Another letter about the Catt debate — this one in support of the Iowa State alumnus and former women’s suffragist — has been circulated around campus.

The new letter — written by ISU alumnus Sharon Rodine — is a response to a memo issued by Derrick Rollins, diversity adviser to President Martin Jischke’s cabinet. Rollins’ memo called on ISU faculty and staff to join in the push to rename Catt Hall.

Rodine sent the letter late last month to Rollins and several university officials, including Jischke. In it, she said she was “appalled” by Rollins’ “inappropriate behavior” with the timing of his memo. It was issued as the university was launching its biggest fund-raising campaign in its history.

In the letter, Rodine said Rollins has betrayed President Jischke, the faculty and staff, as well as students and alumni of ISU by disseminating the memo to the press and ISU community before giving it President Jischke.

In an interview, Rodine stood by her view. “As an alumna who cares deeply about this university, I am appalled by the lack of both journalistic and scholarly research on this issue. Mr. Rollins, who is an administrative official paid to give informed and balanced input that serves the good of the university, showed poor judgment, lack of professionalism, and no apparent personal research or scholarship on this issue.”

Milton McGriff — a member of the September 29th Movement, a group pressing for a new name for Catt Hall — said the letter is unfair. “I think [the letter] is ugly and mean-spirited. She’s very angry, and she is doing the thing she is accusing us of,” he said.

McGriff said he wants it to be clear that an attack on Rollins will be considered an attack not only on all black people, but an attack on all white people who support the Movement.

Rodine said racist comments the Movement has attributed to Catt have been taken out of context.

“The September 29th Movement has taken one sentence out of one speech by Mrs. Catt totally out of context and twisted it to fit their purpose. Mrs. Catt said that giving women the right to vote would not change the political mind-set in the South following the civil war. This was a political observation, not her personal belief.

“It is similar to the observations made by civil rights activists — black and white — during the 1960s efforts to pass civil rights legislation. They said laws alone will not change discrimination. Discrimination changes when attitudes and behaviors change,” she said.

But McGriff said there is plenty of evidence to support the Movement’s claim that Catt was racist. He said Rodine has only polarized the issue.

“There is a constant effort to refer to this as a black and white issue. It’s not. We’re upset that she [Catt] offended the European immigrants. Even if they’re not upset, we’re upset.”

Rodine disagrees. She said in the letter that Catt, “championed a national amendment that gave the right to vote to all women, regardless of color.”

Rollins is out of town until Thursday.

Jane Cox, associate professor of music and a vocal supporter of Catt, declined to comment on the letter.

President Jischke said he believes Rodine is expressing her opinion and views about Rollins. He also declined to comment about the content of the letter.

Murray Blackwelder, vice president for external affairs and a recipient of the letter, said it underscores the divisiveness of the Catt issue.

“We have a building named Catt Hall, and we have very opinionated people on each side of the issue. What we need to do is to come together on something that we can move forward on,” he said.