A funny thing happened on the way to a school renaming: A respected and beloved Silicon Valley pioneer, with no connection to racism or eugenics, is now unfairly and wrongly associated with both. All thanks to a school district (mission: education) located in the town that benefited most of all from this pioneer’s work.
The Palo Alto school renaming effort has been divisive and painful. In the case of Terman Middle School, it has also been confusing. Terman has two namesakes: the eugenicist Lewis Terman, and his son Frederick, the “Father of Silicon Valley.” Fred Terman was unquestioningly not a eugenicist or racist. Rather, he was an esteemed, admired and fair-minded scientist/engineer/administrator who played a critical role in the development of our area.
I came to the renaming conversation late in the process. Like many in the community, I was confused. Who was the namesake, anyway? We received plenty of information from the Palo Alto Unified School District about eugenics and Lewis Terman, but wasn’t the school named for the (arguably) more famous Frederick? He was hardly even mentioned. In the end, I called the school office; none of the staff knew who the namesake was, but eventually our principal was able to explain.
The process ground on. Attention remained focused squarely on Lewis and eugenics; Fred and the positive messages he represents were largely and confusingly omitted. Committees and hearings were dominated by a small, politically savvy group intent on social justice; moderates, including those motivated by continuity of community and cost, were much less active.
An emotional case against the name “Terman” was built, without clear explanation why a rededication to Fred alone (with formal public removal of Lewis) would not suffice. Several days before the final hearing, the district quietly clarified that Fred in fact had nothing to do with eugenics. The rename was approved.
We are now choosing a new namesake. Some, maybe many, of us voted for Fred Terman. After all, he embodies all the top values identified in a 2016 district survey: integrity, significant contribution, innovation, inclusiveness, academic excellence and advocacy for science (source: Renaming Schools Advisory Committee final report, oral testimony at hearings). He was local, beloved, important and most of all offers something for almost everyone, whether their concern is social justice, continuity of community, or cost.
Surely, if Fred Terman were considered on his own merits, the record would be set straight, right? We may never know. Outside of its planned agenda, the school board reinterpreted/amended a clause in its technical guidelines (policy 7310) to ban him from consideration. Intended to prevent confusingly similar names (i.e., no “JL Sanford Middle School” since we already have a “JL Stanford Middle School”), this clause is now being invoked to rule Fred out for good, with little or no public process or input.
I’ve talked to many in the community by now. There is widespread confusion or ignorance, and almost no one understands even who the namesakes are, let alone which was the eugenicist. Over and over, I hear comments or questions about the “Terman name” being problematic or controversial. And if people think it is, now? We are a school district, not a corporation; let’s educate!
I hear about various parent, staff and even student groups “unanimously” or “overwhelmingly” supporting the rename, dating back to 2016, and I can’t help but wonder whether they got the full story. My daughter’s eighth-grade English class spent a whole period on the rename with no mention of Fred at all.
It has been, honestly, a total communication and messaging failure by a powerful and affluent district that owes so much to the work of pioneers like Fred Terman. Beyond smearing an exemplary leader, we are also sending a signal that PAUSD condemns people by their last names or that our students (who will have eugenics in their curriculum going forward) are incapable of distinguishing the two Termans. It’s easy for most of us in the PAUSD community to be fair-minded and equitable; not so easy for Fred Terman, growing up with an eruditely, actively racist father. Yet he was fair-minded, and his accomplishments indisputably served the greater good. Isn’t this the kind of positive message we should be celebrating?
One great step toward repairing the damage would be to reinstate Fred Terman as a renaming candidate. Search “Fred Terman change.org” for a petition if you are interested in lending your voice. Please spread the word, especially to alumni and student groups.
A second way to act is by communication with the board or with your vote. Ken Dauber and Jennifer DiBrienza have been especially hard-line against any consideration of Fred Terman. Todd Collins has a healthy and moderate perspective.
PAUSD and the board have really created a mess here over an issue most people always thought was a waste of time and energy. Let’s hope they can clean it up.
Going forward, as with the decision whether to rename, the district will select people for a small committee to recommend a name to the board. This process is opaque and likely to produce a result lacking strong community buy-in. In this day and age, can’t we just vote?
If anyone is interested in making that happen, it would be more than welcome.
Dennis Wilkinson has lived in the the Bay Area for 17 years. He is a retired scientist who is now an investor and stay-at-home father of three.
