Most know him as a pioneer and the CEO of IBM. But a best-selling author and historian believes there's a dark past to Thomas J. Watson.

In his 2001 book, Edwin Black claimed Watson and IBM, a company born in Endicott, actually assisted Nazi leader Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust. This included using IBM technology to conduct census reports, identify Jews and pinpoint their bank accounts for seizure.

"Who organized and organized this for IBM? None other than Thomas J. Watson himself," Black alleges. "He micromanaged it. He got a commission on every Jewish person persecuted; every gypsy; every homosexual."

Black's years of research in the past brought him to Binghamton University 17 years later, where a group of students are making this year a push to remove Watson's name from their school of engineering.

"We have one of the largest Jewish populations on campus, and to walk every day past a building that's named after someone that knowingly aided the Nazis, that's disgusting," said student Michael Harel.

Watson played a large role in the university. He successfully helped bring BU into the SUNY system and was critical in helping open the school of engineering. But Black calls Watson an unindicted war criminal.

"Engineering is a very important science. It's one that seeks to better the world, and it's named after a man who aided the Nazis to wage war against humanity, war against the Jews, and even war against the United States," Black said.

Students say changing the name would make them feel the university hears their voice.

"It means that it cares about its students and it cares about the ethics that it teaches in its classes," Harel said, "and that it actually wants to stand up for what it says."

The university currently has no plans to change the name.