Haverford College students and alumni are calling on the school to remove Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's name from its library after revelations about Lutnick's ties to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: It follows reports that Lutnick — a 1983 Haverford graduate and the suburban Philadelphia school's largest single donor — communicated with Epstein years after Epstein had been convicted of procuring a child for prostitution.
- Lutnick said in a 2025 podcast interview that he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005, three years before Epstein's conviction in a Florida state court.
- But recently released Justice Department documents indicate that Lutnick and members of his family had lunch with Epstein on a boat at Epstein's Caribbean island in 2012.
What they're saying: Haverford College President Wendy Raymond wrote a message to faculty, students and alumni on Thursday addressing the controversy.
- "A growing number of Fords have written to express their dismay over these revelations and have requested immediate action," Raymond wrote.
- "I am taking this complex issue under deep consideration. Our core values call us to act with curiosity, discernment, and integrity. This duty of care in upholding our mission and values is a constant," she added.
Raymond said she would "take the time necessary to continue to reflect and to engage with thought partners before determining whether to activate a review committee" focused on whether to rename the library.
A Lutnick spokesperson declined to comment.
By the numbers: Lutnick, who formerly led the prominent Cantor Fitzgerald investment firm, has donated $65 million to Haverford.
The intrigue: In recent days Lutnick has been in touch with Michael Kim, Haverford's board chair and a billionaire private equity executive, about the calls to remove his name.
- Kim has been supportive of Lutnick, according to a person familiar with the talks.
- However, a Haverford spokesperson told Axios that Kim "did not share any judgment with Secretary Lutnick on taking his name off the library."
- Efforts to reach Kim, who is based in South Korea, were not successful.
The Trump administration has defended Lutnick, a primary cheerleader for the president's economic agenda.
This story has been updated to include the Haverford spokesperson's comment about Kim's communications with Lutnick.
