Trustees say center to get Revlon name

A University Trustees committee yesterday unanimously agreed to endorse the Revlon Center as the formal name for the campus center, despite opposition from students who said the name would commercialize campus. The full board of Trustees will vote on the recommendation to accept the name this afternoon. In the past, the board has generally approved the decisions of its committees. In November 1988, Trustee and Revlon Chief Executive Officer Ronald Perelman donated a seed gift of $10 million for the construction of a campus center. At the time of the announcement, the administration said the proposed center's name would be the Revlon Center. But in the past year, students have criticized the choice, objecting to what they said would be a commercialization of campus and advertising for the Revlon corporation. Trustees' Facilities and Campus Planning Committee Chairperson Myles Tannenbaum said at the meeting yesterday that after "very sincere personal discussions," Perelman reaffirmed his decision to name the facility the Revlon Center as opposed to using his name. Tannenbaum added that naming the center after the Revlon corporation is "not putting a billboard up there to advertise." But Wharton junior David Kaufman, the undergraduate student liaison to the committee, reiterated the Undergraduate Assembly's objection to the proposed name. The UA passed a resolution last year urging that the name be reconsidered. Trustees Chairperson Alvin Shoemaker said yesterday at the meeting that the naming of the campus center should be up to the donor. "I feel very strongly that when a gentleman steps up and gives $10 million he should have the right to name the building," Shoemaker said. "I propose we accept the gift and we be pleased to accept it and we Trustees tell Mr. Perelman that we are delighted to name [the center] the Revlon Center." Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, who co-chaired the campus center committee, last night declined to comment on the name, but said University officials usually defer to the donor's wishes. And Associate Regional Science Professor Stephen Gale, who also co-chaired the campus center committee, said at the meeting that "it would be an extraordinary precedent at the University not to let the donor request to name the building." UA Chairperson Duchess Harris said yesterday that she is still opposed to the name, adding that she is "disappointed that the Trustees did not respect the wishes of the undergraduates at the Penn campus." She added that she hopes the decision is "not a precedent for the year" when students speak about other issues such as diversity on the Walk and tuition. In other matters, the Trustees committee agreed to recommend that the Medical Education Building be renamed Edward J. Stemmler Hall in honor of the former Medical School dean. Trustees were also apprised of ongoing and planned construction or renovation of campus buildings.

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