Terminal 1 of Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is named for Charles Lindbergh, who grew up in Minnesota. The 2.8 million square foot, 114 gate terminal houses Delta’s hub as well as operations for United, American, Frontier, Air Canada, Alaska, and Air France.
Now there’s a change.org petition to strip Lindbergh’s name off the terminal and redesignate it for Prince.
Minneapolis St. Paul Airport
With the death of musical superstar Prince on April 21, 2016, Minnesotans suffered a devastating loss. As a lasting and meaningful sign of appreciation for Prince’s life and career, let’s rename Terminal 1 of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to Prince Rogers Nelson Terminal.
- Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?
Either obliviously, or with surprising self-awareness, the petition argues “Our institutions should be named in honor the Minnesotans we’re most proud of.”
The petition was originally seeking 7500 signatures but the goal post got moved and it has about 10,000.
- Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
Animals strike curious poses
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father too bold
Prince, of course, wrote The Time‘s song “Donald Trump”
Should Minneapolis rename the Lindbergh Terminal for Prince… or is one public transportation project enough?
Only in America! How stupid! The father of flight versus an overpaid, narcissistic has-been pop star. One changed the world, one didn’t. Wake up to yourselves Americans, you’re looking more ridiculous by the day and this just proves it. Again.
Then 15 years later, we can name it: “The Terminal Formerly Known as Prince”
@Robbo, I think many would take issue with your characterization of Lindbergh as the “Father of Flight,” but why let that get in the way of a good rant, right? (Let’s not overlook that Prince was actually more popular overseas than here…)
I’ll let the rest of your argument try to stand on its own legs after the wolves here tear it apart.
Sure, do it!
I’m all for it & agree w Billy, someone/something/some event will come along in the future for another change, but then Prince will still be remembered Besides doesn’t Lindbergh have some bad politics baggage? And, Gary, cute reference to the Purple Line
@Robbo
“Only in America!”
Well, no. Liverpool’s airport (not just a terminal) is named for that “overpaid, narcissistic, has been pop star” John Lennon.
And your love for Lindbergh is touching. Perhaps because he respected Hitler and the Nazis???
Bob Hope and Will Rogers have airports why not for a guy that wrote over 1000s songs, has 250 more in a vault, can play over 20 instruments and wrote lots of other songs like manic Monday and nothing compares. He did a lot for music.
Please don’t start writing “feigned outrage” postings – there is an over abundance of such articles already. That’s not why I subscribe to this blog.
who is outraged?
Why not? I live in Minneapolis and fly MSP often. Charles Lindbergh did a cool thing, but that thing has been long eclipsed. He didn’t invent much, he didn’t save a lot of lives in a battle or something, all he did was fly a light plane and take press tours.
Prince gave back enormously to the region. His charity involvement is only now becoming known. He was a great citizen for the metro. A lot of people liked him. He was talented and worked hard his whole life and laced his own unique way.
Why not?
I am based at MSP and I believe people here are overreacting to the death of Prince. I am not originally from here but it seems like he was adored here and his sudden death really brought a lot of commotion to this city. However, starting to ask to have his name everywhere is a little bit too much. One thing that was interesting about the airport terminals here is that until a year ago there was no Terminal 1 and 2 here. It was the Lindbergh Terminal (main terminal) and Humphries Terminal (where the budget airlines have their gates). There was never traffic signs indicating which terminal was 1 and 2 and I believe that was very confusing for passengers not from here. Suddenly all the traffic signs where changed and to Terminal 1 and 2 and the names of the terminals are not used anymore. Thus, changing it to Prince will not change much but still I would not do that.
Billy Vegas got me thinking, maybe we could split the difference now and refer to both: rename the terminal The Terminal Formerly Known as Lindbergh, paint the TSA gates purple and call it a day.
@john “Bob Hope and Will Rogers have airports why not for a guy that wrote over 1000s songs, has 250 more in a vault, can play over 20 instruments and wrote lots of other songs…He did a lot for music.” Todd Rundgren isn’t dead and he isn’t even from Minneapolis so why would you suggest naming the airport for him?
He was very talented but a very big drug user. Not a good role model for our young people. Maybe San Fran will name a tunnel after him.
FWIW, Lindbergh grew up in Minnesota, so it’s not illogical that the terminal would be named for him.
I guess this all depends on your perspective. Like, historically, it’s “nuts” to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriett Tubman on the Twenty, when Jackson had an astonishing impact on our country in the 19th century and Tubman is really just a feel-good historical footnote. But “naming rights” aren’t decided by historians; they’re decided by current voters and politicians who are allowed to pick whatever heroes they desire, largely guided by popular opinion. Personally, I’d wait 5 years and see if Prince is still such an important hero to Minnesotans, but such caution is often thrown to the wind.
Love Todd Rundgren “Throw money, Go All Night!” but not quite Prince league. IMHO
I guess if you seriously are thinking of Donald Trump for president then re-naming the terminal is not a stretch really!
Lindbergh did fly across the Atlantic , but he was not the “Father of Flight ” by any means . I actually have read books by him and about him and by his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh .
I’m not sure he did another notable thing after flying to Paris .
It does seem that he was not really a very good hearted person .
Prince was a fighter ( to survive and succeed ) He was tremendously creative and influential .
The extent of his charity is just becoming known . It won’t trouble me if the terminal or most anything else is named after Prince .
Great idea. They could also change the Muzak all over to Prince songs. That way you can listen to Darling Nikki while using the Transgender friendly bathrooms.
“I knew a girl named Nikki
I guess you could say she was a sex fiend
I met her in a hotel lobby
Masturbating with a magazine
She said how’d you like to waste some time
And I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind”
Hey it has hotel in it so it’s travel related.
I don’t care if they change the name of the airport to Prince, but they should get rid of Lindbergh.
Prince had nothing to do with aviation, airport should be the name of the aviator. Only relationship between airport and prince I have heard about are the flights right before he passed away. That was not a positive happening. More appropriate would be an honor associated with music.