Lawmaker seeks to rename building honouring Nobel winner

NASHVILLE – A Tennessee lawmaker wants to change the name of the state’s legislative office building from that of a Democratic Nobel laureate to a Republican one-term governor.

The Cordell Hull Building honours a Tennessean who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 for his work establishing the United Nations. Hull served in the U.S. House and Senate and was the longest serving U.S. Secretary of State, serving under Franklin Roosevelt for 11 years.

Republican State Rep. Ron Gant told WKRN-TV his bill would rename the building after former Gov. Winfield Dunn. Gant told The Tennessean that Dunn’s accomplishments include creating a state kindergarten program and changing the state’s welcome signs to “the great state of Tennessee.”

Any change will likely need Tennessee Historical Commission approval.