," Catt wrote "Danger to Our Government." In her opening remarks, Catt said, "This government is menaced with a great danger ... that danger lies in the votes possessed by the males in the slums of the cities, and the ignorant foreign vote which was sought to be brought up by each party, to make political success ... There is but one way to avert the danger: Cut off the vote of the slums and give to woman ..."
Director of ISU's Women Center, Celia Naylor-Ojurongbe, questioned the naming of Catt Hall: "... in light of the fact that the recruitment and retention of people of color whether they be faculty, staff or students has become an important issue, and in light of the fact that there is a diversity requirement that was just passed, and in light of the fact that a number of African American faculty and staff have recently left this university, it is ironic to me that this building was renamed for Carrie Chapman Catt."
November 3, 1995 -- Catt Center to explore venues to discuss racism
ISU Daily reports that the Catt Center will explore venues to discuss issues recently raised about racism in the woman suffrage movement.
November 6, 1995 -- ISU Daily Editorial Board: "Catt controversy could have been avoided"
ISU's Editorial Board writes editorial questioning whether the controversy could have been avoided, concluding that "Without properly addressing Catt's history in its entirety, a week that was organized to promote unity has now torn people apart. All because somebody didn't do their homework."
November 8, 1995 -- Professor Cox explains "historical context" of Catt's writings and speeches.
In an ISU column, Professor Jane Cox explains her perspective of Catt.
November 15, 1995 -- "We knew of her comments and written remarks that could be viewed as racist" -- Elizabeth Hoffman, Dean of LAS
Elizabeth Hoffman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, talks about "strategic sacrifices" in an essay published in the ISU Daily.
November 17, 1995 -- Meron Wondwosen explains the essay, "The Catt is Out of the Bag: Was She Racist?"
Meron Wondwosen discusses the intent and contents of the essay "The Catt is Out of the Bag: Was She Racist?" in a November 17, 1995 daily column.
November 28, 1995 -- A Response to Dean Hoffman
ISU student Laurisha McClarin explains that "Prejudice, discrimination and racism [are] different."
February 23, 1996 -- The Letter Writing Campaign Begins. A "Movement" begins.
Students and faculty meet and discuss a letter writing campaign. Allan Nosworthy predicted: "This is not going to happen in a semester, a semester and a summer, or even a semester, a summer, and another semester," Nosworthy paid. "You're either in this for the long haul or you are not."
The ISU Daily reports that the letter writing campaign is in response to "allegations of racism, classicism and xenophobia."
To see the letter which over 1,000 people have signed, press here.
February 29, 1996 -- ISU columnist gives "A brief review of Catt"
ISU Daily columnist Tim Frerking reports on Carrie Chapman Catt and gives historical "facts." When contacted later by a member of The September 29th Movement, Frerking stated that he had used no supporting documentation for this column and had based his information about Catt solely on conversations with ISU Professor Jane Cox.
March 6, 1996 -- 100 Silent marchers converge on Catt Hall
Students brave bitter cold weather in a silent march on Catt Hall. Thomas Thielen, then vice president for student affairs states: "I assume their expression is not going unnoticed." The ISU Daily provides coverage of the silent march.
March 8, 1996 -- GSB to introduce resolution "Recognizing a Year-Long Controversy"
The ISU Daily reports
that GSB will consider a resolution to recommend changing the name of Catt
Hall.
March 20, 1996 -- GSB
supports changing the name of Catt Hall
ISU Daily reports that the GSB passed a resolution supporting changing the name of Catt Hall, "Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Elizabeth Hoffman, who was at the meeting and who spoke in favor of keeping the name of Catt Hall, said the debate at the meeting was the best of what happens at a university. 'Everyone was given a chance to express their views, and it was done in a civil and eloquent way. I think it was important that it happened. We need to have more debates like that when an issue divides the students," Hoffman said."
On March 25, 1996 -- "The students have spoken -- Now that GSB has let its voice be heard, it's time to change the name of Carrie Chapman Catt Hall" ISU Daily reports
March 25, 1996 -- ISU Professor Jane Cox has Library of Congress fax her 16 speeches of Catt's for Charles Dobbs, Executive Assistant to ISU President, Martin Jischke. (copy of letter on file at Ames Library collection of Catt speeches)
March 26, 1996 -- Kirk Smith, Associate Professor of Iowa State (Music), enters Catt Hall debate,
Smith states, "Those students and faculty who are now the champions of the cause to change the name had the opportunity to express their views privately and publicly years ago."
March 27, 1996 -- Synthia Mass asks for brick to be removed from Catt Plaza
March 27, 1996 -- GSB President vetoes GSB Catt Hall resolution
Tim Lane, Catt's great, great nephew makes an emotional plea to the GSB.
