Latest Tillman vandalism causes $1,500 damage to Winthrop building

Vandals caused nearly $1,500 worth of damage to Winthrop University’s iconic administrative building by using black spray paint to write “Rename Tillman Hall” on a wall, authorities said Tuesday.

School officials on Monday morning released some details about the vandalism, with Winthrop President Dan Mahony sending an email to campus employees decrying the act of defacing property.

A police report released Tuesday provided more information about the vandalism, including details about the damages. The report states that someone used spray paint to cover up the Tillman name on two outdoor building signs and painted the letters “T,” “N,” “J,” and “S” on an exterior building wall.

Winthrop Campus Police believe the vandalism happened sometime between 11 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 a.m. Monday, according to the police report. The graffiti was quickly cleaned up Monday morning before most people were on campus for the school’s traditional Convocation ceremony and first day of classes.

Some on Winthrop’s campus refuse to use the Tillman name anymore and have recently started referring to the administrative building by its original 1896 name: Main Building.

For months, many South Carolinians have engaged in a debate over whether Winthrop and Clemson University should rename campus buildings that honor the former governor and U.S. senator. The politician, who died in 1918, is widely considered an unapologetic racist who condoned the murder and segregation of black people in the South.

But Tillman also was instrumental in the founding of Winthrop and Clemson as public colleges. Some people who find the former politician’s views repugnant argue that Tillman Hall should not be renamed, but school officials could find ways to present Tillman’s history.

South Carolina law prohibits public agencies such as Winthrop and Clemson from renaming historic buildings without permission from state lawmakers. Winthrop officials have said this law prevents them from making a decision about changing the building’s name.

ANNA DOUGLAS, adouglas@heraldonline.com

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Latest Tillman vandalism causes $1,500 damage to Winthrop building."