 | Board of Visitors minutes July 11, 1831 |  |
At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of
Virginia at the University on Monday the 11th day of July
1831. James Breckenridge and Thomas J. Randolph only attended:
consequently no board was organized.
Teusday July 12 Chapman Johnson and John H. Cocke
appeared and, with the two members present on yesterday,
constituting a quorum the Board proceeded to business.
A letter from the Rector was read apprising the Board
that he was detained from their Session by indisposition;
whereupon James Breckenridge was appointed Rector pro
tempore.
The Board was engaged the remainder of the day in
reading the Faculty book and sundry communications.
The Chairman handed in the condensed report of the
several schools, and the separate reports of the professors.
The Board then adjourned till tomorrow morning 8
oclock.
Wednesday July 13. The Board met according to adjournmet.
Present the same members as yesterday. The Board
were engaged in receiving and reading communications.
The Bursar's & Proctor's accounts were delivered in.
The Board then adjourned till tomorrow morning 8
O'Clock.
Thursday July 14. The Board met according to adjournment.
Present the same members as yesterday.
Resolved, that the salary of the Professor of law
be one thousand dollars per annum payable as the salaries
of the other professors are paid.
Resolved, that John A. G. Davis be appointed Professor
of law in this University.
Mr. Johnson was appointed a committee of Finance.
Messrs. Cabell, Cocke, and Randolph were appointed
a committee of Inspection.
Mr. Randolph was appointed a committee for settling
the accounts of the Bursar, and causing those of the Proctor
to be settled. The Board adjourned till tomorrow
8 O Clock.
Friday July 15. The Board met according to adjournmet.
Mr. Cabell, who had been detained on his journey
by indisposition appeared and took his seat at the Board.
The Board having taken into consideration the letter
of Dr. Blaetterman of the 14th of this month, and approving
of the resolutions adopted at the last meeting of the
Board in relation to the school of modern languages.
Therefore, resolved that the Secretary communicate
to Dr. Blaetterman the unwillingness of the Board to change
those resolutions.
Resolved, That J. Hervè of Richmond be appointed tutor
in the school of Modern languages, his duties and salary
to commence on the 10th of September, the commencement of
the next session.
Resolved that the account presented by C. P. McKennie
for thirteen dollars be allowed & paid by the Proctor.
The recommendation of the Faculty respecting the degree
of Master of Arts, being approved.-
Resolved that for the present it be adopted; and that
it be recommended to the Faculty to consider and report
whether higher or other degrees ought not to be provided
for; and whether proficiency in the modern languages, or
any of them, should be essential to such degrees.
The Board took into consideration the letter of Dr.
Emmet requesting that he may be authorized to devote his
leisure hours to the cultivation of a piece of land in the
Neighborhood of the University,- his immediate object being
the culture of silk;- and in the confidence that the
attention which will be bestowed by Dr. Emmet in the cultivation
of his land will not be allowed to interfere with
the duties of his chair, the Board cheerfully grant his
request.
The Board then adjourned to tomorrow 8, O.Clock.
Saturday. July 16. The Board met according to adjournment.
The report of the Faculty on the subject of the
Gymnasia, was received by the Board.
The reports of the proctor on the subject of the outer
gardens, and on the steps of the Rotunda, with plans of
both, were delivered to the Board.
Mr. Johnson was requested to prepare the changes in
the enactments required by a contemplated change in the
offices of Proctor and Patron, and was necessarily absent
from the deliberations of the Board while engaged in that
duty.
The Board adjourned to Monday morning 8 O.Clock.
Monday. July 18.
The Board met according to adjournment.
Resolved, That the application of the Jefferson Society
to be allowed the use of the Pavilion No.7. for their
meetings be referred to the Executive committee, who are
required to extend to the Society such accommodations as
may be found practicable.
Resolved, That the memorial of the students respecting
the hour of dining is referred to the Faculty to be acted
upon according to their discretion.
The Board adjourned till tomorrow morning 8 O.Clock.
Teusday. July 19.
The Board met according to adjournment.
Resolved, That Dr. Patterson be appointed Chairman
of the Faculty for one year from the end of this session.
Resolved, That Arthur S. Brokenborough be appointed
patron of the Students of the University of Virginia, his
duties to commence on the first of August next.
Resolved, That Wm. H. Brokenborough, be appointed
Librarian of the University, his duties to commence on
the 1st of August next.
Resolved, That John A. Carr be appointed Proctor of
the University, his duties to commence on the 1st of August
next.
Resolved, That the expulsion of the Student, Nicholas
A. Peay, be approved by the Board.
Resolved, That the claim of Dr. Johnson for the sum
of $25 mentioned in his letter of the 17th July be allowed
and paid by the Proctor.
