 | Board of Visitors minutes June 16, 1913 |  |
June 16th, 1913.
At the annual meeting of the Board of Visitors on above
date, in the office of the President, East Lawn.
Present: Rector Gordon, Visitors Michie, Oliver, Drewry
and Flood, and Acting President James M. Page.
The Board having been called to order at 11:00 o'clock,
by the Rector, the following was adopted:
Resolved: (1) That the Rector and Visitors of the
University of Virginia have heard with profound gratification
the Mr. Thomas F. Ryan will, at least during his lifetime,
pay for ten scholarships in this University, each of the
value of $300.00 per annum (or five scholarships at $600.00
each.)
(2) That the Rector and Visitors on the part
of the University, accept the gift of Mr. Ryan; and desire
to express their keen appreciation of his generosity and
patriotism in thus broadening the opportunities of the University
to secure the benefits of a higher education.
Resolved: (1) That the Rector and Visitors accept with
thanks the portrait of Dr. George Ross, presented to the
University by Mr. D. Courcy W. Thom of Baltimore, Md.
(2) That it will be with peculiar pleasure
that the Visitors will direct the hanging of this portrait
as one most worthy to adorn the walls of Alma Mater,— and
to perpetuate the memory of the First Lieutenant of the
"Southern Guards," an alumnus who has wor distinction as
soldier, physician and poet.
Resolved: That the Rector and Visitors accept, on behalf
of the University of Virginia, with appreciative thanks,
the gift of Mr. W. K. Bixby, of St. Louis, of a photographic
copy of an original manuscript of Swinburne.
Resolved: That the sum of $50., be and is hereby
appropriated as the amount of the subscription for the
current fiscal year of the University of Virginia as a
member of the Monticello Graveyard Association.
Resolved: That a sum not to exceed $50.00 be and is
hereby appropriated to pay for Trophy Cup to be contested for
year after year by the Boy Scouts during their visit to the
University Summer School.
Resolved: That a sum not exceeding $50.00 be and is
hereby appropriated for the purpose of providing drinking
fountains for the students of the University.
Resolved: That Mr. Albert G. A. Baiz be and is hereby
elected to fill the Adjunct Professorship in the Corcoran
School of Philosophy which was created at the meeting of the
Board of Visitors on May 20, 1913.
Resolved: That Dr. S. Alfred Mitchell, Professor of
Astronomy in Columbia University, and acting Director of
Yukes Observatory of the University of Chicago, be and is
hereby elected Professor of Astronomy and Director of the
Leander McCormick Observatory in this University, at an
emolument of $3,000. per annum, and the professor's house
on Mt. Jefferson, free of rent.
Resolved: That the matter of creating the position
of Director of Out-patient work and Instructor in Clinical
Medicine, be referred to the Executive Committee of this
Board, with power to act, after full consultation with the
President of the University. It is understood that the Executive
Committee shall have the authority to fill the position, at
a salary not to exceed $100.00 a month, if the President and
the Committee deem it wise to create this instructorship.
Resolved: That, in accordance with the recommendation
of the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, the sum of
$850.00 per annum, be and is hereby appropriated for the purpose
of the University which need the same.
Resolved: That the Chairman of the Executive Committee
of the Board of Visitors and the Dean of the University be
and are hereby authorized to expend a sum not to exceed
$300.00 in employing Mr. L. D. Crenshaw during the months
of July and August to assist in securing students for the
University next session.
Resolved: That the sum of $135.78 the unexpended
balance to the credit of the laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis,
be and is hereby re-appropriated for the benefit of the said
laboratory.
Resolved: That a sum not to exceed $500.00 be and is
hereby appropriated to pay Mr. L. D. Crenshaw for his work
on the re-union of alumni, etc , during the months of April,
May and June. Of this sum, $300.00 are to be applied to the
payment of Mr. Crenshaw's salary; and a sum not to exceed
$200.00 to pay for his office expenses.
Resolved: That Mr. E. I. Carruthers the Bursar of the
University, and Mr. John B. Moon, Attorney for the Board of
Visitors of the University of Virginia, who are hereby appointed
a committee for the purpose, be and they are hereby authorized
on behalf of this Board, in their discretion to agree upon a
division in kind and divide the remaining undisposed of personal
the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia were
residuary legatees of one-third and Mrs. Lizzie H. Stearns
and Mrs. George H. Sinclair were the residuary legatees of
the other two-thirds, the said division to be made pursuant
to the contract between the parties of Mar. 28, 1913.
Resolved, further: That Mr. E. I. Carruthers, the Bursar of the
Unversity, be authorized on behalf of this Board to attend
the sale of the real estate of the said Herndon advertised
for sale in Washington to-morrow, by the National Savings
& Trust Company, Executor and Trustee under said Herndon's
will, and do what may be needful to prevent any gross
sacrifice of the said real estate in the proceeds of which
the University is interested to the extent of one-third.
Supplementary Report of the Dean of the Law School.
1912-1913
President,
I have already advised you by letter of the
matter of this supplementary report, but at the suggestion
of Dean Page, I am now putting the matter in such form that
it may be laid before the Visitors at their meeting to be
held within the next few days. As you have not acted officially
this report to you for action, the purpose of bringing it
before the Visitors at this meeting is not for action thereon,
but in the hope that they may refer it to you, or to yourself
and the Executive Committee, for suchaction as youmay
deem wise—and thus secure earlier action than would otherwise
be possible.