April 4, 1996 -- Catt Hall Forum
ISU Daily reports that according to Judy Dolphin - Director of Ames YWCA -- "the Iowa Humanities Board gave a grant to the planning committee for the purpose of facilitating the discussion of any problems that might arise. The committee used the grant to put together a panel that was to discuss the issue, but that didn't happen."
Dolphin states, "The panel didn't answer questions that needed answered."
According to Dolphin, the committee was "very disappointed" that these
issues were not covered."
April 4, 1996 “the South
in 1920 was immersed in racism” says Farwell Brown, Ames Historian
In “Three Cheers for Catt,” Brown describes Catt’s arguments as compromised, but not Amendment.
April 5, 1996 -- Rename building after woman recommends ISU Alum
In "the ol' shell game," Rachel Bandy recommends name change
April 9, 1996 -- Recognize Faulty Arguments says ISU Alumn
In “Check, please” ISU Alum Gabriel Clausen urges the community to take a look at the faulty (majority rules) arguments.
April 11, 1996 -- NAACP (Ames) Announces support of The September 29th Movement
April 12, 1996 -- Female lawmakers give their support to Catt Hall Name/NAACP calls for renaming
April 17, 1996 -- Two women cover their bricks at the Catt Hall plaza
The suggested text for the Plaque was
"Iowa State University recognizes that many prominent leaders of the women's suffrage movement, including Carrie Chapman Catt, used country of origin, class, ethnicity, race and religion to exploit ignorance in their quest to ratify the women's right to vote. This is a painful piece of history. Political strategies that manipulate our fears continue today. For tomorrow, let us dedicate ourselves to combat the political rhetoric that manipulates us through our fears of those different from ourselves."
Please note that this text was supported by Dean Hoffman (LAS), Dean Daly (Education) who was then acting chair of Diversity Committee, and A. Sean Tylor, ISU student.
May 6, 1996 -- Catt Hall Controversy is covered in many news mediums
ISU Daily recaps recent events in an outline and also reports that that Catt Hall controversy was covered in the following news media: the Des Moines Register, the Omaha World Herald, Time magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, U.S. News and World Reports, Rocky Mountain News, Charleston Gazette, Washington Times, the Courier Journal-Milwaukee, and USA Today.
June 11, 1996 -- 14 NAACP Branches announce support renaming Catt Hall
July 2, 1996 -- Letter to ISU President Jischke from The September 29th Movement asking for investigation of the removal of cloth coverings at the Catt Hall plaza
See ISU’s July 18, 1996 Daily for the response by University Relations Interim Director John Anderson. Anderson states that for over a year, President Jischke's response has been consistent -- that he will not recommend a change in the name of Carrie Chapman Catt Hall to the Board of Regents. Calls some of Catt's statements "regrettable."
July 25, 1996 -- University removes bricks for two women at Catt Hall plaza
September 17, 1996 -- ISU Student Kyle Pierce notes differences between protest over a McDonalds branch located in the ISU Hub and the Catt Hall Controversy
September 19, 1996 -- Some students steer clear of Catt Hall.
September 25, 1996 -- Four more bricks to be removed -- 150 gather to hear announcement
September 25, 1996 -- ISU Theater Professor Gregg Henry (colleague of Jane Cox) calls UHURU essay about Catt SHODDY SCHOLARSHIP
September 25, 1996 -- The September 29th Movement presents to GSB on issues
September 27, 1996 -- The Director of Minority Student Affairs writes open letter to the ethnic minority community about Catt Hall controversy
September 27, 1996 -- ISU Daily columnist Drew Chebuhar writes that Catt Hall is a pattern of a larger problem
September 27, 1996 -- The September 29th Movement holds anniversary rally, more than 100 attendSeptember 29, 1996 -- Milton McGriff and Jane Cox participate in KURE radio debate about Catt
Professor Cox suggests that perhaps Catt didn’t really say the things in Chapter 6 of Woman Suffrage by Federal Constitutional Amendment because the book had several authors. Catt is attributed as the author in the book’s table of contents. Additionally, she is attributed as the author of a suffrage pamphlet which contains the identical text of Chapter 6.
