Clemson trustees call Tillman ‘repugnant;’ no name change

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Clemson University trustees have passed a resolution calling founder Benjamin Tillman’s views and action on race “repugnant,” but did not call for removing the name of the late governor and U.S. senator from a key campus building.

Instead, the trustees unanimously agreed Friday to create a task force to study the Tillman issue for at least six months. The task force will also review other building names on campus and how the university presents its story.

Winthrop University has also promised under its new president to listen to voices against Tillman, but promised no specific action.

On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Tillman bragged about his role in the Hamburg Massacre that killed seven black Republicans in 1876. The intimidation helped segregationists regain control of South Carolina’s government.