University of Maryland president calls for Byrd Stadium name change

BALTIMORE, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- University of Maryland President Wallace Loh wants to change the name of the university's Byrd Stadium, which honors a former college leader who opposed racial integration.

Loh said having Harry C. "Curley" Byrd's name on the stadium "conveys a racial message hidden in plain sight." He plans to ask the University of Maryland Board of Regents on Friday to approve the new name, Maryland Stadium.

"This is a difficult and emotion-laden issue," Loh said. "Any outcome will likely please few."

Loh's decision comes after months of complaints that Byrd, the university's president from 1936 to 1954, barred black students from enrolling until forced by court order. In his run for governor, he was a staunch advocate for segregation.

The decision comes after universities nationwide have been debating some of their most honored landmarks and traditions after students have raised concerns. Schools that include the University of Texas and Washington and Lee University have moved Confederate statues and flags out of prominent areas.

In his decision Loh acknowledged the work Byrd did as the "father and builder" of the university, but said his history of segregation and discrimination stands out as well.

"To many African-American alumni and students, 'Byrd Stadium' -- the 'front porch' of the institution, not the most important part of the educational house, but the most visible one -- conveys a racial message hidden in plain sight. The name stands as a vivid and painful reminder that a generation ago they were unwelcome on this campus. For them, this past is more than mere history. Their pursuit of inclusion and equal opportunity remains unfinished," he said.