The ‘Woke, Ingrate’ University of Richmond Removes Donor’s Name from Buildings Over Alleged Slave Ownership, Lawyer and Descendant Demands $3.6 Billion Back

T.C. Williams Sr. gave the University of Richmond’s law school $25,000 in the 1890s. Williams attended the school and also served on its board. UR law school was named after the businessman.

Last year UR removed Williams’ name citing ownership of enslaved workers. However, his descendants are disputing this and requesting the documents used to show the claim. The University has not engaged the family in conversation.

Williams’ descendants are asking for their money back along with interest. A Virginia lawyer and descendant of Williams, Robert C. Smith, sent a letter to UR demanding the school pay $3.6 billion.

In the letter, Smith wrote, “The University of Richmond would not exist but for the benevolence of the Williams family. I suggest you immediately turn over the [school’s] entire $3.3 billion endowment to the current descendants of T.C. Williams Sr.”

The letter gives a history of Williams including his virtuous life as well as donations made by him and his family. He also adds the baptist origin of the school.

He concluded, “Since you and your activists went out of your way to discredit the Williams name, and since presumably the Williams family’s money is tainted, demonstrate your “virtue” and give it all back. I suggest you immediately turn over the entire $3.3 billion endowment to the current descendants of T.C. Williams, Sr.”

“We will use it all to fulfill the charitable purposes to which it was intended.  We will take a note back for the remaining $300 million, providing that it is secured by all the campus buildings and all your woke faculty pledge their personal assets and guarantee the note.”

The final line reads, “Give the money back.”

You can read the full letter titled ‘The Woke, Ingrate University of Richmond Leadership Should Give the Money Back’ here.

UR adopted a policy back in September which prohibited buildings or university entities from being named, “for a person who directly engaged in the trafficking and/or enslavement of others or openly advocated for the enslavement of people.”

This was a result of backlash the university faced from students and faculty after administrators decided not to remove the names of two people, one of whom was the founding president and slave owner Reverand Robert Ryland.

UR president Kevin Hallock said of the policy, “The Board’s decision to adopt the principles and remove building names, while ultimately unanimous, was extremely challenging. In the end, the Board concluded that the decisions outlined above are the best course of action for the University. We recognize that some may be disappointed or disagree with this decision. We also recognize the role the Williams family has played here and respect the full and complete history of the institution.”

Hallock has yet to comment on the families’ demand for the monies to be returned.