Hannah Eason, Managing Editor
VCU’s Committee on Commemoration and Memorials is recommending the removal or de-commemoration of 14 plaques, building names, portraits and other memorabilia associated with the Confederacy and the Civil War.
The recommendations are open for public comment until July 24 at 5 p.m. Below are a list of proposed actions, the name or honoree’s connection to the Confederate army and a link for public comment. This information can also be found at inclusive.vcu.edu/public-comment.
VCU announced it would audit Confederate names and symbols after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The committee recommended one commemoration — adding the name Murry DePillars to a School of the Arts building. The building has not been determined.
Murry DePillars served as the dean of the VCU School of the Arts from 1976-95 and assistant dean from 1970-75. When he retired, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus and a Presidential Medallion. DePillars died in his Richmond home in 2008.
MCV campus
Baruch Auditorium was named for Simon Baruch, an MCV graduate and surgeon in the Confederate army. His son, philanthropist Bernard Baruch, donated $100,000 to renovate the Egyptian Building in 1939.
There is a plaque commemorating Baruch’s service in the auditorium lobby and a plaque outside of the Egyptian building stating MCV’s involvement in the Civil War. The committee recommends the de-commemoration and removal of the plaque in the lobby.
To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendations on the Baruch Auditorium, visit this Google Form.
Dooley Hospital is no longer standing on the MCV campus, but the building’s entrance was retained with the name etched in limestone. John Dooley served in the Confederate army.
The committee recommends the de-commemoration and removal of all mentions on campus. To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendations on Dooley Hospital, visit this Google Form.
Jefferson Davis Memorial Chapel was created using a $30,000 gift from the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The chapel, used by the MCV community, initially included a Confederate flag that was removed a few years ago. The chapel, found on the 17th floor of the West Hospital, and several plaques honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis were established in 1960.
The committee recommends the de-commemoration, permanent closure of the chapel and removal of four plaques referencing Davis and Kathryn Wittichen, then-president of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, on the MCV campus.
A VCU spokesperson said the West Hospital, like other buildings on campus, is restricted due to COVID-19 and the chapel is closed. To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendations on the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chapel, visit this Google Form.
McGuire Hall at 1112 E. Clay St. was named in honor of Hunter Holmes McGuire. McGuire joined the Confederate army and later served as the medical director of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s second corps. After the war, McGuire returned to Richmond and became chair of surgery at MCV.
In 1893, he founded the College Physicians and Surgeons, later called the University College of Medicine, which became part of MCV in 1913. The building was dedicated to McGuire in 1927 by the MCV Board of Visitors.
During the war, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens used the UCM building as a temporary residence. The building burned in 1910, and the Confederate Memorial Literary Society placed a plaque outside of the new building noting Stephen’s residency.
The committee recommends the de-commemoration and removal of the McGuire Hall name. To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendation, visit this Google Form.
Inside of McGuire Hall is a bust of the former MCV professor of surgery. His son, Stuart McGuire, served as a dean, president and member of the MCV Board of Visitors. The committee recommends removing the plaque about Stephens and the McGuire bust from campus. To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendations on removing these memorabilia, visit this Google Form.
MCV Alumni House at 1016 E. Clay St. complements the architecture of the Maupin-Maury House, formerly located where the Ambulatory Care Center was built. MCV Founder Socrates Maupin built the house and later sold it to his cousin Robert Maupin.
Matthew Fontaine Maury stayed at the house during the Civil War and conducted experiments with underwater torpedoes that he was developing for the Confederate navy. The Confederate Memorial Literary Society placed a plaque on the house honoring Maury’s work in 1910. The new alumni house displays this plaque and an additional plaque, detailing the Maupin-Maury House, placed in 1993.
The committee recommends petitioning VCU Health to de-commemorate and remove the plaque honoring Matthew Fontaine Maury and the plaque mentioning the Maupin-Maury House.
To make a public comment on the committee’s recommendations on the MCV Alumni House, visit this Google Form.
Tompkins-McCaw Library at 509 N. 12th St. honors five members of two Virginia families: Christopher Tompkins, J. McCaw Tompkins, Sally Tompkins, James B. McCaw and Walter Drew McCaw. The MCV Board of Visitors made the name change after a suggestion from Comptroller Major-General and then-MCV administrator William F. Tompkins.
James McCaw was the organizer and commander of Chimborazo Hospital during the Civil War. Sally Tompkins operated a private Richmond hospital and received army commission from the Confederacy. The committee recommends the removal of the library’s name. To make a public comment on that recommendation, visit this Google Form.
In the library, there is a plaque listing the five namesakes and their accomplishments. There are also several portraits of faculty members who contributed to the Confederacy. One portrait is of John Syng Dorsey Cullen, a surgeon and medical director in the Confederate army, wearing a Civil War uniform. Cullen was later chairman of surgery and dean of faculty at MCV. The committee recommends removing the plaque and portrait. To make a public comment on these recommendations, visit this Google Form.
Wood Memorial Building is named for Judson B. Wood, a Richmond dentist and private in the Confederate army, and his wife. Wood donated heavily to MCV and helped fund the Wood building at 521 N. 11th St.
The committee recommends de-commemorating and removing the name and associations from MCV campus. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
Monroe Park campus
The Fitzhugh Lee Monument honors Confederate general Robert E. Lee’s nephew, Fitzhugh Lee. He served in the Civil and Spanish-American wars and was the 40th governor of Virginia.
The committee recommends petitioning the city to de-commemorate and remove the Fitzhugh Lee monument in Monroe Park, which is already in progress. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
Ginter House at 901 W. Franklin St. was named for businessman Lewis Ginter, who served as a major in the Confederate army. He built the home, which was later acquired by Richmond Professional Institute. As a philanthropist and entrepreneur, he financed the building of the Jefferson Hotel, owned a newspaper and supported many charities.
The committee recommends the de-commemoration and removal of all mentions on campus. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
Harrison House holds the Department of African American Studies and is named for Fort Harrison, which was used by Confederate forces during the Civil War.
The committee recommends the removal of the name “Harrison” from the building at 816 W. Franklin St. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
The Howitzer Statue honors the Richmond Howitzers Artillery Battalion’s service during the Civil War. The Richmond Howitzer Association erected the statue in 1892.
The committee recommends petitioning the city to de-commemorate and remove the Howitzer Monument, which is already in progress. The statue was pulled down during a protest on June 16. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
The Joseph Bryan Statue in Monroe Park honors Richmond newspaper publisher and philanthropist Joseph Bryan. Bryan served with the Confederacy’s Richmond Howitzers and Colonel John Mosby’s cavalry brigade during the Civil War.
The committee recommends petitioning the city to de-commemorate and remove the Joseph Bryan Statue, which is already in progress. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
The W.C. Wickham Monument honors Confederate general, state senator and vice president of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Williams Carter Wickham. The statue, sculpted by Edward Valentine, was erected by Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad employees in 1891.
The committee recommends petitioning the city to de-commemorate and remove the W.C. Wickham Monument, which is already in progress. The statue was pulled down during a protest on June 6. To make a public comment on this recommendation, visit this Google Form.