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The school district should abandon this renaming idea.
There are many more important things that they have to deal with and the money should be spent on those rather than this pointless exercise. As you said, most people including staff have no idea who any of the schools are named for and why.
This writer’s own last name would be vetoed by PAUSD.
Just rename Terman Middle School to “P.S. 655” or “Arastradero Middle School” after its street address. Or use a convenient nearby landmark and call it “Alta Mesa Middle School.”
And rename Jordan Middle School to “P.S. 750” or “California Middle School” likewise. Or maybe “Middlefield Middle School” after the cross street which makes for a delightfully repetitious name.
I also suggested and voted for Fred in the school districts call for comments. I guess no consideration for the $$ saved by keeping the “Terman” on letterhead and other school documents, apparel, sign, etc. But, alas, I forget that the district is flush with money and has no need to conserve.
Gunn loses support staff to pay for new name school materials. Makes sense to me.
Wasting money on the renaming effort is unconscionable.
It’s a false premise that Fred Terman’s legacy needs to be protected by having a PAUSD school named for him. His legacy is fully protected at Stanford and in the history of Silicon Valley. I sincerely doubt a “Fred Terman” would feel the need or want for a “Dennis Wilkinson” to come to his rescue.
Please don’t compound the first mistake of deciding Jordan and Terman should be renamed by trying to name it after a person. It will only prolong the debate, waste more time and resources and further divide the community. Keep it simple with a name like Bay Vista, Redwood, Sierra, …….. anything but a person!!! No one cares, our kids don’t care, move on.
The district is short on money ( another McGee blunder)
Don’t waste money on this folly– let it go!
I have learned a good deal about Fred Terman over time and also read his biography.
He was an extraordinary man. He had nothing to do with eugenics (which his father had stepped away from earlier), racism, or anything else questionable.
It is my opinion that he is the greatest community member in Palo Alto’s history.
As to the renaming, the committee investing the renaming also discovered that Fred Terman was not implicated. Nevertheless, the PAUSD decided that he could not have a school named after him.
I attended several of the meetings. I made a point that I think has been overlooked.
The PAUSD is actually guilty of eugenics in this matter. A central belief of eugenics is that offspring are very like their parents. While decrying eugenics, the PAUSD has used a eugenicist argument against Fred: he is a TERMAN, so he must be like his father.
I was also shocked at the PAUSD meeting with the number of speakers who referred to “those white men” in their comments. I found this close to being racist and sexist.
There is probably little that we can do about this shameful prohibition. However, we can advocate for the PAUSD to put Fred’s name somewhete else.
What about renaming the Churchill bulding after Fred?
I submit Don Quixote and Pangloss. To sustain the furor for another year or two, the committee shall choose which name goes with which site.
Eugenics is alive and well, but you may not hear about it called that anymore.
Anyone who has aborted a baby for Downs Syndrome or any other genetic disability is practicing it. Did you know that there are now zero Downs babies born in Iceland?
How about any woman aborting a baby for reason of inconvenience? That sounds like eugenics to me.
Eugenics is alive and well but goes by the name of abortion nowadays.
And BTW, Margaret Sanger, the wonderful founder of Planned Parenthood was a big supporter of eugenics.
@Dennis Wilkinson and Roger Smith,
while your arguments are good please give it up. They won’t be naming it after a white male. Not PC in this day and age unfortunately. Like I said let’s all move on and name the schools for a tree, a scrub or mountain range. No more people names, it only creates angst .
” What about renaming the Churchill bulding after Fred?”
Sorry. Nix. Terman should have been more careful about who he chose as his father. His name is legend in Silicon Valley and in the history of electronics, but he shall be denied that ultimate honor: PAUSD recognition.
Just name the school Palo Alto School One, or Two, and be done with it. It does not have to be named after anyone, specific.
We have no problem with naming schools after prominent white supremacists as long as the school has mandatory lessons about who this person was and what they did. Apparently, the school has neglected its history for so long that it completely forgot which Terman it was named after. What is the point in naming a school (or anything else) after a person if that person isn’t memorable enough for at least one day of lessons for every student every year?
Give it a rest, folks.
Palo Alto has had schools named after “those white men” for nigh onto 80 years, during which time the city has hardly become a hotbed of racial tension, eugenics or selective breeding. As far as I know there is no KKK chapter in Palo Alto.
