March 30, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Students at Haverford College voted to request that the administration consider removing Howard Lutnick's name from the school library due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Above, a file photo of the college's campus.
The Haverford College student body is urging the Delaware County school to consider removing Howard Lutnick's name from its library due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
On Sunday, the students passed a resolution that asks Haverford President Wendy Raymond to form a committee to consider taking Lutnick's name off the building, the Inquirer reported. The vote took place during the spring's plenary session — a gathering for students to discuss issues regarding campus life. At least two-thirds of the student body that lives on campus must be present for voting to occur. Measures need a simple majority to pass.
The resolution does not force any action from the administration, but it serves as a formal request from students. It says the conflict around Lutnick, an alumnus and donor, is an extreme case, and that the action is not meant to be a precedent for changing the names of other campus buildings, Haverford's student newspaper reported.
Per the university's policy, building names can be changed following a committee review if the continued use of the name is deemed "detrimental" to the school.
Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce, has donated $65 million to Haverford College. In 2014, he donated $25 million to renovate the library. It was the largest donation in the school's history.
Last month, Lutnick said he visited Epstein's private island in 2012, and a document released in the so-called "Epstein files" shows he was in contact with the financier as late as May 2018. Lutnick previously had said he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 — three years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting underage sex. In 2019, Epstein was charged with sex trafficking of minors. He died in federal prison several months later.
Lutnick is expected to testify before the U.S. House about his ties to Epstein alongside Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler and Apollo co-founder Leon Black. A date for that hearing has not been set.
Following approval of the resolution, Raymond has 30 days to review the measure and approve or reject it. Last month, she sent a letter to students saying she was considering forming a committee to consider removing the name, but no formal action has been taken.
"While forming a naming review committee does not predetermine any outcome, it is a serious step and not something I would take lightly," Raymond wrote. "I have had constructive conversations with leaders and colleagues across our community that bear out my confidence in the value of continuing revelation. I will take the time necessary to continue to reflect and to engage with thought partners before determining whether to activate a review committee."
Multiple other Haverford buildings also bear the Lutnick name. The track and tennis center at Haverford is named after Lutnick's late brother, Gary Lutnick, and the Lutnick Fine Arts building is named after his mother, Jane.
