{"id":11,"date":"2024-09-12T13:30:18","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T13:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:54:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T11:54:20","slug":"updates","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MTSU will not appeal Historical Commission denial of Forrest Hall waiver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middle Tennessee State University will not appeal the February decision by the Tennessee Historical Commission to deny the request for a waiver allowing the University to change the name of Forrest Hall to the Army ROTC Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee announced the decision to the campus community via email Wednesday, June 6:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEarlier this spring, the Tennessee Historical Commission denied our petition to rename Forrest Hall. During a conference call with the Tennessee Attorney General, he explained that a conflict of interest could exist if that office represented two state entities on opposing sides of a lawsuit. Therefore, if we were to appeal, we would be required to hire outside legal counsel at our expense.  After extended deliberation with key stakeholders, I have decided not to appeal that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI continue to believe that renaming Forrest Hall is the right thing to do. However, the cost of an appeal would be significant and there is a real possibility that we would not be successful. Given these circumstances, I believe the money we would pay to retain outside counsel should instead be used toward our mission of supporting student success resulting in degree completion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite the fact that the name Forrest Hall will remain, our efforts to ensure that MTSU remains an inclusive place where all students and staff feel welcome will continue unabated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision concludes a process that began in the summer of 2015 when McPhee appointed a task force to review the building\u2019s name following a mass shooting at a historically black South Carolina church that prompted a national discussion about Confederate iconography on public property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 17-member task force held three public forums and two open deliberations before making its recommendation to rename the building. McPhee eventually presented that recommendation to the Tennessee Board of Regents, which still had governing authority at the time, and the TBR also approved the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In accordance with state law, the University then submitted a waiver request to change the name to the Tennessee Historical Commission, culminating in February\u2019s meeting and denial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MTSU deliberating whether to appeal Historical Commission decision<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee issued the following update in late March 2018 regarding a potential appeal of the Tennessee Historical Commission decision that retained the name of Forrest Hall on the Army ROTC Building:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn Feb. 16, the Tennessee Historical Commission denied our Petition for Waiver to rename Forrest Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast week, University General Counsel Heidi Zimmerman and I discussed with Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery and Chief Deputy Paul Nye the possibility of filing a Petition for Review in Chancery Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause the AG’s Office would be representing two state entities and there could be a perception of a conflict of interest, General Slatery indicated that if we decide to go forward, we would need to retain outside legal counsel and that MTSU would be responsible for paying these legal fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently, no decision has been made regarding our next actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tennessee Historical Commission denies MTSU waiver to change name of Forrest Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, University Counsel Heidi Zimmerman and other representatives from the university attended the Tennessee Historical Commission meeting held Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at the Tennessee Tower in Nashville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University made a presentation in support of its waiver request to change the name of Forrest Hall to the Army ROTC Building. Those opposing the waiver request also made a presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a five-hour hearing, the Commission voted 17-5 against the university’s request to change the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approval of the waiver would have required 19 votes (two-thirds). Some Commission members were either unable to attend the hearing or had to leave the meeting early for other commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s President Sidney A. McPhee\u2019s statement regarding the Tennessee Historical Commission decision:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe felt we made a very compelling argument on why the name change was in the best interest of the university, so we are disappointed that our request failed to receive approval from two-thirds of the commission as required by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will be meeting in the coming days to review the matter and determine our next course of action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MTSU President Submits Letter of Intent to Tennessee Historical Commission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Sept. 20, 2016, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee sent a letter to the Tennessee Historical Commission informing it that the University intended to file a Petition for Waiver regarding Forrest Hall. The petition will request approval to rename the structure as the Army ROTC Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University intends to have the proper materials to the Historical Commission so that the matter may be placed on the agenda for consideration by the Commission at its February 17, 2017, meeting. The Historical Commission must approve the removal of the name by a two-thirds vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a PDF version of the full letter.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TBR Endorses MTSU Request to Rename Forrest Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tennessee Board of Regents has endorsed MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee\u2019s request to rename Forrest Hall.