The matter referred to is the proposed establishment by
the students of the Law School, of a Law Journal at the
University.
Such journals now exist at Harvard, Yale, Columbia,
and Michigan Universities, and all of them have met with
unqualified success. Indeed, I know of no other single law
journal published in this country comparable to any of the
journals mentioned.
Three of these journals (Harvard, Yale and Columbia)
under the exclusive management—(editorially and financially)
of the students of the respective law schools, and the fourth
is practically so.
From correspondence with the business management of
these journals, it has been ascertained that they are all
more than self sustaining financially—and one or more have
accumulated quite a large surplus from earnings.
I feel sure that our law students are fully as capable
of doing such work as the students of any law school in the
country. If I entertained any doubt of this, I should
discourage the venture with all my might.
The enterprise is purely a student one—though it is
to be expected that members of the Law Faculty will lend a
certain supervision over the work—certainly at the beginning-and
a helping hand when the need is indicated.
A committee of students have been at work on the plans
for some months, the outcome of which has been the formation
of an association (un-incorporated for the present) known
as the Virginia Law Review Association, with a constitution
and by-laws, and all necessary officers. An Editorial
Board (one member of which is Editor in Chief) has been
named, consisting of twenty-five of the picked men of the
Law School, and the work of each member has been mapped out.
The Business Manager has, already received bids for the
printing. Every man in the Law School this session has taken,
or will take, with him to his home a bundle of subscription
blanks (already printed!), and has promised to solicit
subscriptions during the summer. The members of the class
have themselves subscribed for something like 200 copies.
If each of these student solicitors secures one subscriber
during the summer, the subscription list should number 500
from these two sources alone. There are several thousand
practising lawyers who are alumni of the Law School. These
will be thoroughly canvassed during the summer, by the
Business Manager, in addition to a general campaign conducted
among those who are not alumni. In view of the fact that (outside
of the Virginia Law Register) there is not a decent law
journal published in the south, the proposed journal, at the
low price at which it will be offered ($2.50 per annum),
should be able to secure a large number of subscribers, even
from those who are not moved by any sense of interest in or
loyalty to the Law School. In the light of these considerations,
it is hoped that by October 1, the subscription list will
number at least 1000. The estimate is that the 8 numbers
a year (none will be published in vacation) will cost from
$1,500 to $2,000. It is belived, therefore, that the enterprise
will be self sustaining from the first.
But the promoters feel a hesitation in undertaking such
an enterprise without some financial backing. They feel,—
and I have so advised them—that unless some financial
backing can be secured—something to fall back upon in case
the venture proves to be not self sustaining from the start,
or by the end of the first year—it would be unwise to proceed
with it.
The purpose of this report is to bring the situation
frankly before the President and the Board, and to ask,
on behalf of these young gentlemen, who have no other purpose
in mind than advancing the interests of the Law School, that
the University extend the helping hand to them—not in the
way of ready cash, but in the way of its financial endorsement,
to be used only in case of need.
To be on the safe side, it is suggested that this credit,
if extended, should be not less than $1,000.00. This means that
in case of a deficit, the University will stand behind the
enterprise to the extent of the amount mentioned—none of
which, for reasons stated, it is believed will be needed.
It is unnecessary to enlarge upon the advantages to
the Law School, and to the University at large, of such a
publication. As an advertisement, its value could scarcely
be estimated. No southern law school has attempted such a
publication, and its presence here would place the Law School
more distinctly than ever, in a class by itself.
The enthusiasm of the students is now at white heat, and
the opportunity seems not one to be lost.
I cordially endorse the request, and hope that you and
the Board may be able to see your way clear towards granting
it.
In view of the foregoing report, the following was
adopted:
Resolved: That the sum of $1,000.00 be and is hereby
appropriated to be used as a financial guarantee for the
expense of publishing the Law Journal described above. It
is understood that any portion of the above $1,000.00 which
is used for publishing the aforesaid Law Journal will be
returned to the University as soon as the financial status
of said journal admits of it.
The petition of the C. & A. Ry. Co. for permission to
enter the University grounds in order to turn their cars,
was presented, discussed, and action deferred until next
meeting.
The claim of E. N. Cox, sub contractor, on account of
labor furnished during re-building of the University, was
presented, merits discussed, and claim refused.
Mr. C. G. Maphis, a member of the Education Building
Committee, reported that bids had been received for the
erection of the Education Building, and that the lowest bidder
was the firm of Leigh Bros. of Louisa, Va., for the sum of
$40,946.00, exclusive of heating, lighting, ventilating,
architects fees, etc., and that while the bid was $946 in
excess of the amount donated by the Peabody Fund, yet in the
judgment of the committee, it was thought wise to award the
bid. It is estimated that the building complete, including
services, will be about $50,500.00. Mr. Lee Taylor of the
firm of Ferguson, Clarow & Taylor, Architects of building, was
present and stated to the Board, that to endeavor to scale
the building down to meet the appropriation and re-open
the bids would result in a failure to secure as satisfactory a
building as now designed, and that under present conditions,
would cost more than the aforesaid bid, whereupon the following
resolution was adopted:
Resolved: That the Education Building be constructed
in accordance with the design of Messrs. Ferguson, Calrow
& Taylor, and that the bid of Messrs. George Leigh and Brother
of Louisa, Va., for the construction of said building at
$40,946.00, be accepted.
On motion, the Board adjourned, subject to call of the
Rector.
Secretary.
Rector.
| Board of Visitors minutes June 16, 1913 | |