University of Virginia Library

Dirt Under The Rug

Students and faculty members alike have
often speculated about the financial relations
between the corner merchants and the
University. The center of all of this
speculation has been Billy Williams, owner
and operator of the two major public
bookstores in Charlottesville, Anderson
Brothers and the University Bookstore. At the
start of each semester literally hundreds of
thousands of dollars pass out of students'
pockets to the coffers of these two stores.

The suspicion has not been confined to the
subject of books only, but also centers on the
purchasing of athletic equipment and the
financial dealings of the Alumni Association
and the Student Aid Foundation. At every
Mountain Lake Conference the question of
these relations has arisen, never to be
answered satisfactorily. When administrative
figures have been questioned by reporters of
this newspaper, they have never been given a
full picture, only suggestions to remain quiet
so that no harm would be done.

Why would anyone believe that there is
anything going on that would cause some
embarrassment to both parties? For one
reason students have never been exactly
enamoured with the high prices they must
pay for books, especially hardbacks, which
are available only at the Corner.
Representatives of the Anderson and
University Bookstores have tried to explain
why the prices cannot feasibly be lowered,
but evidently this has not satisfied the
students or the faculty. In short some
suspicions are aroused just out of dislike.

What makes this dislike grow into distrust
are several generally known University
policies, the most controversial being the
regulations regarding the bookstore in
Newcomb Hall. Official University policy has
previously forced the Newcomb Hall store to
sell only paperbacks relating to course
material. Hardbacks and office supplies were
never to be sold. The store, which is now
under more able and independent leadership,
has reversed some of these policies on its own,
yet official University policy has not changed.

All uniforms for physical education, a
subject that was required only a year ago, had
to be purchased through Mr. Williams' Corner
stores. The athletic department purchases
much if not all of its equipment through
Anderson Brothers.

A football player on scholarship may
charge his books at Anderson Brothers, which
later bills the Department of Athletics. The
same player must pay in cash for books at
Newcomb Hall. He then must go with his
receipt to the Corner for a cash refund.
Anderson Brothers then bills the Athletic
Department. When the manager of the
Newcomb Hall store tried to eliminate the
middle link of Anderson Brothers in cases
where a player bought his books directly from
Newcomb Hall, he was totally unsuccessful.
Everyone in both the Athletic Department
and the Alumni Fund claimed to have no
power to change the situation.

What makes the relationship all the more
interesting is the fact that the corner
bookstores contribute a substantial amount of
money to the University, primarily to the
Athletic Department, according to those
students whose suspicions have been aroused.
The figures and the dates of these gifts are not
known by this staff.

The Cavalier Daily would like to clarify
that it does not subscribe to these theories, nor
will we do so until all of the evidence is
brought to light. We do know, however, that
enough people in this community suspect
shaky dealings to merit clarification of
policy from the University and the Alumni
Association. We do therefore, on behalf of the
University community, call for a full
explanation of the financial relations between
the University and the Anderson
Bros.-University Bookstore establishment
from both the University and from the
Alumni Association. We are sure that such an
explanation would do nothing more than
clear everyone's good name. So how about it?