The University of Maryland board of regents votes to strip Byrd name from football stadium

The University of Maryland board of regents Friday overwhelmingly approved renaming the school’s stadium, which for 90 years has honored a football star who later as president of the university sought to deny black students admission to the state’s flagship campus.

The board voted 12-5 Friday morning on a motion to change the name of the facility commemorating Harry Clifton “Curley” Byrd to “Maryland Stadium.”

The measure had widespread support not only on the Maryland campus in College Park but statewide as well. Maryland president Wallace D. Loh supported the change as did university system chancellor Robert L. Caret. Both U.S. senators Ben Cardin (D) and Barbara Mikulski (D) also supported the name change along with U.S. House members Steny Hoyer (D) and Chris Van Hollen (D).