Was Alan Turing "Controversial"?

A Lithuanian company has created a for-profit training company called Turing College. The word "College" isn't a protected term in most of Europe. Unlike, for example, "University", anyone can call themselves a college.

It is also unaffiliated with Alan Turing. I asked them about this - because it seems a bit weird to me to name yourself after someone without their estate's blessing. They pointed me to their FAQ, which opens with this:

My initial thought was "keep his name out of your mouth!"

You can argue whether you think the Turing Test is a suitable way to assess AI - but until it starts being used to give human rights to machines, I don't think it is fair to describe it as controversial.

Turing's attitude to his mugs may have made him unbearable to work with:

Bletchley Park

@bletchleypark

Alan Turing loved tea so much he chained his mug to the radiator to stop it being stolen. Visit his office at #BletchleyPark #NationalTeaDay pic.x.com/t9eizfx2i5

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But controversial?

Perhaps this text has got lost in translation? I questioned the founders on whether Turing was controversial. Their response was:

We, as the founders, aren't questioning the integrity and legitimacy of Turing. The whole context about our position on Turing is in the full article. Turing was abandoned by his home country for over 50 years and was just lately recognized as a hero (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25495315). So from the public perspective, his persona has some controversy (which is unfortunate as he should be recognized earlier).

I fundamentally disagree with this assertion. Alan Turing was hardly known about outside of academic circles in the 1950s. Thirteen years after his death, the law was amended and homosexual acts were (partly) decriminalised. The way he was treated was controversial - but the man himself was not.

The Turing Institute (a UK academic institution), says:

Turing’s life was tragically affected by the societal norms of his time: despite his pivotal part in ensuring the safety of the nation and saving countless lives, his homosexuality resulted in him being defined as a security risk, and he was harassed by police surveillance up until his untimely death in 1954. What Alan Turing means to us

In the USA, Turing.edu (a Non-Profit Organization) has this to say about Turing:

He was persecuted simply for being who he was, at the hands of his own government and died a year later, shortly before his 42nd birthday in 1954. What’s in a namesake? The Legacy of Alan Turing

So I return to my original point. Why would you name your company after someone you consider to be controversial?

If you'd like to honour Alan Turing's contributions to the world, the family of Alan Turing have created The Turing Trust which seeks to continue his legacy by donating computer equipment to students across Africa. You can donate computers and cryptocurrency directly.