Preserve the Legacy of the University of Texas at El Paso. Protect El Paso's Heritage: Save UTEP’s Historic Core Campus from Destruction!

We, the undersigned, urgently petition the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Texas System Board of Regents to halt the proposed destruction of its historic campus. UTEP's unique Bhutanese Revival campus, designed by Henry Trost and Percy McGhee, was established between 1917 and 1951. The 64-acre core campus is a national treasure, housing nineteen original buildings of immense architectural, historical, and cultural significance.

Since August 2024, the university has issued two contradictory and error-filled Campus Master Plans, calling for razing up to nine historic buildings over the next ten years. These campus master plans threaten to demolish up to nine historic structures, starting with the 1949 Student Union Building, designed by renowned El Paso architect Percy McGhee.

We respectfully request that UTEP President Heather Wilson and the University of Texas System Board of Regents discard these plans and involve historians, architects, archeologists, and artists in a more imaginative approach to campus development.

Join us in preserving this invaluable heritage for future generations!

To learn more, visit utepheritage.org or theuniversityhistorian.substack.com