The truth about American private universities is that they rely heavily on alumni donations. Recently in the news, we can see the damage that has been done to universities, in particular the Ivy League, where alleged widespread antisemitism has caused alumni to retract their donations. Stevens is no different: Alumni money is a requirement if the administration wants to fund more research, give out financial aid, and expand campus facilities. Students are generally happy for expanded facilities and shiny new classrooms, but sentiments change when the donor’s actions do not reflect the beliefs of the student body. A particular source of controversy at Stevens is Gianforte Family Hall, and the man who donated it: Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana.
Greg Gianforte attended Stevens Institute of Technology, and graduated in 1983. He went on to work at Bell Laboratories, and later McAfee Associates until founding his own company in 1997 called RightNow technologies. RightNow was a software development company that was later acquired by Larry Ellsion’s Oracle Corporation 2011 for 1.5 billion USD. For the next six years, he focused on his philanthropic and personal interests, focusing mainly on raising money for Conservative Christian Groups in Montana. After a failed run at the Montana governorship in 2016, Gianaforte ran for and was elected to the House of Representatives in a 2017 special election. After serving two terms he would successfully run again for Governor of Montana.
Governor Gianforte is a controversial figure in national politics. He is a member of the Christian right wing of the Republican party, with the viewpoints one would expect of him. He has been party to the passing of various anti-LGBT and abortion-restrction bills in his home state. Further, he’s passed bills that restrict voter registration, allowed constitutional carry, and has restructured how Montana picks its state judges, giving the governor more power to choose who rises to the bench. In particular it has been the anti-LGBT laws that have sparked anger here at Stevens.
In 2017, when what was originally called the Gateway Academic Center was renamed Gianforte Family Hall, the school erupted in protest. The idea that there would be a building on campus named after someone who is so opposed to the identities of many Stevens students really brought out the student body’s civic feelings. There was an attempt to raise enough money to supplant Gianforte’s contribution to the building, but that failed. Since then, there have been many attempts to have the school change the name of the building, led by various student groups including the Student Government association, but those too have failed.
Starting in 2021, student organizations on campus signed a petition promising to boycott Gateway North. This boycott continues to be kept up, but in recent years there has been a growing idea of hosting LGBT events within the building in order to reclaim it for the student body. Beyond that, the usage of the name “Gianforte Family Hall” is incredibly rare on campus, with most students opting for the term “Gateway North.”
Despite the fact that the student body’s goal to have the building renamed was unsuccessful, the effort demonstrates the community’s ability to break its apolitical tendencies to ensure an inclusive campus. Students are urged to make thoughtful decisions about the nomenclature and use of the building.
