 | Board of Visitors minutes January 30, 1943 |  |
A special meeting of the Board of Visitors was held on this date in the office of the
President; present, the Rector R. Gray Williams, and Visitors Lewis C. Williams, Hollis Rinehart, Jas. H. Cort
Christopher B. Garnett, C. O'Conor Goolrick, and Dabney S. Lancaster, and President Newcomb.
Minutes of the previous meeting, which had been copied and mailed to the members, were
approved.
President Newcomb made the following announcements:
ENROLLMENT TO DATE: 1813.
| From the General Education Board for use at the Blandy Experimental Farm during the period ending June 30, 1946 |
$21,580 |
| From the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, an additional grant for loans and scholarships for students in the Medical School |
5,000 |
| (10,000 reported previously for the same purpose) | |
| From Mrs. William H. White, Jr., to be designated as the Mary Stamps Royster Memorial Fund, to endow a private room in the hospital for impoverished gentlefolk three bonds, totaling |
3,000 |
| From the Nutrition Foundation, Inc., to be used by Dr. Chanutin in connection with his project on Fat Metabolism in the "nephritic" rat |
3,000 |
| From Mrs. Alvin Bryant Hutzler, as a "Memorial to a member of the Academic Class of 1908, who was also a member of the Richmond Chapter of the University of Virginia Alumni Association," to be used for any purpose which the Governing Board may determine upon, a bond of |
1,000 |
| From Mrs. J. Lerimer Worden, of New York, to be used without restriction for such general purposed of the Hospital as may be determined upon by the Board |
1,000 |
| From Merck & Company, $750 for a Fellowship in Chemistry for work on anti-malarials under Dr. Burger; and $250 as a fund for chemicals and apparatus needed in this investigation; |
1,000 |
| A TOTAL OF | $35, 580.00 |
RESIGNATION OF DR. EUGENE M. LANDIS:
Resignation of Dr. Eugene M. Landis, Professor of Internal Medicine, was presented by
the President, whereupon the following action was voted:
RESOLVED, by the Board of Visitors of the Rector and Visitors of the University of
Virginia that the resignation of Dr. Eugene M. Landis, Professor of Internal Medicine, be
and the same if hereby accepted with great regret. Dr. Landis has carried forward his
work with devotion and skill and the Rector and Visitors wish for him success in his new
field.
LEAVES OF ABSENCE:
Leaves of absence were granted the following members of the faculty for service in the
armed forces or other departments of the Government:
Mr. F. G. Ribble, Dean of the Department of Law, for duty in the State Department
on the Board of Appeals in Visa Cases.Mr. Charles P. Nash, Jr., Professor of Law, for active duty in the Marine Corps, for
the duration of the war and six months thereafter.Dr. J. H. Rushton, Professor of Chemical Engineering, for work with the National
Defense Research Committee, for the duration of the war.Dr. Edgar W. Kirby, Jr., Assistant Professor of Urology, for duty in the Army.
Dr. Richard Cecil Garlick, Jr., Assistant Professor of Romance Languages, for
duty in the United States Navy.Dr. Dirk Reuyl, Assistant Professor of Astronomy, for work in connection with
ballistics at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.Dr. James S. Constantine, Instructor in the School of Ancient Languages, for
service in the United States Army.
ACTING DEAN OF LAW DEPARTMENT.
Mr. William H. White, Jr., was appointed Acting Dean of the Department of Law in the
absence of Dean F. D. G. Ribble.
CANCELLATION OF CERTAIN NOTES OF ROBERT T. BURGESS AND MRS. R. T. BURGESS:
The following resolution was adopted:
RESOLVED, by the Board of Visitors of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the Governor of the Commonwealth be requested to give his approval to the cancellation
of the following State Student Loan notes which have been adjudged uncollectible:
| Note #400 dated 9/15/1921 @ 5 years $50; bal | $ 45.00 |
| Note #411 dated 2/1/1922 @ 5 years | 50.00 |
| Note #854 dated 11/6/1927 @ 10 months | 50.00 |
| Total | $145.00 |
REPORT OF THE HEARING BOARD ON ABOLITION OF FRATERNITY HOUSES:
The Rector read the following report of the Hearing Board on Abolition of Fraternity Houses
at the University of Virginia, submitted by Judge A. D. Barksdale, Chairman:
Pursuant to your resolution of October 3, 1942, your Hearing Board, appointed in
accordance with your resolution, met on October 23, 1942, at the Colonnade Club at
the University, elected a Chairman, and had a general discussion of the subject under
consideration. Upon the call of the Chairman, your Board met at Madison Hall at the
University, at 10.30 A. M., November 30, 1942, after public notice had been given
that all interested persons were invited to attend and make statements. No interested
persons appeared, so, at the suggestion of some of the members, the heads of all the
student departments and the Student Senate were invited to appear and make statements.
