HARRISONBURG, Va. — Virginia’s James Madison University is renaming three buildings that bear the names of Confederate leaders.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the university’s board of visitors voted to change the names of three halls following requests by students, alumni and campus organizations.
The school in Harrisonburg has removed signs for the buildings on the quad and assigned temporary names.
One of the buildings is named for Confederate Gen. Turner Ashby. Jackson Hall is named for Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson. And Maury Hall is named for Matthew Fontaine Maury, a scientist and Confederate naval officer.
The school is not considering changing its name. James Madison was the slave-owning fourth U.S. president and chief architect of the U.S. Constitution.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
