Princeton To Rename Residential College After A Black Woman

PRINCETON, NJ — For the first time in its history, Princeton University will name a residential college after a Black woman, the university announced Thursday.

Mellody Hobson, a 1991 Princeton graduate and businesswoman made a “lead gift” to the ivy league university, along with the Lucas Family Foundation which she runs with her husband George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars”.

The plan is to build a new residential college on the site of First College, formerly known as Wilson College, said university officials. This comes less than three months after the university decided to strip Woodrow Wilson’s name from the building, citing his racist past.

“No one from my family had graduated from college when I arrived at Princeton from Chicago, and yet even as I looked up at buildings named after the likes of Rockefeller and Forbes, I felt at home,” Hobson said in a media release.

“My hope is that my name will remind future generations of students — especially those who are Black and brown and the ‘firsts’ in their families — that they too belong. Renaming Wilson College is my very personal way of letting them know that our past does not have to be our future,” she said.

In June this year, the university decided to remove the former U.S president’s name from the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College. It was renamed First College.

The University plans to begin work on Hobson College in 2023, and is tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.

“This extraordinary gift will be transformative for Princeton,” said President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in a media release.

Eisgruber said he has been discussion the possible donation with Hobson since last year.

“It will enable us to improve the student experience at Princeton and to reimagine a central part of our campus, while also recognizing a remarkable woman who is a positive, powerful force for change in the world. Mellody Hobson is a wonderful role model for our students, and we are thrilled that her name will now grace our newest residential college. I am grateful to Mellody and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation for their generosity and their forward-thinking commitment to Princeton,” he said.

Princeton did not disclose the size of Hobson’s donation.

Hobson College will be one among two new, under-construction colleges on campus - Perelman College and a second undergraduate residential college.

“Along with class year, their residential college affiliation is one of the most significant identifiers for Princeton students,” said Jill Dolan, dean of the college.

“That future students will be able to say, ‘Meet you at Hobson,’ and that Hobson will be a proud part of our annual ‘Clash of the Colleges’ competition during first-year orientation will transform our future students’ experiences,” said Dolan.

Hobson, a Princeton trustee from 2002 to 2006, said she was proud to serve to the board when during her tenure the university developed a ‘no-loan’ financial aid program.

“Everyone deserves access to the best education, and Princeton is leading the way to make sure higher education better reflects our society as a whole,” she said “...By inviting more students from a variety of backgrounds to attend and contribute, we are not only building a better University community, we’re helping create a better world.”

Hobson, 51, joined Ariel Investments after graduating from Princeton and went on to become its CEO. She is also the former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation and has served as a regular financial contributor to “CBS This Morning.”

She married Lucas in June 2013 at his Skywalker Ranch.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.