The Ballad of Kurth and Clark
In 2020, Ernest Kurth Residence Hall was renamed Ernest Clark Residence Hall. Ernest Kurth was a longtime member of the Southwestern Board of Trustees and someone who actively impeded the racial desegregation of Southwestern in the 1950s and early 1960s, just before this building was first named for him. Ernest Clark was the first Black student enrolled by and graduated from Southwestern. This official act of de-commemoration and re-commemoration opens into many smaller stories about the contemporary cultural politics of place-naming at Southwestern.
Clark Residence Hall: Legacy, Renaming, and Reflections on Southwestern's Past
A story that symbolizes the role of renaming in reckoning with Southwestern’s past.
The walls of Southwestern University's Clark Residence Hall echo with a history that transcends its foundation. A testament to change, the hall's renaming is not merely a tribute to Ernest L. Clark, but also a reflection on a complex and evolving narrative of segregation, integration, and acknowledgment at Southwestern.
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Who was Ernest L. Clark?
Harmony in adversity: Remembering Clark's enduring impact on Southwestern.
In the storied history of Southwestern University, Ernest Louis Clark, Sr. (July 4, 1947 – June 3, 2023) stands out as a significant figure whose legacy extends beyond his personal accomplishments. His journey as the University's first Black student and graduate exemplifies courage, talent,…
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Who was Ernest L. Kurth?
A Complex Legacy of Philanthropy and Segregation
Ernest Lynn Kurth, a pivotal benefactor and figure at Southwestern University, represents a complex legacy intertwining considerable philanthropy with staunch segregationist views. His remarkable contributions to the University are contrasted by his resistance to racial integration, reflecting the societal tensions prevalent during the Civil Rights Era.
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Kurth Residence Hall
A building with a tangled history.
Ernest L. Kurth Residence Hall, an integral piece to the university's campus, marks a distinct chapter in the institution's history. Constructed in the early 1960s, the hall embodies the University's evolution and the complex legacy of its namesake benefactor.
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How Ernest Kurth still haunts Ernest Clark Hall
Three years after Kurth Hall was renamed Clark Hall, references to the original name persist.
As part of a wave of college building re-namings that swept the country in 2020, Southwestern University Senior Staff decided to rename Kurth Hall in the summer of 2020. The dorm was renamed after Ernest L. Clark, the university's first African-American student and graduate.
The details…
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Kurth Tennis Courts
A replaced place tangled up with the complicated history of Ernest Kurth .
From their establishment in 1957 to replacement in 1995, the Kurth Tennis Courts served as Southwestern University's mainstay for tennis activities and carried the name of controversial figure Ernest Kurth.
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Kurth-Landrum Golf Course
A replaced place tangled up with the complicated history of Ernest Kurth .
Once a center for sports and recreation from the 1950’s to the early 2010’s named after a controversial figure in the University's history, the site still has material and spatial reminders of its past.
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