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July 17, 2007

Some resisted naming law school after Papitto

Back in 1996 when the Roger Williams University Board of Trustees decided to change the name of the law school to honor Ralph R. Papitto, many students at the law school were angry and hoped to convince the board to reverse its decision.

The students said they were grateful to Papitto – who at that time had been a member of the university's board of trustees for the 27 years, the last eight as chairman - for the years he put in lobbying for and creating Rhode Island's first and only law school.

However, they thought it would be more appropriate for the university to name the law school building, or another building on campus, after him - and leave the name of the law school alone.

Papitto has come under fire in recent days since his use of a racial epithet during a May meeting of the University Board of Trustees became public with a Providence Journal report on Saturday.

In 1996, some students said they were upset with the name change because Papitto was not a lawyer, was still alive, and at one point had a civil problem with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Read the full story from 1996.

Within two hours yesterday, a group of 75 students signed a petition demanding that university officials immediately change the name of the law school.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson  at 12:13 PM | Permalink

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