Esmé Kenney

A group of students have set up a campaign to rename the Seeley Library.

The Library was named after Sir John Seeley, a historian and political essayist, known for his contributions to justifying the British Empire.

The group has launched an open letter to the Faculty of History, calling on them to change the name of the library to the History Faculty Library.

The letter states that by naming the library after Seeley, “the University is associating itself with his career and beliefs” which “reflects the University’s historic and ongoing justification and support of colonialism.”

As an undergraduate, John Seeley studied Classics at Christ’s College, where he went on to become a Fellow and Tutor. He was made Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge in 1869.

Read the full article here: https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/22422