George Mason University Votes to Rename Its Law School After This Former Supreme Court Justice

George Mason University, named after the founding father who refused to sign the Constitution in 1787 primarily due its lack of a Bill of Rights, voted Thursday to rename its law school after a former Supreme Court justice known for his strict interpretation of the founding document: Justice Antonin Scalia.

Richard Kelsey, director of the Mason Law Community, tweeted the news Thursday afternoon.

According to a press release from the school, the school's new official name will be: The Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University.

"Justice Scalia was a law teacher, public servant, legal commentator, and jurist nonpareil," said Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a great friend of Scalia's. "As a colleague who held him in highest esteem and great affection, I miss his bright company and the stimulus he provided, his opinions ever challenging me to meet his best efforts with my own. It is a tribute altogether fitting that George Mason University’s law school will bear his name."

"May the funds for scholarships, faculty growth, and curricular development aid the Antonin Scalia School of Law to achieve the excellence characteristic of Justice Scalia, grand master in life and law," she added in a university press release.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

In addition to the name change, school officials also announced two donations to the school totaling $30 million. Two-thirds of the grant came from an anonymous donor who was a friend of Scalia's, while the other $10 million came from the Charles Koch Foundation. The donations will help pay for three new scholarship programs, as well as the hiring of new faculty members.

The name change is pending approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, but the council is expected to give its blessing. If all goes well, the school plans to hold an official dedication ceremony in the fall.

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