Parker Street renamed Paul Conn Parkway
All photos by Rhianna Barrow
New street signs have gone up along a main campus roadway. The impact of former Lee University president and newly appointed chancellor was recognized by Cleveland City Council as a section of Parker Street got a new name last week – Paul Conn Parkway.
It was a novel experience for the long-standing university president.
“We don’t name streets,” Conn said. “We name buildings and rooms in buildings, but we don’t name streets.”
Paul Conn Parkway will extend from south 20th Street to Central Avenue through Lee’s campus, from Pangle Hall to Schimmel’s Park.
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, a ceremony was held to unveil the new street signs, which was attended by Conn, along with Cleveland’s Mayor Emeritus Rowland, current Mayor Kevin Brooks, and every representative member of the Cleveland City Council.
Among those in attendance was District 5 Councilman Dale Hughes, who spoke highly of the opportunity to take part in the renaming of Parker Street.
“As a former student-athlete, teacher, basketball coach and athletic director at Lee, it was a distinct honor to be a part of a city council that voted unanimously to bestow this recognition to Chancellor Paul Conn,” Hughes said.
At an August 24 council meeting, Hughes made a motion to rename the street, referencing a 2016 proposal by Rowland to rename the street upon Conn’s retirement as Lee’s president.
“[Conn] is no longer President, he is now a Chancellor,” Hughes said. “I think when you bring guests to Cleveland, when you take them by Lee, Parker Street — and of course Ocoee Street, with the [Science and Math Complex] — is just a great place to take newcomers to our city.”
Brooks followed up Hughes’ motion during the August 24 meeting, extending his thanks to his staff who had researched the original 2016 motion.
“I’m grateful to the staff that did all of this research,” Brooks said. “I’m grateful today for the motion.”
Hughes has lauded Conn for his service to Lee, and stated that Conn was deserving of being bestowed a street named in his honor.
“Chancellor Conn is a visionary, and in that vision of 34 years, he produced one of the leading church-related schools in the U.S.,” Hughes said. “He definitely deserves a street to be named for him, Paul Conn Parkway.”
Conn did not accept Rowland’s original proposal in 2016, choosing to delay the renaming until he had retired as Lee’s President.
“They voted to do it in 2016 — four years ago — and I asked them not to. I asked them to delay it,” Conn said. “I told them I thought it was premature, and I wouldn’t be comfortable as president — I would just prefer them not do it until after I’d left the office.”
In accepting the honor on Wednesday, Conn humbly acknowledged the role Parker Street has played throughout his life.
“I’m honored, of course. I grew up as a kid playing on Parker Street,” Conn said. “I grew up in this neighborhood. I learned to ride my bike along Parker Street. It’s been a part of my life from childhood. It’ll always be Parker Street to me.”
An archived livestream of the August 24 City Council meeting can be found on the City of Cleveland Facebook page.
