Purdue Strips Papa John's Name From Economic Center

The Purdue University Board of Trustees has removed Papa John’s founder John Schnatter’s name from its economic research center.

The unanimous decision follows the controversy around Schnatter’s use of a racial slur during a conference call earlier this year.

Purdue Board Chairman Michael Berghoff – reading from a statement at Friday's meeting – says the economics center will revert to its original name.

“The board believes this action is necessary," Berghoff says, "to avoid distraction from the center’s work, counterproductive division on the campus, and any inference of any deviation from the university’s often stated stance on tolerance and racial relations.”

The name change, back to the “Purdue University Research Center in Economics,” is effective immediately.

Purdue named the center after Schnatter in April when he donated $8 million to the school. The governing board will offer to return those funds.

This comes the same day the Board of Trustees at Ball State University decided to keep Schnatter’s name on its business program. He received his undergraduate degree from Ball State in 1983.