Visual Veritas
Snapshot: Set at Harvard University, this nonfiction case examines the iconography of figures who both served as champions of justice and equity and advocates for expulsion and oppression. These figures have ignited complex discussions as faculty, staff, students, and campus leaders try to determine whether, and if so, how these leaders should be memorialized in the visual culture of the campus. With an institutional commitment to truth and a more diverse student body, what are the tradeoffs to consider when revisiting monuments for complex historical figures?
Detailed Case Description:
This nonfiction case examines the ethical challenges that arise when universities memorialize historically complex figures through visual culture like portraits, statues, and busts. Specifically, the case examines Harvard Law School’s statues of Joseph Story—who both criticized the slave trade but defended the Fugitive Slave Act—and the portrait of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.—known for his progressive opinions on civil liberties, but who supported the disenfranchisement of Black citizens and ruled in favor of forced sterilization.
How should prominent historical figures’ beliefs and actions impact their inclusion in a university’s visual culture today? How can institutions make changes that help their campuses feel more inclusive without losing important connections to the past, even when that past is harmful?
Explore Further:
- Explore how Harvard University has represented Justice Joseph Story in campus iconography. The bust of Story (redirect) is located in Annenberg Hall, the first-year dining hall at Harvard College, and the marble statue of Story (redirect) is located in Harvard Law School’s Langdell Hall.
- Learn more about Joseph Story’s positive impact on Harvard Law School during his time as a professor (redirect).
- This podcast interview explores the harmful impact of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.’s decision upholding forced sterilization (redirect).
- This review of a biography of Oliver Wendell Holmes explores Holmes’ complicated legacy and provides a detailed overview of his life (redirect).
- Learn about how the controversy surrounding President A. Lawrence Lowell’s legacy at Harvard (redirect), particularly his policies that sought to exclude Jewish and Black students, led to the removal of his portrait from the Lowell House dining hall.
- The Report of the FAS Task Force on Visual Cultural and Signage (PDF), referenced several times in “Visual Veritas,” presents the findings of the Task Force that investigated Harvard’s visual culture across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
- Read the Harvard Law School Shield Committee Report (PDF), which led to HLS retiring the original school shield in 2016.
- While this case explores dilemmas related to visual culture at Harvard, this conversation is relevant across the United States. Read conflicting viewpoints on the question: Should Controversial Monuments Be Removed or Are They Necessary Teaching Tools? (redirect).