Asks for input about changing name

The Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison, as part of its response to reporting about the alleged Nazi sympathies of its late co-founder, Hamilton Fish III, is conducting a survey to gauge sentiment for changing the library’s name.

A committee of library board members, staff and residents developed the 13-question questionnaire as part of a review process that has included historical research, programming and public discussions. The survey, which includes space to suggest names, is online at surveymonkey.com/r/dfplnamereview. The deadline is Nov. 1.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Articles attributed to "staff" are written by the editor or a senior editor. This is typically because they are brief items based on a single source, such as a press release, or there are multiple contributors, such as a collection of photos.

8 replies on “Desmond-Fish Library Posts Survey”

  1. It is disgusting to feed into misguided activism and DEI ideologies that only want to divide us with imaginary hate and the rewriting of history. In doing so, you teach generations that long-lost contributors were hate-filled humans. In changing the name, it will disgrace our town and all the good it has. Desmond-Fish Library is the name!

  2. I’m all for erasing the name of a Nazi sympathizer from public buildings that are taxpayer-funded. [via Facebook]

  3. The library may be a public building but it wouldn’t be here without the generosity of the people whose names are on it. Many people did not know about Fish’s past; now they do but they are still using the building because there’s knowledge inside, not a man or his one-time beliefs. Let’s not hide history but learn from it.

    Hamilton Fish is not the man people may have thought he was, but he did do something good for our community. And no one has ever driven by and thought: “That’s the library the Nazi built.” [via Facebook]

  4. Now is not the time for nuanced debates and gray areas and trying to imagine what it was like for a congressman 100 years ago. It’s 2023 and Jews continue to be targets of violence and bigotry. Why would a community contort itself to try to defend any historical figure who had Nazi sympathies (even if it was because he really didn’t like Communism, or really didn’t know what Hitler was going to end up doing)?

    What happened in Israel this month and the resounding threats to Jews across the world make it clear that we must stand united to do all we can to promote peace and inclusion.

  5. I may not be Jewish, but in 74 years on this Earth I’ve learned enough to know antisemitism when I see it, and I see it plain as day in the continued defense and hand-wringing over this man.

    People should visit the library they’re so adamantly against renaming and read a little about Mr. Fish, a man who “accidentally” found himself among more people affiliated with the Nazis than you could shake a stick at. Every page seems to pop up a new one — what a coincidence. Didn’t know what they were doing? I smell something, ahem, fishy. Let’s do our Jewish neighbors — and all our neighbors — a favor and stop making excuses for him.

  6. Enough already. Few of us have thought things, felt things, said things or done things that we don’t years later regret. The man is long dead. He helped fund the library in a major way. Keep the name.

Comments are closed.