In a voice vote Friday, June 24, during their quarterly meeting at Northeast State Community College in Blountville, regents endorsed MTSU\u2019s proposal to change the name of the facility named for Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest to the Army ROTC Building.

The TBR decision allows MTSU to petition the Tennessee Historical Commission to change the name of the building, which houses the university\u2019s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and was dedicated with the Forrest moniker in 1958. The Historical Commission must approve the removal of the name by a two-thirds vote.

The process began last summer when McPhee appointed a task force to review the building\u2019s name following a mass shooting at a historically black South Carolina church that prompted a national discussion about Confederate iconography on public property.

The 17-member task force held three public forums and two open deliberations before making its recommendation in April to rename the building.

While noting that the task force recommendation was not unanimous and included \u201cstrong dissent\u201d from a few members, McPhee also pointed out in his remarks to the TBR that under the board\u2019s current criteria, Forrest would not be eligible to have his name placed on any university building.

McPhee noted that in considering the task force\u2019s recommendation, he asked himself would the university of the 21st century make the same decision on naming the building as was made in 1958.

\u201cIn 2016, we are a different institution compared to the 1950s,\u201d he said. \u201cIn 2016, we are Middle Tennessee State University, a very diverse institution, with approximately 23,000 students and over 115,000 alumni, representing every state in the Union and countries around the world.

\u201cWe are a truly global citizen and our actions should reflect the global community that we now serve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Task Force’s Recommendation on Forrest Hall’s Name Goes to TBR for Consideration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee on Thursday, April 28, accepted the recommendation by the Forrest Hall Task Force to change the name of the building that houses the university\u2019s Army Reserve Officers Training Corps program.
 
<\/strong>McPhee, in a letter to Derek Frisby, chair of the task force and a global studies instructor, said \u201cthe values and goals we share in 2016 as a comprehensive university with international reach are not best reflected by retaining a name affixed in 1958 when we were a small local college that rarely extended beyond our region.\u201d

\u201cIt is clear that there are many wide-ranging and contradicting views about the life and legacy of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest,\u201d McPhee said. \u201cI do not feel it is my role to discern the appropriateness or relevance of his actions prior, during or after the Civil War.

\u201cIt is appropriate, however, for me to assess whether the decision made in the middle of the 20th Century to name the building for General Forrest remains in our best interest in the second decade of the 21st Century.\u201d

The president also said he has asked MTSU Professor Carroll Van West, who serves as Tennessee\u2019s state historian, to develop a historical timeline, with primary source set, that \u201cencapsulates the life, legacy and impact that General Forrest had upon our state, region and nation.\u201d  It would be housed in the Albert Gore Research Center.

McPhee noted he felt \u201cthe best place for commemorating heritage is on the hallowed ground where it occurred, and that is what MTSU has done.\u201d He added the university\u2019s Center for Historic Preservation, under Van West\u2019s direction, has helped install more than 400 interpretive Civil War markers throughout Tennessee.

The 17-member task force on April 19 announced its consensus, with duly noted objections by some members, that the structure dedicated to Forrest be renamed. The task force held three public forums and two open deliberations in making its recommendation.

The task force\u2019s recommendation will go next to the Tennessee Board of Regents, MTSU\u2019s governing body, for consideration. Regents could decide as soon as their June meeting whether to forward it to the Tennessee Historical Commission for action.

Forrest Hall is the only MTSU building named for an individual without any ties to the university. Current TBR policy reserves such commemorations for those with a clear connection to the university.
 
Forrest Hall was built in 1954 to house the ROTC program, but was not dedicated until 1958, when the name became official. Forrest, who died in 1877, had no connection to the university\u2019s founding as Middle Tennessee Normal School in 1911.

