In 1977, the island was adopted by a group called the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, employees at United Nations Headquarters and followers of the guru Sri Chinmoy, who served as the interfaith chaplain there. They leased the island from New York State, greened its surface, and unofficially renamed it after the Burmese former United Nations Secretary General U Thant, a friend of Chinmoy. Although unofficial, U Thant Island has become the common name for the island. It is now the site of a metal "oneness arch", preserving personal items of the island's namesake.