The Minerva buildings of both North and South College have been staples of the Union campus since their construction just after the turn of the 19th century. Housing Wold, Messa, Sorum, and Green houses, the introduction of the Minerva program about two decades ago saw the names of these buildings change from those of the colors to those of notable donors and donor families. The only yet unnamed building of the seven Minervas is Green House, located in South College, still retaining its original name associated with its color. That is, unnamed until this past Thursday 8th, when a ceremony was held at 5 P.M. to officiate its renaming as “Harris House,” cementing the legacy of 19th President David R. Harris.
David Harris, who previously served as the provost of Tufts university and the senior associate dean of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, is the first black man to be named the college’s president. In recognition of this achievement for a college with a troubled history with racial inequality, only admitting black and brown students in response to Brown V. Board of Education, David Harris has led a seven-year long initiative to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion on the Union College campus. These initiatives have led to a more culturally and socially diverse campus which still strives each day to reach a harmony now under threat in the United States by recent DEI cutbacks.
Aside from his achievements in the academic world, David Harris also served as a former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, being appointed during the first term of the Obama administration in 2010.
David Harris reaffirmed messages which have been clear to the entire campus throughout his administration during his keynote speech at the Minerva’s renaming. Words like “be comfortable being uncomfortable,” resonated with both the college as a whole, experiencing political and financial uncertainties, and individual students as they prepare to enter the professional world.
President David Harris will be leaving the college after the 2024-2025 academic year, and is being succeeded by the Rhodes Trust CEO and former president of Agnes Scott College, Elizabeth Kiss. Kiss will be Union’s 20th president and the first woman to hold the position. In a statement remarking on the position which she will be undertaking, she emphasized a strong desire and responsibility to upholding the legacy and initiatives set in motion by David Harris.
