By Timothy Kudo
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Ostin Hall will be renamed back to Schoenberg Hall, Chancellor
Albert Carnesale announced Thursday.
"It’s just the greatest thing," said Randol Schoenberg, grandson
of Arnold Schoenberg, the late composer and UCLA professor who is
the building’s and auditorium’s namesake.
Controversy arose when UCLA officials decided to rename the
auditorium inside the Schoenberg music building after receiving a
$5 million donation from record producer Mo Ostin and his wife. The
Ostins could not immediately be reached for comment.
UCLA officials recently renamed the auditorium with the belief
that since the building itself was named after Arnold Schoenberg,
the auditorium was still available for naming. But both the hall
and the building were, in fact, officially named after the late
composer, according to university documents.
"Regrettably, the decision to rename the auditorium was made
based on incorrect and incomplete information," Carnesale said in a
public statement.
The original decision to rename the auditorium was made after
reviewing related documents, none of which indicated it was named
after Arnold Schoenberg, said Daniel Neuman, dean of the School of
Arts and Architecture, in a past interview.
Yet, after learning that the auditorium had in fact been
officially named after Schoenberg, Neuman said the renaming would
have been recommended anyway, because the entire building was named
after Schoenberg.
A similar situation exists with Royce Hall, in which the
auditorium and building carry the same name. Neuman said in the
past that the Royce auditorium could technically be renamed as
well.
Michael Eicher, vice chancellor of external affairs, had
defended the university’s decision to rename the building by saying
that the naming "was thoroughly reviewed."
In a statement to the Schoenberg family, Carnesale said, "I
deeply regret the errors that occurred internally at UCLA that
resulted in the decision to remove (Schoenberg’s) name from the
auditorium of the Schoenberg Music Building."
UCLA officials have yet to determine what to do with the Ostins’
donation.
"UCLA is working to find a suitable way to recognize the
exceptional generosity of the Ostins," Robak said.
When the university originally decided to rename the hall, they
did so without notifying Schoenberg’s family. In response,
relatives met with Neuman and Eicher to express their concerns.
They were also planning on taking their case to the next meeting of
the UC Board of Regents.
"The names are the things that go from the past to the present
to the future," said Lawrence Schoenberg, the composer’s son. "The
faculty change, the students change, but UCLA needs to retain the
names; these are the things that last."
Members of the family said they are grateful to whomever made
the decision and do not feel there are bad feelings between them
and the university.
"If you really fight for what’s right and for what you believe
in, sometimes you can win," Randol Schoenberg said. "I guess I
learned that from my grandfather."