Resolved, That the Fossil jaw bone in the Museum of
the University, be placed under the care of Dr. Patterson
to be submitted by him to the Committee of the American
Philosophical Society at Philadelphia, and returned to
the University, pursuant to a request contained in his
letter of this date.
Resolved, That the chairman of the Faculty be requested
in his circular of December next to inform the
parents and guardians of the Students that there will be
no suspension of the lectures in that month except on
Christmas day and no leave of absence given to Students
unless for special reasons.
Resolved, That it be recommended to the Faculty so
to regulate the intermediate examination as to prevent a
Mr. Johnson reported the following enactment concerning
the Patron, Proctor, and Hotel Keepers.
The Rector and visitors ordain and enact as follows.
A Patron of the Students of the University shall be
hereafter appointed for the purpose of receiving & administering
the funds to be expended by them while at the University;-
who before he enters upon the duties of his office
shall give bond with good security, in a penalty of Twenty
thousand dollars payable to the Rector and Visitors of the
University, conditioned well and truly to account for and
pay to them entitled to receive it all monies or other
funds which may come to his hands by virtue or by colour
of his office, and faithfully to discharge all the duties
of his office.
Such bond given during the sitting of the Board of
Visitors must be approved by the Board, and given during
their recess must be approved by the Executive Committee,
and their approbation endorsed on the back of the Bond.
When thus given and approved it shall be filed by the
Secretary and carefully preserved.
If any bond be given by the Patron otherwise than
is herein provided, and delivered to the Visitors, their
Secretary or other agent, and the Patron afterwards actually
proceed to execute the duties of his office or any
to bind the Patron and his surety or sureties, and their
representatives, according to the legal import of the
terms thereof;- but the Patron himself as soon as the variance
of his bond from the requisitions of this enactment
shall be discovered shall be removed from office either
by the Board in session or by the Executive Committee in
the recess of the Board, unless a proper bond be forthwith
given.
The Patron shall be appointed by the Board, or in
their recess by the Executive Committee, by writing under
their hands and seals; and vacancies occurring during the
recess of the Board may be filled by appointment under
the hands and seals of the Executive Committee subject to
the approval or disapproval of the Board at their ensuing
meeting.
He shall be the Patron of all Students resident within
the precincts; for the purpose of receiving and administering
the funds to be expended by them, while at the
University.
All the Funds of Students placed in his hands or made
subject to his control, in pursuance of this or any other
enactment of the Visitors shall be administered by him as
herein provided, unless otherwise specially directed by the
laws of the University.
First: He shall retain out of such Funds a commission
of two per cent, as a compensation for his services
in administering them.
Second: Upon the warrant of the Proctor, he shall
pay to the professors whom each Student shall desire to
attend, their tuition fees, and deliver to the student the
professors' tickets of admission into the schools; shall
pay to the Hotel keepers, at the expiration of each month
what shall be due them respectively for Board, after deducting
what they may owe for rent, or may be chargeable
with on account of failure to repair their tenements, or
on account of any other delinquencey, and shall pay to the
Bursar the sums due from the Students for the use of the
Dormitories and public rooms, the sums due from the Hotel
keepers for rent, and the sums due from the Students and
Hotel keepers for other charges against them.
Third: He shall pay for all books and stationary,
all articles of cloathing and other supplies contracted
for by the Students within the limits of the Funds placed
in his hands for these purposes respectively, & according
to the rules & regulations of the University; provided
that no such payment shall be made unless to the order of
the Student endorsed upon a bill containing a distinct
account of each item, and the price thereof, signed by the
person to whom it is due.
Fourth: He shall pay the orders of the Students drawn
upon him from time to time, on account of Pocket money;
provided such orders do not exceed at any time the amount
in his hands deposited for that purpose, and do not in any
quarter of the session exceed a due proportion of the amount
allowed for pocket money for the whole session, by the laws
of the University.
Fifth: At the end of the session or whenever the Student
shall be expelled or dismissed from the University or
shall withdraw from it by leave of the Faculty, or dies
during the session the patron shall pay over to him, or
his representatives, parent or guardian whatever balance
may be in his hands to the credit of the Student after
deducting therefrom all proper charges against him.
From Students not resident within the precincts of
the University, the patron upon the warrant of the Proctor
shall receive all money to be paid by them for tuition fees
and the use of the public rooms, & the money required as a
deposit to cover contingencies, with two per cent on the
whole for the patron's commission; and retaining his commission
shall pay the professors' fees, pay to the Bursar
what is due for the use of the public rooms, and pay the
surplus, if any, to the Student, his parent, guardian or
representative.