During the afternoon session, most of those invited did appear and make statements,
as did several others. The Committee then adjourned to meet in Madison Hall at 10:30
A. M., December 12th. Similar public notice of this meeting was given, with an invitation
to all interested persons to appear and make statements. Notice of this
meeting was also given by the Chairman to the Governor of Virginia, with an invitation
to him to be present or to furnish the Board with any statement or information which
he thought it should consider. The Governor expressed his appreciation of this invitation,
which he declined, stating that he had recently met with your Committee,
composed of Messrs. Stettinius, Corbitt and Williams, and expressed generally his views
in reference to the matters under consideration. At this meeting of the Board, a
number of interested persons appeared and made statements. Before its adjournment,
the Board heard all person who appeared and expressed a desire to be heard. All
statements made at Board meetings were stenographically transcribed, and a transcript
of all statements made is filled herewith. As will appear from the transcript,
no person appeared and advocated the abolition of the practice of students living in
fraternity houses. As it appeared that full notice had been given to the public,
and that all persons who wished to appear and make statements had been heard, your
Board did not deem it necessary to hold further public hearings.
Time has not permitted your Board to make any real study of conditions existing
at other institutions of learning. However, from such information as we have been
able to obtain, it appears that fraternity members are allowed to live in their houses
at all of the state universities in the country. and this is true at all institutions
where fraternities have houses with available living quarters. A very comprehensive
"Survey of Social Life in Dartmouth College" was made by an able committee in recent
years, and its report was filed in May 1936. A printed copy of its report is filed
herewith, together with a copy of "A Preliminary Report on Revitalizing Fraternity Life
at Dartmouth College" published in 1937. The Dartmouth Committee did not recommend
the abolition of the practice of students living in fraternity houses, but did recommend
that fraternities at Dartmouth sever their affiliations with the national
organizations and give up their charters. A strong minority report opposed this recommendation,
and the recommendation was not carried out. The Committee also recommended
the appointment of a college officer "to have responsibility for advice to and supervision
of Dartmouth fraternities, whether national or local, in respect to their economic,
social, and intellectual problems and activities." This recommendation was carried
out, and early in 1937 the President appointed a "College Advisor to Fraternities".
It is our information that this officer occupies a status which might be characterized
as "Assistant Dean", with the responsibility as set out in the Committee's recommendation.
It is also our information that this arrangement has been highly satisfactory.
A number of large state institutions have assistants to the deans who devote their
entire time to guiding fraternities. Amongst these are: Ohio State, Michigan State,
Minnesota, Washington, Purdue, and others.
In 1912, the Legislature of the State of Mississippi enacted a law abolishing
fraternities in all state institutions. This was obviously unsatisfactory. for in 1926,
fraternity houses within a period of five years "and then only under such regulations
as shall be prescribed by the Board of Trustees." After the expiration
of the five-year period, students began to live in fraternity houses, and continue
so to do.
The Chairman of your Board, after the conclusion of the public hearings and
general discussion of the question under consideration, requested that all members
of the Board who cared to do so, write letters or informal memoranda setting out
their conclusions and recommendations for the Committee's report, All members of
the Board, with one exception, have complied with this request, and the letters,
recommendations and memoranda are filed herewith for your information.
Also for your information, your Board files with this, its report, besides
the transcript of the statements heard, the letters, recommendations, memorands, and
publications, above referred to, a number of other letters, statements and publications,
a complete list of which is hereto attached as an appendix.
Complying with your direction that your Hearing Board consider and report the
effect of fraternity houses on:
(a) Education,
(b) Formation of character, discipline and studious habits,
(c) Life at the University,
(d) Housing of students at the University, if fraternity houses be abolished,
and(e) The financial loss, if any, to the University and fraternities, if
fraternity houses be abolished,
we beg to report as follows:
(a) Education.
It is the conclusion of your Board that living in fraternity houses has a beneficial
effect upon the students, from the standpoint of scholastic attainment. It
is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain accurate data, but such data as is available
indicates that the average scholastic grades of fraternity men are slightly
higher now, and have been in the past, than the average grades of students who do
not belong to fraternities. It is true that all the fraternity houses have social
rooms, facilities and functions, and these, to a degree, distract students from the
pursuit of their studies. In some instances, doubtless, there is more distraction
than is good for the students. However, on the other hand, it is apparent that
fraternities have an interest in seeing to it that their prospective members, or
pledges, attain good grades, or at least passing grades, because otherwise they
could not become or remain members of the fraternity. This is also true in the case
of the older members, as they cannot remain in the University if their grades are
unsatisfactory. Besides this selfish interest, we find there is generally a feeling
of obligation on the part of the fraternities to see to it that their members do
well scholastically. This is most manifest in the attitude and relationship of the
older men to the first-year students. Most, if not all, of the fraternities have
adopted some concrete plan for the assistance of first-year students. Different
fraternities have different plans. Some require first-year students to pledge themselves
to devote a certain number of hours per day to study: others insist on a minimum
number of study hours, without requiring a pledge: others have a quiet hour
or study period. All encourage their first-year men to study, and assign older
students to assist them when in difficulty. The fact that the fraternity has its
headquarters and at least a nucleus of its students living in a fraternity house,
renders it more convenient for the older students to assist the younger ones, and
for the younger students to seek assistance.
