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The medical school at Dartmouth College will continue to be called the Geisel School of Medicine, despite a recent controversy over the works of Dr. Seuss, the pen name of Theodor Geisel. The school is named for Geisel and his wife, Audrey.
Dr. Seuss wrote more than 60 children's books, including Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat. His estate this week withdrew from publication six of the books (none of them best sellers) because they include racist images of Asians. And a controversy has erupted, with some people accusing the estate of embracing "cancel culture" and others saying its actions were overdue.
At Dartmouth, Geisel's alma mater, "There are no plans to revisit the use of the Geisel name on campus. We continue to explore opportunities to contextualize and educate from this chapter of the Geisel legacy," said an email from Diana Lawrence, associate vice president for communications. "We support Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ embrace of inclusivity and its mission to support all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, and friendship. The work of Theodor Geisel has inspired a love of reading and storytelling for generations of children throughout the world. While he produced works of compassion, empathy, and tolerance, some of his work perpetuated offensive stereotypes. As we work toward a more just society, we must recognize and learn from his shortcomings in addition to his achievements."
The biography of Geisel that appears on the medical school's website does not mention the controversy over some of his books.