I attended Jordan from 1967 to 1970. All I knew about the man was that he had something to do with Stanford. I didn’t grow up to practice eugenics.
If it weren’t for Fred Terman and the burgeoning tech industry he inspired, your Palo Alto home might not be worth $2 million today.
Naming a school after Fred Terman, fils, is the right thing to do. All the rest is fol-de-rol. The school district has bigger fish to fry.
Under the de-Terman-ation, will IQ tests and other measures of “innate” ability be banned in PAUSD?
Since the PTA sent out an unsolicited email and other materials essentially defaming Frederick Terman’s name and reputation, maybe they would consider a retraction and apology to the community given that information was false. As is typical of Liberal Progressive philosophy, it is loud on accusations and quiet on accountability.
“While Lewis Terman’s son, Frederick, did not directly publish articles espousing his eugenics beliefs, he was a member of the same eugenics society that his father helped found, alongside Jordan. He was an engineer who was a contemporary of William Shockley and together they are often seen as the fathers of Silicon Valley. Shockley’s eugenics beliefs were published and openly touted by him and it is clear from his affiliations that Frederick Terman shared his father’s racist beliefs.”
“Lewis Terman’s (and Frederick’s) racist ideas do not reflect our values as a school, as a district, or as a city. We
believe that naming a school for such a person directly and negatively impacts the sense of belonging and
community among our diverse student population.”
– Terman Site Council Name Change Statement November, 6th 2016
https://d2kwux309fn5li.cloudfront.net/fd542c59c4b7896ef6f0e4bbe93cc2e3/TermanSiteCouncilNameChangestatement-GoogleDocs-3.pdf
Their methods of intimidation, censorship and mis-information are why many parents have lost faith in the process not to mention the PTA, PiE and the school district. We expect this from a Hillary campaign or a liberal college campus shutting down free speech but it looks like the progressive poison has permeated all the way to PAUSD middle schools. What’s next, communist coloring books for our elementary kids? How about cute little construction paper manifestos pitching the party line?
Busy parents relied upon them to be fair and objective but it is obvious they had other motives in mind. All of the forced actions including re-naming, re-gendering and re-educating are coordinated means seeking the same end. Destruction of the nuclear family, subverting the democratic process and re-writing history to serve their own purposes.
Let’s play a game.
I am thinking of a word. It describes bigotry against a person based on immutable characteristics. Something you might be born with and cannot change. Others may use that attribute against you and attack you not as an individual but as a group from which you cannot distinguish or separate your character, values or abilities. They will then use that group label to disparage and deny you opportunities solely by that attribute and the way they have defined you.
If you answered prejudice or discrimination you would be right.
If you answered what is happening to Frederick Terman’s reputation you would be right too.
Bonus points for anyone who can discern the difference.
So I guess telling the truth about one of your heroes is too much for you to handle?
My, what a snowflake you are.
Umm,none of that stuff about Fred Terman was true, as they were eventually forced to admit. All just lies and innuendo. There was no defense, they just made it up.
“Thirty three states, including California, passed measures requiring sterilization of the feebleminded.” https://d2kwux309fn5li.cloudfront.net/fd542c59c4b7896ef6f0e4bbe93cc2e3/TermanSiteCouncilNameChangestatement-GoogleDocs-3.pdf
Oh, man. That would have wiped out most of Trump’s Base.
Let’s see now. Wasn’t Wilbur Middle School renamed to Jane Lathrop Stanford awhile back? Curious. What was his crime against politically correct society?
Maybe renaming certain schools is just a way for the school board to feel that they are doing something semi-constructive. When and if we ever hear of them hiring a consultant to assist in this endeavor, we’ll know that all is lost in PA town.
On a far larger scale, perhaps it is also time to rename all of the schools in the U.S. named after George Washington and Thomas Jefferson being that they were slave owners ‘back in the day’.
“… perhaps it is also time to rename all of the schools in the U.S. named after George Washington…”
Why not run that one by Denzel Washington?
“none of that stuff about Fred Terman was true, as they were eventually forced to admit. All just lies and innuendo. There was no defense, they just made it up.”
I’ll be blunt: Maybe it was a tactic so the school wouldn’t be named after “one of those white men”?
Sanitize the school names even if you have to desecrate someone’s legacy to achieve your objective.