PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has renamed its School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences in honor of Simon A. Haley.
The university held a dedication Tuesday as part of its 140th Anniversary Founders’ Week celebration. Members of the Haley family, along with students and faculty, gathered on campus for the unveiling.
Haley was an agriculture educator who spent his career teaching and training students at colleges across the South.
Bill Haley Jr., Simon Haley’s great grandson, says his great grandfather’s life was defined by perseverance.
“If I had to summarize my great grandfather's life, I would say, be persistent and never give up,” Bill Haley Jr. said. “And when you experience a barrier, jump over it. But also never lose faith.”
Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of UMES’s School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, says the renaming recognizes Haley’s contributions to agriculture education.
“Having the school connected to the legacy of Professor Simon Alexander Haley is a significant way not only to honor his legacy, but to also honor somebody who was committed to agriculture, training in agriculture,” Kairo said.
Students who attended the ceremony also reflected on the significance of the dedication.
Madison Jackson, a UMES freshman, says she was grateful to witness the moment.
“I'm just very grateful to be a part of…such a great moment in history,” Jackson said.
Egypt Young, a UMES freshman, says the dedication recognizes Haley’s impact on African American students and those pursuing agriculture.
“It was very nice for us to honor somebody who has done historically so much for not only other African American students, but people who are interested in agriculture,” Young said.
Simon A. Haley was also the father of author Alex Haley, whose family history became the basis for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Roots” and the Emmy-winning television miniseries from the 1970s it inspired.