In 1958, McPhee said, the university was still Middle Tennessee State College, had an enrollment of just 2,539 students. \u201cWe were decades away from the far-reaching and inclusive opportunities that would become our hallmark,\u201d he said, adding the university frequently used Forrest\u2019s image in its activities during that period.
 
However, as MTSU \u201cgrew in size and stature, so did our sensitivity of the controversial connotation that our use of General Forrest and other Confederate symbols had upon our goal to mature into an institution with broader reach and scope,\u201d McPhee said.
 
Today, McPhee said, MTSU \u201cis the largest in the Tennessee Board of Regents system with an enrollment of almost 23,000 students. We recruit students and faculty from across the nation and world and many of our academic programs and industry partnerships attract global attention. We have 39 international partnerships in 18 countries.
<\/strong>
\u201cWe must acknowledge our past but we must remain focused on our future.\u201d

The President, however, said MTSU \u201cunderstands history should never be erased,\u201d and he underscored the university\u2019s long-time support of \u201cresearch, programs and projects that tell the stories of how the Civil War transformed Tennessee.

\u201cIn Murfreesboro, the university has assisted in developing displays that stand at the Rutherford County Courthouse and Oaklands Mansion, informing residents and visitors of General Forrest\u2019s actions,\u201d he said.

\u201cWe remain committed to supporting fully these, and many other, important efforts on behalf of Tennessee\u2019s Civil War past.\u201d

McPhee, in reflecting upon the public forums, also said he was \u201cdisappointed by the lack of civility\u201d and \u201cthat certain moments were unruly and disrespectful. This does not represent who we are as a university.

\u201cBut I also know that our freedom allows for such discourse. Free speech covers views that you find disagreeable as much as it does for those views you embrace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forrest Hall task force to hold final meeting April 19 to decide recommendation on name<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MTSU Forrest Hall task force will meet Tuesday, April 19, at which it will decide its recommendation to the university\u2019s president regarding a possible name change to the ROTC building on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting of the 17-member task force will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the MT Center, located inside the Sam H. Ingram Building at 2269 Middle Tennessee Blvd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