When the Patron receives the money of any Student
several purposes to which it is to be applied, and the
amount appropriated to each purpose;- which receipt shall
be deposited with the Proctor, to be by him carefully preserved;-
and, if the Student desire it, the patron shall,
at the same time give him a duplicate receipt for his own
keeping.
He shall keep regular books in which shall be entered
fair accounts of all his receipts and disbursements, and
for every disbursement he shall take and preserve an authentic
voucher.
He shall, under no circumstances mingle the funds
received by him as patron with the funds held by him in
his own, or any other right, but he shall preserve them,
so distinct and so designated, that they may at all times
be ascertained, and applied to the purposes for which they
may have been received. To further this purpose and the
more effectually to guard against accidents, he is required
to open an account, in the Bank of Virginia at Richmond in
the name of the patron of the Students of the University
of Virginia; and, without delay to deposit to the credit
of that account all money & all other funds received by
him as Patron which are not to be immediately disbursed.
The funds so deposited shall be disbursed by checks drawn
by the patron for the time being and payable to order.
His accounts and vouchers shall be at all times subject
to the inspection of the Chairman of the Faculty & the
Executive Committee,- shall be regularly exhibited to the
Chairman for inspection at the end of each month; and shall
be laid before the Faculty and the Visitors whenever required.
On the first day of each annual meeting of the
Visitors he shall lay before them a fair statement of his
accounts of the preceeding year, & at the end of each session
he shall furnish to the parent or guardian of the Student
a fair copy of his account.
If the Chairman of the Faculty perceive that the patron
is in default in any respect, in the Administration of the
Funds committed to his care, he shall forthwith report the
default to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty in
order that the proper correctives may be applied. And if
the Executive Committee find that he hath improperly converted
to his own use any funds entrusted to him as patron,
or mingled such funds with his own, or with the Funds of
others; or retained in his own hands what he ought to have
deposited in Bank, he shall be removed from office.
The Patron shall reside within the precincts, & shall
be allowed to occupy the buildings & grounds now occupied
by the Proctor, on the same terms on which he has been
heretofore allowed to occupy them. He shall be assistant
to the Proctor in enforcing the police of the Institution,
of the law, and bringing the offenders to punishment; and
so far as to report to the proctor all breaches of the law
by students or others which shall come to his knowledge.
He shall moreover when called upon by the proctor aid him
in making estimates & contracts for building & repairs, &
in settling the accounts of contractors & undertakers.
The patron shall be authorised to keep a book store
within the precincts of the University and a suitable apartment
shall be assigned him by the Executive Committee rent
free; he maintaining the repairs thereof but not being answerable
for unavoidable accidents by fire or tempests;provided
that he shall keep on hand a constant supply of
the text books required in the University, and shall furnish
them to such students as desire to purchase of him
of good quality, at reasonable prices to be judged of by
the Faculty, and not exceeding in any case fifteen per
centum advance upon costs; and to enable the Faculty to
judge of the prices his invoice shall be laid before them.
If the Patron, in disbursing the Funds of the Students
shall pay for any article of merchandise or for any
supplies not warranted by the laws & regulations of the
University; or shall in any other manner disburse them or
any part of them contrary to the provisions of this or
any other enactment of the University; besides being liable
Bursar for the benefit of the University, a fine not exceeding
double the amount of the improper disbursement
to be assessed by the Faculty:- and if he shall neglect
or violate any other duty prescribed to him by the laws of
the University, besides being liable to an action on his
bond, he shall pay to the Bursar, for the Benefit of the
University a fine, not exceeding twenty dollars for any
one offence, to be assessed by the Faculty.
No Student resident within the precincts shall matriculate
till he shall have deposited with the Patron
all the money, checks, bills, drafts, & other available
Funds which he shall have in his possession or under his
control, in any manner intended to defray his expenses while
a Student of the University, or in his return from thence
to his residence. Nor shall he matriculate till he shall
have deposited a sum at least sufficient, after deducting
the patron's commission, to pay for the use of his dormitory
and the public rooms;- to pay the fees of the professors
whom he may design to attend;- to pay three months
board to his Hotel keeper; and to purchase the text books
and stationary he may want at the commencement, & ten dollars
to cover contingent charges & assessments against him.
If he deposit more than this, he shall designate the uses
to which it is to be applied, whether for board, for
shall he matriculate till he shall have produced to
the proctor the patron's receipt for the deposit so made.
In like manner he shall deposit with the Patron all
the Funds, which he shall receive while a student of the
University, for the purpose aforesaid, designate the uses
to which they are to be applied, take the patron's receipt
therefor, and forthwith deliver it to the proctor.
