USF Urged to Rename C.W. Bill Young Hall Over Controversial Past

Calls grow to remove name of former congressman who targeted LGBTQ+ students and faculty.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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A student group at the University of South Florida is renewing calls to rename C.W. Bill Young Hall, which houses the university's military leadership programs. The building is named after the late congressman, who was involved in a legislative committee that targeted LGBTQ+ individuals at Florida colleges in the 1960s. Critics say Young's past actions go against the university's values of inclusivity.

Why it matters

The push to rename the building highlights ongoing debates over honoring historical figures with problematic pasts, especially at institutions of higher learning that aim to create welcoming environments for all students. USF has a sizable LGBTQ+ student population, making the building's name particularly contentious.

The details

C.W. Bill Young Hall opened in 2007 and is named after the former Republican congressman who served from 1971 to 2013. While Young was known for supporting the building's construction, he also sat on a legislative committee in the 1960s that investigated claims of communism and homosexuality at Florida colleges. This led to the publication of the "Purple Pamphlet," which portrayed homosexuality as sinful and aimed to target LGBTQ+ faculty and students, resulting in over 100 professors losing their jobs and 400 students dropping out.

  • The C.W. Bill Young Hall opened in 2007.
  • Young served on the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee from 1962 to 1964.
  • The "Purple Pamphlet" was published in 1964.

The players

C.W. Bill Young

A former Republican Florida senator and U.S. representative who served from 1971 to 2013. Young was involved with a legislative committee that targeted LGBTQ+ individuals at Florida colleges in the 1960s.

Students for a Democratic Society at USF

A student group that created a petition in 2015 to rename C.W. Bill Young Hall due to Young's controversial past.

Sage Solis

A freshman cybersecurity major at USF who joined the Students for a Democratic Society and supports renaming the building.

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What they’re saying

“Considering the nature of Bill Young's controversies, renaming the Bill Young Hall on the college campus would be the right thing to do.”

— Sage Solis, Freshman cybersecurity major (usforacle.com)

“By having a building in honor of someone with these views, [USF] is directly promoting this agenda and showing its support for it. If campus is supposed to be an open and welcome place for all students, they should be naming buildings after people with that same mindset.”

— Sage Solis, Freshman cybersecurity major (usforacle.com)

What’s next

The university has stated it is not currently aware of any recent conversations regarding renaming the building, but the student group that previously petitioned for a name change says they would be in favor of revisiting the issue.

The takeaway

This debate over honoring a historical figure with a problematic past highlights the ongoing tensions universities face in balancing their legacies and values of inclusivity. As institutions strive to create welcoming environments, the names adorning their buildings can take on heightened significance, especially for marginalized student populations.