New dorm named after Audrey Lattimore Gaston Howard
Following the tradition of naming buildings on campus for significant figures in our university’s history, one of the new freshman dorms will be called Audrey Lattimore Gaston Hall, honoring Samford’s first full-time African American student.
“This generous tribute to my mother means so very much to me and my family,” said Rev. Dr. Howard son of Audrey Gaston Howard in the press release announcing the name.
Audrey Gaston Howard enrolled at the Cumberland School of Law in 1967, graduating with her law degree in 1970.
After college, she continued to be a mold-breaker, being the first African American woman appointed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southeast and later as court liaison advisor to the National Criminal Justice Commission staff in 1972.
Gaston Howard also served as legislative assistant to U.S. Representative John Buchanan of Alabama beginning in 1975.
Gaston Howard passed away in 1989, and Samford has previously honored her legacy by citing her story on the Racial Reconciliation Memorial erected in front of Beeson Divinity School in 2020 and dedicated in 2022.
Now, with a new residence hall, Samford honors Gaston Howard once again and hopes to continue to share her story with current and future generations of students.
President Beck Taylor personally chose to name this new dorm for Gaston Howard.
“Residence halls are a big deal around here,” he said. “Vail, Smith–these names are iconic. As I considered the idea, this seemed like a great way to honor her in a way that was not trivial, but very significant.”
President Taylor personally called Rev. Dr. Charles Lattimore Howard, Gaston Howard’s son and chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania, to have his approval for naming this new residence hall after Rev. Dr. Howard’s mother.
“We name buildings on this campus for individuals who have exceptionally contributed to this campus,” Taylor said. “Sometimes it is for great leadership, like Westmoreland Hall honoring our previous President. Sometimes it is for those who provide the funds needed to build this campus. And sometimes it is for individuals like Gaston Howard, who broke barriers and moved this institution forward.”
President Taylor acknowledged the particular value of honoring a figure in Samford’s history like Gaston Howard, saying, “There’s a part of Samford’s history we aren’t proud of. We can’t just make up for that, but recognizing and honoring someone who helped start a new chapter of our history helps point us forward as much as it does look back. Because of her courage as well as changes at the institution, we can lean into our story and look forward to a more promising future as it relates to seeing all people in the image of God.”
Staff Writer
