Donors and Benefactors: The Planter Elite’s Influence
Southern planters and wealthy slaveholders played a powerful role in shaping America’s universities through their philanthropy and influence. Their generous donations not only funded new buildings and scholarships, but also steered university policies to reflect their social and economic interests. These benefactors often demanded that colleges uphold the values and hierarchies of the slaveholding South, affecting admissions, curriculum, and even faculty appointments. Their legacies can still be seen today, as universities reckon with the origins of their endowments. Learn more from The New York Times.
