Dear Pepperdine University,

I was very disappointed to receive news that the university has succumbed to the pressure from protesters for the removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus at your fine university. I was on the committee of the Quincentenary celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to the New World. We were aware of protests at that time over the same issues.

Columbus is remembered for many reasons, but primarily for the fact that he made the first meaningful connection between continental Europe and the Western Hemisphere, the old world and the New World, at least from a European perspective. If it wasn’t Columbus, certainly someone else would have done it. But in fact, it was Columbus…and therefore he is worthy of honor and remembrance.