Donations are at stake

Dear Editor:My family was considering a substantial donation to the Aspen Institute. We were just getting ready to inform the Institute of our donation, but have now changed our plans in light of the poor decision on the part of the Institute and its directors to change the name of Paepcke Auditorium. The Paepcke legacy doesn’t deserve this slight. It’s tantamount to naming sports stadiums after the corporation sponsor that makes the biggest donation.Would the Aspen Institute change the auditorium to Wal-Mart Auditorium or Exxon Hall if either of these companies happened to donate substantial funds? The Paepckes are one of the most important historical figures in the structure and founding of Aspen. This is just another example of the Institute making unwise and short-sighted decisions.The Aspen Institute needs to reconsider this decision immediately. Can you imagine if Paepcke Hall was renamed Kenneth Lay Auditorium … or Kenny Boy Hall? I urge the Resnick family to withhold their generous donation until the Institute agrees to keep it Paepcke Auditorium in name. I would even accept a compromise: why not use Paepcke Resnick Auditorium?Please assist me in getting the word out that changing the name of Paepcke Hall is a great injustice to the Paepcke family, the citizens and supporters of the Institute, and the historical record of Aspen’s glorious past. I, for one, refuse to support the Institute if they decided to change the name of Paepcke Auditorium, and I can guarantee Aspen Institute that I’m not the only one! Additionally, I am chairing an organization to dissuade current and potential contributors from making any further contributions to the Aspen Institute.Scott David CourtsSanta Barbara/Aspen