The law school seal represents the slaveholding family that endowed Harvard’s first law professorship.

The Harvard Crimson reports.

In Debate Over Names, History and Race Relations Collide

Their names are familiar and unavoidable to students who inhabit the buildings and walk along the streets: Mather, Brattle, Holyoke.

Their histories—as slaveholders—have largely been overlooked since the buildings were erected and streets paved, until recently.

At both Harvard College and Harvard Law School, students, faculty, and administrators have begun reconsidering titles and symbols because of their associations with the legacy of slavery. At the College, the House Masters agreed unanimously last month to change their title, citing concerns about the racial implications of the term “Master.” Meanwhile, a group of students at Harvard Law School are calling for the removal of the school’s seal, which they criticize for its ties to the formerly slaveholding Royall family that endowed Harvard’s first law professorship in the 19th century.