(b) FORMATION OF CHARACTER, DISCIPLINE AND STUDIOUS HABITS.
It is the conclusion of your Committee that, generally speaking, fraternities
are beneficial to the students in the formation of character, discipline and studious
habits. The fraternities seek, in most instances successfully, to draw into their
membership students of high character, adequate mental capacity, and pleasing personality.
In order to stand well in comparison with other fraternities, it is necessary
for each one to develop the character and studious habits of its own members,
and in order to do this, a degree of discipline is necessary. The possession of a
fraternity house strengthens a fraternity, particularly where all, or a part, of
its members live in the house.
At the same time, it must be recognized that there have been too frequent instances
of conduct in fraternity houses which does the fraternities no credit, and
which is definitely detrimental to the formation of character, discipline and studious
habits. During the period while this investigation was in progress, the Dean
found it necessary to close one of the houses for unbecoming conduct and to restrict
amother in its entertainment program. We believe that permission to operate and
live in fraternity house should be conditioned upon the maintenance by the fraternity
of conduct at all times therein, entirely above reproach. We believe that
such an objective may be attained by the administration and the fraternities, preferably
by cooperative agreement, but by regulation if necessary.
We recommend that serious thought be given to the appointment of an Assistant
to the President, Assistant Dean, or Fraternity Advisor, whose primary duty shall
be the accomplishment of this end.
(c) LIFE AT THE UNIVERSITY.
Fraternity houses, in which students reside, have been in existence at the
University for at least forty years. Presently, thirty-three fraternities own or
rent chapter houses at the University. These fraternity houses have rooming capacity
for 610 students, and at the present time probably 500 students live in
them. They are, and from their inception have been, social centers and meeting
places, not only for their respective members, but for the alumni, the families
and friends of the students. Obviously, they play a large part in University life.
We find no evidence of jealousy or ill will toward students living in fraternity
free to visit their friends and acquaintances who live in fraternity houses and
to attend social functions at fraternity houses when invited by members. We do
not believe that the fact that some students live in fraternity houses renders
the University undemocratic.
We believe that the self perpetuating group of students living in the fraternity
houses play a very important part in perpetuating the traditions of
Virginia, and familiarizing new students with the honor system and other principles
of life at the University.
There is no Student Union or similar building at the University for social
gatherings, with the exception of the Student Center at Madison Hall. By reason
of limitations of space and equipment, the Student Center reaches a very small
proportion of the students. There are no meeting or social rooms in the dormitories.
It appears that a student who does not belong to a fraternity is definitely
handicapped in the matter of entertaining his family or friends who may visit
him at Finals, football week ends, Easter Week, or at other times. Doubtless
such a student does feel this handicap keenly at times. We recommend that you
seek the necessary funds from the State for the erection and maintenance of a
modern and well equipped Student Union or Student Center whose facilities will
be available to all students for social gatherings and entertainment. We believe
that the addition of such a facility, giving to the nonfraternity students
something they need and do not now have, would be infinitely preferable to the
abolition of fraternity houses, which would give the nonfraternity men nothing
and deprive them of the privilege of visiting there occasionally, and completely
deprive the fraternity men and the University generally of these social centers.
It is our conclusion that, if fraternity houses were abolished, the effect
upon life at the University would be definitely detrimental.
(d) HOUSING OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY IF FRATERNITY
HOUSES BE ABOLISHED.
From Dean Lewis' very excellent report (herewith filed), it appears that
the University dormitories in the aggregate provide space for 537 students.
The fraternity houses, including social and professional fraternities, offer
accommodations to 610 students. The remainder of the student body is housed
in privately owned boarding houses, residences and apartment houses. Private
rooming facilities are overtaxed already, which is indicated by high room
rents demanded and obtained by private owners.
At present, it would seem that students who occupy rooms in fraternity
houses obtain the best value for their money. The average cost of a room in
a fraternity house is slightly less than the average cost of a room in a
dormitory, and in the fraternity houses the students, in addition, have the
use of the common or social rooms not provided in the dormitories. The
average cost of rooms in fraternity houses is much less than comparable rooms
in the most desirable boarding houses.
Over the period of the past forty years, the University has encouraged
the building of fraternity houses, and in many instances provided financial
assistance, for the purpose of alleciating the shortage of rooming facilities.
