Williamsburg, USA - Removing an 18-inch brass cross from the altar of the oldest college chapel in the United States proved a costly decision -- dozens of alumni withheld contributions, including one whose pledges totaled $12 million.
An ad hoc committee at the College of William and Mary hopes to defuse the protest by offering a compromise between the school president's plan and its critics when it comes to Wren Chapel.
The committee, created by President Gene R. Nichol to study the role of religion at public universities, unanimously recommended that the cross be prominently displayed in the chapel in a glass case, accompanied by a plaque explaining the school's Anglican roots.
The cross will not be displayed on the altar under the compromise announced Tuesday. Its exact placement has not been determined.
The cross also will remain available for use on the altar during religious services. The chapel's sacristy, where the cross had been stored, will be expanded to house sacred objects of other religious traditions for use in worship.
The practice is similar to that of other universities with historic chapels, including the University of Virginia, officials said.
''I would never make any prediction about things being over, but I think that it's a very reasonable course for the college to take,'' Nichol said.
He said the recommendation, while perhaps not exactly what he and others might have wanted, is a middle ground that recognizes the school's heritage while also making the chapel a more welcoming place to students of all faiths -- which was his intention when he ordered the cross removed in October.
''I don't think it was the ideal solution, but I think it's something a lot of people can rally around,'' Ben Locher, a 21-year-old senior from Pittsburgh and a student founder of a group called Save the Wren Cross, said Tuesday.
The cross had been on the altar since about 1940. Under Nichol's change, the cross was removed, but could be returned to the altar for religious services upon request.
''The Wren controversy has been a decidedly difficult and sometimes painful one for this community,'' Nichol said during a news conference. ''It has touched depths of disagreement -- heartfelt and significant disagreement -- that I didn't fully anticipate.''
Opponents argued Nichol's action was an attack on Christianity and dishonored William and Mary's heritage. The college was founded by royal charter in 1693 with a mission that included training Anglican ministers.
More than 17,000 alumni, students and others signed a petition opposing the removal of the cross at a Web site started by alumnus Vince Haley, research director at the American Enterprise Institute.
More than 2,000 people signed an alternate Web site petition that cropped up later in support of Nichol.
Last week, the college confirmed someone had rescinded promises to donate $12 million because the cross had been removed. Nichol said such losses are disheartening and the school will make an effort to reach out to all alumni and donors.