Ohio State Committee Recommends No Action on Thompson Library Name Removal

Columbus, OH, August 28, 2026 — The Ohio State University has seen its committee recommend that no action be taken regarding the removal of former President William Oxley Thompson’s name from the Thompson Library. The decision was based on a finding of insufficient evidence directly linking Thompson to the establishment of segregationist policies.

The committee, tasked with reviewing requests concerning the naming of campus structures, concluded that the evidence presented did not meet the threshold required to justify removing Thompson’s name from the prominent library. The rationale centers on the absence of proof showing Thompson’s direct leadership in implementing such policies during his tenure.

This development occurs against a backdrop of other ongoing discussions at the university concerning building names. Ohio State is reportedly facing numerous requests to remove the name of Les Wexner from various campus buildings. These calls are reportedly linked to Wexner’s past associations with financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Details regarding the specific timeline for the committee’s review or the exact nature of the segregationist policies in question were not provided. Similarly, the specific buildings associated with Les Wexner that are subject to naming removal requests were not detailed in the information available.

The university has not yet announced further steps or a definitive timeline for addressing the requests concerning Les Wexner’s name. The committee’s recommendation for William Oxley Thompson, however, suggests a path of maintaining the current naming convention in the absence of conclusive evidence supporting its alteration.

Story summarized from the original created by Lauren Savitsky on www.thelantern.com, see more information here.

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