Purdue University has bows to pressure from students who object to the university naming a building after Earl Butz, a former Agriculture Secretary under President Nixon, who resigned due to a racist joke he made at a party.

The lecture hall was dedicated last October for the 96-year old for his role as a longtime Purdue faculty member, agriculture dean, and financial contributor.

In a statement released by the university, the name change "will free Dr. Butz and his immediate family from an issue that has become very difficult for them, and it will allow Purdue to move forward in its efforts to foster an environment that is welcoming for everyone."