September 30, 1996 -- ISU Professor Jane Cox complains people don’t want to read primary, secondary documents about Catt
October 3, 1996 -- ISU Professors
Sarah Nusser, Dianne Cook, Alicia Carriquiry, Linda
Collins support naming of
Catt Hall
October 9, 1996 -- ISU Alumn Sharon Rodine writes letter denouncing Rollins' memo
October 9, 1996 -- President Jishcke and Jane Cox speak at GSB
October 11, 1996 -- Angela Davis speaks at Iowa State
October 22, 1996 -- American Association of University Professors concerned with issues of free speech
October 22, 1996 -- Ignorance of the issues
October 24, 1996 -- Milton McGriff responds to Sharon Rodine's letter and Tribune coverage
October 29, 1996 -- Student Counseling announces services to help students deal with emotion pain from Catt Hall Controversy
November 1, 1996 -- Open letter to Jischke and The September 29th Movement
November 12, 1996 -- ISU Professor Jane Cox and student debate Catt Hall issues
November 13, 1996 -- ISU to charge organizers of Town Hall Meeting held November 5, 1996
November 15, 1996 -- ISU Daily columnist writes about Free Speech and College
November 15, 1996 -- Iowa State Advisory Committee on the Naming of Buildings and Streets holds public forum to get input on Jack Trice naming (previously Cyclone stadium)
November 15, 1996 -- ISU President Jischke Meets with Black Faculty and Staff
December 4, 1996 -- Your Silence Will Not Protect You
December 5, 1996 -- Over 200 turn out to talk about diversity
December 5, 1996 -- ISU Daily reports on the upcoming "Teach-In On Diversity" coordinated by The September 29th Movement
December 9, 1996 -- President Jischke talks about diversity on TV show
January 28, 1997 -- ISU Daily Coverage of "Teach-in on Diversity"
January 31, 1997 -- ISU Professors protest verdicts of students charged for Town Hall Meeting
February 3, 1997 -- Charged
student speaks out -- talks about the essence of free speech
February 17, 1997 -- Analysis
of How We Perceive Catt Hall
February 27, 1997 -- ISU's Black Student Alliance wins the Best Black Student Government Award, given out by the Big Eight Council on Black Student Government.
February 28, 1997 -- Where's the evidence Catt recanted?
March 7, 1997 -- ISU Professor Kirk Smith, Happy and Comfortable -- believes students (with September 29th Movement) are practicing scholarship of the lowest kind
April 8, 1997 -- A Statement to President Jischke from CURVApril 15, 1997 -- Top Down Management Reigns on Iowa State Campus
April 18, 1997 -- CURV hosts Rally at Catt Hall -- NAACP Representatives Speak
May 2, 1997 -- Challenging gender discrimination while endorsing race discrimination
June 17, 1997 -- Time for a Change
July 8, 1997 -- Free Speech Area Moved
August 29, 1997 -- Students Ignored Once Again
September 4, 1997 -- Standing for what you believe in
September 4, 1997 -- Milton McGriff updates incoming freshman as to recent history at Iowa State
September 5, 1997 -- Tim Lane, Catt's great, great nephew responds to McGriff
September 8, 1997 -- Catt Hall Debate Continues
September 9, 1997 -- Caring for Ancestors -- McGriff's response to Lane
September 10, 1997 -- Protest Against Catt Hall continues in full force
September 15, 1997 -- The real Catt Hall -- by Milton McGriff
September 22, 1997 -- Allan Nosworthy announces hunger strike
September 24, 1997 -- Hunger Strike Press Conference draws over 200 people
September 27, 1997 -- Allan Nosworthy hospitalized due to hunger strike
September 29, 1997 -- Some Criticisms of President Jischke/ISU
October 6, 1997 -- ISU Daily reports breakdown in talks between Jischke and The September 29th Movement
October 6, 1997 -- Diversity issues debated at GSB
October 10, 1997 GSB Drops the Ball
October 9, 1997 -- Milton McGriff asks that students educate themselves on issues
October 14, 1997 -- ISU Professor Kirk Smith feels "slandered" by Milton McGriff
December 5, 1997 -- ISU Daily reports on transcript of meeting which broke down between Jischke and the September 29th Movement
January 21, 1998 -- Jischke agrees to meeting (which are postponed)
January 26, 1998 -- Task Force Discusses Multicultural Center Concept
January 29, 1998 -- Movement Sends letter to Jischke asking for meeting date to be set
February 4, 1998 -- Milton McGriff: Re-vision History; and tell the whole truth
February 11, 1998 -- Movement
requests meetings dates from President Jischke AGAIN
February 16, 1998 -- The
September 29th Movement waits In President Jischke's Office
THREE IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS GET ARRESTED ON APRIL 6, 1998 FOR TRYING TO MEET WITH THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT! 4/6/98 Update
SECOND DAY OF ARRESTS POSSIBLE 4/7/98 Update
STUDENTS NOT ARRESTED A SECOND TIME BECAUSE A MEETING DATE IS SET! Update
ISU DAILY COVERAGE
here