 | Board of Visitors minutes March 29, 1819 |  |
At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia at the
said University on Monday the 29th. day of March 1819. being the day
prescribed by the Governor for their first meeting, James Madison, Joseph
C. Cabell, Chapman Johnson, James Breckenridge, Robert Taylor,
John H. Cocke and Thomas Jefferson attended.
The board proceeding to the duties prescribed to them by the act
of the General assembly, intituled `an Act establishing an University'
appointed Thomas Jefferson their Rector, & Peter Minor their Secretary.
Resolved that Alexander Garrett be appointed Bursar of the University
and that he be allowed as a compensation for the duties of his sd
office the sum of two hundred & fifty Dollars a year: and that the Committee
of Superintendance hereafter to be named, be authorised to engage
Arthur Brockenbrough as Proctor of the University, with an allowance not
exceeding 2000.D. a year, or if he cannot be engaged, then any other
person on such terms as they find necessary.
Resolved that the acting Proctor be instructed to examine into the
state of the property real and personal (monies and credits excepted)
& Directors of the Literary fund, that he make an inventory of
the same, as it stands at this day, specifying the items whereof it
consists, & noticing the buildings & other improvements already made,
and those which are in progress. and that the late treasurer of the
college, now the Bursar, be instructed to make a statement of the
funds in money and credits which appertained to the sd College, &
were conveyed to the sd President & Directors; specifying how much
of the sd monies have been received, how much have been paid away,
to whom, & for what purposes; what debts, to whom, & for what purposes,
are due on settled accounts; to whom & for what purposes debts
are due on unsettled accounts; what part of the annual donation by the
commonwealth has been received, and how much thereof has been paid
away, to whom, and for what purposes; all referring to the present
date; and that the sd inventory & statement be returned to this board
to be preserved among it's records.
Resolved that the Proctor be required to provide a common seal
for the University, in the field of which shall be engraved a Minerva
enrobed in her Peplum and characteristic habiliments. as inventress
and protectress of the arts, and that the Exergue be `University of
Virginia' & at bottom the date of `1819'
It is the opinion of the board that each of the Professors of
the University be allowed a standing salary of 1500.D. a year, & to
recieve also 30.D. annually from every student attending him for instruction
in any or all the branches of science which constitute the
department of which he is Professor; and that he be allowed for his
clear of rent: it being understood that a Professor of one department,
holding temporarily another, may recieve tuition fees from students
attending him in each department, but only one salary, unless
it be otherwise specially provided.
That the Dormitories be rented to the students at a rent of 20.D.
a year, for each dormitory, to be paid by the occupant or occupants;
not more than two being permitted to lodge in the same Dormitory.
Resolved that a committee of advice, superintendance & controul
be appointed to direct the proceedings of the several agents of the
board during the intervals of it's sessions, and to call a special
meeting of the board whenever in their opinion, the good of the institution
indispensably requires it. That notice of such call be
addressed by the committee themselves, or by the Secretary, on their
order, to each member of the board, and be forwarded to their respective
residences by mail, and be also published in the Richmond Enquirer,
at least fifteen days before the time appointed for such meeting.
The board hereby authorise their Bursar, with the advice of a member
of the committee of superintendance, to draw on the President &
Directors of the Literary fund, for the whole, or any part, of the
public donation charged on that fund, either for immediate payment to
those to whom monies may be due, or to deposit the same in the bank of
Virginia, & hence, with the same advice, countersigned by a member of
the Commee to draw it occasionally as may be requisite
Resolved that the board concurs in the opinion of the Visitors
of the Central College expressed in their resolution of Feb. 26, that
as possible to the general engagement of the Professors required for
the institution, until provision be made of buildings for their accomodation,
& for dieting & lodging the students; and that the measures
adopted by them for the buildings of the present year be approved &
pursued.
That Dr. Thomas Cooper of Philadelphia, heretofore appointed Professor
of Chemistry and of law for the Central College, be confirmed
and appointed for the University, as Professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy,
& Natural Philosophy, and as Professor of Law also, until the advance
of the Institution, and increase of the number of Students, shall render
necessary a separate appointment to the Professorship of Law; that in
addition to his permenent salary of 1500.D. he shall recieve such sum
during the 1st. and 2d. years as, with his salary, and his tuition fees
shall amount in the whole to not less than 3500.D. a year, to commence
on the first Monday of April of the ensuing year 1820, or so soon after
as he shall arrive at the University.
That the expence of removing his philosophical apparatus, his
library and collection of Minerals to the University be reimbursed to
him: that until he shall have 50. students of Chemistry, the expence
in articles consumed necessarily in the courses of Chemical lectures
be defrayed by the University, not exceeding 250.D. in any course.
That the offer of his philosophical apparatus, at the price it
cost him, be accepted, & that also of 2500. specimens of his collection
of minerals, labelled & arranged in pasteboard cases, to be selected
from his whole collection, for the use of the University, at the price
Collins: with a suspension of payment however of the principal of
these purchases until the more urgent provisions for the accomodation
of the Professors and students shall enable the schools of the University
to be opened generally, and with the payment in the mean time of
interest at the rate of 6. per centum per annum on their amount.
Considering the importance, and the difficulty also at this time,
of procuring American citizens, of the first order of science in their
respective lines to be Professors in the University, the Committee of
superintendance are hereby jointly instructed and authorised, should
any such offer, not to lose the opportunity of securing them to the
University, by any provisional arrangements, they can make within the
limits of the salary and tuition fees before stated, and even with such
reasonable accomodations as the case may require, suspending however
their actual engagement until a meeting of the Visitors, and reserving
to them the right of approval or rejection.
Resolved that the sd Committee be jointly authorised to purchase
at a fair valuation or reasonable price, of John Perry, if a fit occasion
occur such portion of his land lying between the two parcels
heretofore purchased of him, as may conveniently unite the whole in
one body; provided the payment be deferred until it can be recieved
of the 4th. instalment of subscriptions, or of the public endowment
for the 3d. year of the institution.
The board proceeded to the appointment of the committee of superintendance,
and John H. Cocke and Thos. Jefferson were appointed, with
authority jointly or severally to direct the proceedings of the agents
of the institution, but jointly only to call a special meeting of the
Resolved that the course of authenticating the proceedings of the
board be by the signature of the Secretary, & countersignature of the
Rector, or if there be no secretary, or not present, then by that of the
Rector alone.
And the board adjourned.
| Board of Visitors minutes March 29, 1819 | |