Columbus Murals
Teaching with the Columbus Murals
Resources for instructors wishing to utilize the Columbus Murals for instruction can be found here.
History of campus dialogue involving the Columbus Murals
August 24, 2020: A Message from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
"Monuments and images commemorating individuals and events of the past have been a flashpoint in recent protests and discussions."
Read Fr. Jenkins' full update regarding the Columbus Murals
September 2019: President's Annual Address to the Faculty
"We need to acknowledge the tangledness and complexity of our history, and each of its many different threads. Some things that we now regard as evil were once regarded as good. Both interpretations are part of the history of Notre Dame."
Read Fr. Jenkins' full comments regarding the Columbus Murals to the faculty
July 2019: Report of the Columbus Murals Committee
The report of the committee of faculty, staff, and students appointed by Fr. Jenkins to advise him can be found here along with the committee's cover letter to Fr. Jenkins.
February 14, 2019: Fr. Jenkins Announces the Columbus Murals Committee
In his letter to the University of Notre Dame community on January 20, 2019, regarding the Columbus murals in the Main Building, Fr. Jenkins indicated that he would form a committee to deliberate and advise on the display of the mural images in the appropriate context, as well as on related issues, in accord with the framework set out in his letter.
See the full announcement, including a listing of the committee members
January 20, 2019: Fr. Jenkins' letter to the Campus Community
"We will, therefore, create a permanent display for high-quality, high-resolution images of the murals in a campus setting to be determined that will be conducive to such an informed and careful consideration. The murals on the walls of the Main Building will themselves be covered by woven material consistent with the décor of the space, though it will be possible to display the murals on occasion. I will establish a committee to decide on the place to display the images of the murals and the appropriate communication around the display."
Read Fr. Jenkins' full message to the campus community