Texas A&M Cancels Plan To Name Building After Rick Perry
Outgoing Texas Governor Rick Perry has declined the honor of having a building named after him after students objected to the university’s move to do so.
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[su_thin_right_skyscraper_ad]Texas A&M University regents retreated Thursday on a proposal to name a historic building for distinguished alumnus Gov. Rick Perry, after an uproar among students and on social media turned the honor into a cringe-worthy misstep.
Amid the discord, Perry declined the offer. A special regents meeting to approve the renaming of the Academic Building to the “Governor Rick Perry ’72 Building” was abruptly canceled.
In a speech that Perry delivered at the A&M convocation Thursday night, he said that “upon deep reflection” he had decided to “politely decline this great honor.”
“I do so because certain places on this campus, like our most sacred traditions, transcend any one individual,” Perry said.
The renaming proposal came to light Tuesday when a single agenda item was posted for the special meeting of the regents — all appointed by Perry.
The student Senate hastily launched a petition asking that the name change not occur, and it attracted more than 7,000 signatures in two days.
In addition, student newspaper The Battalion panned the move in an editorial, saying students and alumni should have been given the opportunity to weigh in.
The editorial agreed that Perry — the most famous Aggie “not named Johnny Manziel” — should be recognized. But with any other building, the student journalists argued.
“The regents shouldn’t name the Academic Building after the governor. Not because he’s not qualified, but because no one is,” they wrote.
Anomaly 100 December 21st, 2014 at 10:12 pm
He graduated with a 2.2 GPA. What were they thinking?
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker December 21st, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Perhaps the students knew exactly what “they” were thinking and said: WTF are you idiots doing?!
Just a thought.
whatthe46 December 21st, 2014 at 11:08 pm
lol
Guy Lauten December 21st, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Hehehe. Every now and then the Aggies seem to know what their doing.
Obewon December 22nd, 2014 at 12:10 am
Also proposed was renaming the Academic Building to the “What was guber Perry’s 3rd thing?-Building.”
rg9rts December 22nd, 2014 at 4:06 am
Distinguished?? 2.5 GPA ??? LOL I’ll bet they changed their minds when the rest of the planet started laughing
fancypants December 22nd, 2014 at 4:21 am
A very distinguished mugshot is waiting to be framed [ no pun intended ] for the deans office
William December 22nd, 2014 at 7:58 am
Perhaps they just didn’t want his name inscribed on a building associated with higher education?
“No greater example of it than this administration sending millions of dollars into the solar industry, and we lost that money. I want to say it was over $500 million that went to the country Solyndra.” —Rick Perry
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/Rick-Perry/a/Rick-Perry-Quotes.htm
Denise December 22nd, 2014 at 9:41 am
There is intelligent life in Texas after all
Larry Schmitt December 22nd, 2014 at 10:42 am
Shouldn’t you actually accomplish something before you have anything but a toxic waste dump named after you?
StoneyCurtisll December 22nd, 2014 at 11:48 am
There is one buliding that is worthy of Rick Perry’s name..
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRJkgUA7CdTxeulkcBw-iZckiOxTRq44TBsOV4zAheNiS8AL15nWg
Obewon December 22nd, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Take a load off. Welcome to the Texas mess Perry Crapper!