If students were no longer permitted to live in fraternity houses, and
the enrollment should continue at anywhere near its recent peak, it would be
necessary to build either additional dormitories or private housing facilities.
(e) THE FINANCIAL LOSS, IF ANY, TO THE UNIVERSITY AND FRATERNITIES,
IF FRATERNITY HOUSES BE ABOLISHED.
The Omicron Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, an organization of student leaders
in the University, no distinction between fraternity and nonfraternity men
being made in the elections to its membership, has prepared and filed with your
board a very helpful report, a copy of which is filed herewith. This report
shows that the houses owned by the fraternities at the University have an aggregate
assessed value of $428,610.00. The report assumes that the assessed value
is 60% of the total value or actual worth, and upon this assumption the total
value or actual worth of these houses would aggregate $672,683.00. The report
further shows that the total mortgage indebtedness outstanding on these houses
is $310,994.84, of which $125,494.81 is held by the University. The above
figures do not include the value of the household furniture and other personal
property owned by the fraternities, which varies from approximately $700.00 to
$2,000.00 in each house.
It is the conclusion of your Committee that financial loss would follow
inevitably if students were no longer permitted to live in these houses. Obviously
they could not be maintained by the fraternities, if they should be deprived
of the revenue accruing from room rentals. The houses, generally, were designed
and built for the purposes for which they are presently used. Generally speaking,
they are too large for residences, and not designed for family occupancy.
They are too small, and have too much space as public or community rooms, to
be suitable for University operated dormitories.
If the State should take them over at prices which would be fair to the
owners, together with the furniture and fixtures, a very substantial loss to
the State would ensure. If the fraternities themselves were required to dispose
of their houses, it would seem that a calamitous loss to them would be inevitable.
In many instances, the University would probably be obliged to purchase the
houses to protect its loans, which would in all probability result in additional
(ADDENDUM: Mr. Marshall Andrews, of the Committee, suggests that the
"Resolution with Reference to Granting Fraternities Leases for the Erection
of Chapter Houses upon the Grounds of the University", adopted
by the Board of Visitors December 2, 1907, be filed for consideration
along with this report, and a copy thereof is accordingly filed herewith.)
CONCLUSION.
From the above, it will appear that we find many more good reasons
for the continuation of the practice of permitting students to live in
fraternity houses than we find valid reasons for the abolition of such
practice, and so report.
Respectfully submitted this 29th day of January, 1943.
A General discussion of the matter was then had, and the following motion by Mr.
Garnett, was adopted:
RESOLVED, that the Rector be requested to take the report, with the accompanying
data. to the Governor, and, after a conference with him, be authorized to have it
published.
RIGHT OF WAY GRANTED THE DEFENSE PLANT CORPORATION OVER LANDS OWNED BY T. R. CLEATON AND
C. O. CLEATON:
The President stated to the Board that a judgment in favor of The Rector and
Visitors of the University of Virginia was entered against T. R. Cleaton and C. O. Cleaton,
in the sum of $141.74 with interest, costs, etc., and had been recorded in Lien
Docket 4, p. 35, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Amelia County, Virginia,
that the University had been requested by Defense Plant Corporation, a corporation
controlled by the United States of America and created by Reconstruction Finance
Corporation, to subordinate the lien of said judgment to the grant of a right of way
over lands owned by said T. R. Cleaton and C. O. Cleaton through which said Defense
Plant Corporation is now constructing a pipe line for the transmission of oil from
Greensboro, North Carolina, to Richmond, Virginia.
Upon consideration whereof, it was unanimously,
RESOLVED that the President be and is hereby authorized to execute
the proper form of subordination of said judgment in the name and on behalf
of the University of Virginia, and that the Secretary be and is hereby
authorized and empowered to affix the corporate seal thereto, attest
the same, and deliver the subordination of judgment to Mr. J. H. Ogden,
representative of said Defense Plant Corporation.
TRANSFER OF CERTAIN STOCK CERTIFICATES TO THE NOMINEES OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S
ENDOWMENT FUNDS:
The President brought up the question of having certain certificates of stock,
received in the bequest of Samuel Phillips Mitchell and now recorded in the name of the
Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, changed to the Nominees of the custodians
of the investments of the University's endowment funds. Following some discussion
of the question, the following was adopted:
RESOLVED, that the question of the transfer of certain stock, now registered
in the name of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia,
to the Nominees of the custodians of the invested funds of the University's
endowment funds be referred to the Attorney General of the State as to its
legality and as to the possibility of Federal tax being assessed against
stocks recorded in the name of a Nominee, and if he is in accord with the
resolution proposed for such a transfer, the transfer be made.
The meeting then adjourned.
RECTOR.
SECRETARY.
| Board of Visitors minutes January 30, 1943 | |