GOVERNOR PERRY DECLINES A&M BUILDING RENAMING

  

Governor Rick Perry has declined an invitation from Texas A&M to rename the Academic Building the “Governor Rick Perry ’72 Building.

The announcement came after regents were to hold a meeting specifically being held to consider changing the name of the building.

Perry decided to decline having the building renamed after telling the board of regents that he had, “…informed the board of regents of my decision to politely decline this honor," Perry said. "And I do so because there are places on this campus, like our most cherished traditions, that transcend any one individual. They are bigger than any one of us and they represent our shared heritage. I want the Academic Building to be called the Academic Building in 2114, 200 years after it was built."

What is not immediately clear is whether public opinion had anything to do with Perry declining the invitation, which had not yet been voted on.

There is one building on campus named after a former governor, Richard Coke, who served the state from 1874-1876. Coke hired the first faculty, board of directors and had delivered a speech at Old Main, which all cadets are now required to memorize.