View our campus parking map<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting is open to the public. Those planning to attend are reminded of the ongoing construction along Middle Tennessee Boulevard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university announced last summer that it would engage the community on the name of the campus building that houses MTSU\u2019s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and is named after Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday\u2019s meeting follows an April 14 meeting at the same location at which task force members deliberated about the issue. Prior to that, three previous meetings were held at which public input was received. There will be no public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, which is strictly for task force deliberations to come to a decision. The task force is chaired by MTSU professor Derek Frisby, a Civil War historian and faculty member in the Global Studies and Human Geography department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee asked the panel to recommend by this month whether the building should be renamed; retain the name but with added historical perspective; or recommend that no action or change is warranted. The Tennessee Board of Regents would have to approve any recommended name change and the Tennessee Historical Commission would have to give approval as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forrest Hall task force sets final meeting, guidelines for organization input<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MTSU Forrest Hall task force has set a final public meeting at which it will review written and oral feedback from community organizations regarding a possible name change to the university\u2019s ROTC building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, in the Keathley University Center Theater at MTSU. The university announced last summer that it would engage the community on the name of the campus building that houses MTSU\u2019s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and is named after Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campus and community organizations have a March 17 deadline to electronically submit a position statement to the 17-member task force, according to task force chairman and MTSU professor Derek Frisby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement should be a maximum of five typed pages and should be emailed in a single PDF or Word (.doc) attachment to forresthall@mtsu.edu<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off-campus visitors attending the meeting should obtain a special one-day permit from\u00a0MTSU\u2019s Office of Parking and Transportation<\/a>. You can also view our\u00a0campus parking map<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is expected to be the final meeting for such public input and follows public forums on campus in early December and at Lane Agri-Park on Feb. 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organizations\u2019 position statements also will be posted on the MTSU Forrest Hall website, www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall<\/a><\/em>. Submissions incorrectly formatted or lacking the required information will be returned, said Frisby, a Civil War historian and faculty member in the Global Studies and Human Geography department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The typed statements should be written on 8-by-11.5-inch paper, double-spaced, while using 12 point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins all around, and with endnotes, citations only. The statement should include no more than two pages of endnotes and these endnotes do not count toward the five-page limit. No additional attachments will be permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each organization must also submit a cover letter indicating that the document is considered their organization’s official position with email and phone contact information of the group\u2019s officers, as well as the names and email\/phone contact information of their two appointed representatives for the March 24 meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each organization may delegate no more than two persons to represent the group\u2019s position paper at the meeting. If deemed necessary, the task force may call upon the organization\u2019s appointed representatives during the meeting to clarify their official position papers; however, MTSU reserves the right to limit this participation based upon time and space availability, Frisby noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission of a position paper does not guarantee an organization the opportunity to present their oral arguments before the committee, Frisby said. An audio\/visual record of the entire event will be made available on the Forrest Hall website no later than seven business days after the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee asked the panel to recommend by April whether the building should be renamed; retain the name but with added historical perspective; or recommend that no action or change is warranted. The Tennessee Board of Regents would have to approve any recommended name change and other state authorities would likely have to give approval as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Task force meetings are open to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forrest Hall task force to host second forum Feb. 24 off campus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU\u2019s Forrest Hall task force will host an off-campus open forum later this month to get more feedback about whether to change the name of the building that houses the university\u2019s ROTC program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Task force chairman Derek Frisby, who heads the 17-member panel of students, faculty, alumni and community members, said the second public forum will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Lane Agri-Park, 315 John R. Rice Blvd. in Murfreesboro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frisby, a Civil War historian and faculty member in the Global Studies and Human Geography department, said it was important for the task force to host an off-campus forum to get feedback from the wider community. The first forum was held Dec. 1 at the university\u2019s Student Union Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The university announced in June 2015 that it would engage the community on the name of the campus building that houses MTSU\u2019s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and is named after Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee asked the panel to recommend by April whether the building should be renamed; retain the name but with added historical perspective; or recommend that no action or change is warranted. The Tennessee Board of Regents would have to approve any recommended name change and the university is also researching whether other state authorities would have to give approval as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Task force meetings are open to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FORREST HALL TASK FORCE CALLS FIRST OPEN FORUM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

University panel sets Dec. 1 for first of two sessions on building\u2019s name

MURFREESBORO \u2014 Members of the task force considering whether to change the name of MTSU\u2019s Forrest Hall set Dec. 1 for the first of two open forums on the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Task force chairman Derek Frisby, who heads the 17-member panel of students, faculty, alumni and community members, said the forum will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, in the Parliamentary Room (201) on the second floor of the Student Union Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0A searchable parking map is available at\u00a0https:\/\/w1.mtsu.edu\/parking<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Frisby, a Civil War historian and faculty member in the Global Studies and Human Geography department, said the task force will hold a second public forum in late January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The university announced in June that it would engage the community on the name of the campus building that houses MTSU\u2019s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program and is named after Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee asked the panel to recommend by April whether the building should be renamed; retain the name but with added historical perspective; or recommend that no action or change is warranted. The Tennessee Board of Regents would have to approve any recommended name change and the university is also researching whether other state authorities would have to give approval as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Task force meetings are open to the public. For more information about the task force, visit http:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 The task force will hold its first meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in room 220 of the Student Union Building. The task force\u2019s meetings are open to the public. Task Force chairman Derek Frisby said session would include planning of forums for public input and feedback, as well as a schedule for future meetings of the task force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All meetings of the task force are open to the public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MTSU will not appeal Historical Commission denial of Forrest Hall waiver Middle Tennessee State University will not appeal the February decision by the Tennessee Historical Commission to deny the request for a waiver allowing the University to change the name of Forrest Hall to the Army ROTC Building. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee announced the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-bannernosidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/forresthall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}