Board of Visitors minutes :: May 13, 1949 :: University of Virginia Library

This committee, composed of Mr. Gay, Mr. Black, and Mr. Anderson, has been charged with
the duty of formulating a plan for the future conduct of the Development Fund. It met on April 7,
at which time it considered favorably the proposal outlined in this Report. On April 8, it met with
President Darden and discussed the subject with him in order to obtain his views.

The committee believes that the starting point of any long-range plan for fund raising
should be the creation at the University of an office of Publicity and Public Relations, and we recommend
to the Board that such an office be created. While the committee does not intend to define
all of the duties of the office, it suggests that the principal functions should be as follows:

(1) The office should be concerned with the overall relations between the University, the
student body, and the public. It should endeavor to take advantage of opportunities to develop favorable
public relations of all sorts and to have its Director, the officers of the University, and faculty
members appear as speakers, or otherwise, on occasions when it would be advantageous to the University
for such appearances to be made. In this field the office should serve as a source of ideas
for the use of the agencies of the University to develop good public relations.

(2) It should have charge of, and be responsible for, the direction of all publicity at
the University, and all persons engaged in publicity work should be attached to this office and be
under its supervision. The office should be the source of ideas for presenting the University in a
favorable light and making use of our numerous assets for obtaining favorable notice on the part of
the public. The office should consider the effect of any publication which is circulated at the University
or sent out by its representatives or students. While it would not be expected to act as
censor, it should call to the attention of the President any matters which might result in unfavorable
publicity.

(3) The Director should cooperate with, and make suggestions to, the Alumni Secretary for
developing and coordinating alumni activities for the best interest of the University.

(4) The Director should be directing head of all fund-raising activities organized by the
University or any of its departments. He should be the central figure about whom would be built future
general campaigns for funds. He should have continually in mind opportunities to make contact
with endowments, corporations, and wealthy individuals with a view to having them contribute to the
development of the University. He should be a man who can properly represent the University before
such bodies and individuals and persuasively present her need. The committee considers that this officer
would rank with the important deans of the University. Consequently, the abilities of the individual
chosen must be of a high order. We believe that if the proper person can be found, he will
be of tremendous assistance to the President in carrying on the public relations and promotional work
of the University and that his value in being able to give full time to the planning and carrying on
of money-raising activities will amply justify his salary. The committee believes that our failure to
obtain such a key figure to take part in the recent Development Fund campaign is responsible in large
measure for the workers losing headway and for the disappointing result obtained to date.

The committee's plan, therefore, for the future conduct of the Development Fund is to place
it in the hands of the Director of Publicity and Public Relations as soon as he can be appointed and
to turn over to him the records and equipment of the Development Fund, together with such personnel
as may be authorized by the Board. Contributions to the expenses of the office incident to fund-raising
might be worked out so that each separate campaign would bear its proper share of the expenses
caused by it.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Gay

Barron F. Black

Edward C. Anderson, Chairman

May 13, 1949.

President Darden stated that he had recently had a long talk with Mr. Buford Scott, who
felt that the alumni should direct the drive for funds. Mr. Gay stated that all large universities
had established a department of publicity and development as an integral part of the administration,
and he felt that it would be a mistake to organize such an office as a part of the Alumni Association.

Action on the recommendations of the Committee was deferred until the June meeting, pending
a discussion of the proposal with the Alumni Board of Managers.