At the end of the first three months of the session
he shall deposit enough to pay his board and other expenses
for the next three months, and at the end of the second
period of three months he shall deposit enough to pay his
board & other expenses for the residue of the session.
If the student fail to deposit in advance the two
last instalments of his board as herein required, or to
produce the patron's receipt to the proctor; and shall be
in default for ten days, the proctor shall report him to
the Chairman of the Faculty, that proper measures may be
taken to compel performance, and if necessary to punish
the default.
Upon the final settlement of the patron with each
student about to leave the University, or having left it,the
patron shall take from him a written declaration to
the following effect:
I do hereby declare that I have deposited with the
have been under my control since I matriculated according
to the obvious intent and meaning of the enactments upon
that subject and that I have received from him the sum of
———— in full for the balance in his hands due me.
If the Student shall not have deposited all his funds
then the form of the declaration shall be altered by adding
an exception of the sum not so deposited and the patron
shall be entitled to a commission of four per cent on the
amount thereof.
If the Student shall refuse to give such written declaration
the patron shall be entitled to demand and receive
from him the sum of twenty dollars in addition to his commission
on the Funds deposited.
In all cases in which the Student shall fail to make
the written declaration above required, or in which it
shall appear that he has not deposited the whole of his
funds with the patron pursuant to the enactments, the patron
shall report the fact to the Chairman of the Faculty
in order that it may be laid before the Faculty and visitors,
and otherwise properly animadverted upon:- For such offence
the student shall be liable to any of the punishments prescribed
by the Enactments minor or major; and the Chairman
shall communicate the delinquency to the parent or guardian;Provided
however that when a student shall have made a
written declaration of the amount not deposited by him, no
other penalty than the payment of the four percent as above
The proctor shall no longer perform the duties of
patron to the Students; and before he enters on the duties
of his office, he shall give bond with good security in
the penalty of ten thousand dollars payable to the Rector
and Visitors of the University, and conditioned for the
performance of all the duties of his office - Such bond
shall be given approved and preserved in like manner as
the bond above required from the patron, and shall in like
manner be valid and binding tho' not taken according to
the requisitions of this enactment.
The Proctor shall perform all the duties of proctor
and assistant proctor as now prescribed by the Enactments,
except so far as they are taken from him or varied by this
enactment; & the office of assistant proctor, shall be and
is hereby abolished - Buildings and grounds for the accommodation
of himself and Family shall be assigned him from
time to time by the Executive Committee subject to the control
of the Board; which buildings and grounds he shall
occupy on the same terms on which the present proctor has
been allowed to occupy them now in his possession.
He shall receive a compensation for his services of
a thousand dollars per annum, payable quarterly as the
salaries of the other officers are paid.
He shall issue his warrants to the Bursar from time
to time to receive all monies due from students, Hotel
otherwise, stating in each warrant the exact amount to be
received, and on what account due:- and he shall open an
account in his books against the Bursar in which he shall
enter to his debit all warrants drawn in his favor, and to
his credit all warrants drawn upon him. He shall moreover
keep a regular account on his books of all monies paid to
the patron by Students, as evidenced by the receipts returned
to him. Both of these accounts embracing the transactions
of the preceeding year, shall be fairly copied and
laid before the Visitors on the first day of each annual
meeting of the Board.
It shall be the duty of the proctor to appoint a
fourth Hotel keeper, and assign him his apartments. All
Hotel keepers are enjoined to be diligent in aiding the
Proctor to maintain the police of the Institution, and
it shall be their duty to report to him all offences
against the enactments which come to their knowledge whether
they be called upon or no. They shall moreover at least
once a week if required by the Proctor, visit the rooms
of the Students in the morning, and report to him all violations
of the law requiring early rising.
The Janitor shall in like manner be assistant to the
Proctor, and when required by the Proctor he shall visit
the Dormitiories in the morning and report to him all violations
of the law requiring the Hotel keepers to put
Whenever the washing for any student shall not be done
by the Hotel keeper in a proper manner, the Faculty may
authorise the Student to have it done by another and deduct
the price thereof from his board.
Whenever the Hotel keepers shall be inattentive to
the cleanliness of the Dormitories, or shall fail in his
duty to furnish proper fare, the Faculty may authorise the
Student to change his hotel.
The Board then adjourned till tomorrow morning 8
O. Clock.
Wednesday. July 20.
The Board met agreeably to adjournment. Absent Genl.
Cocke.
Resolved, That a new edition of the laws of the University,
having prefixed the acts of Assembly establishing
and regulating the Institution, and an index added, be prepared
by the Secretary of the Board, and printed under the
direction of the Executive Committee, who will prescribe
the number of copies. The professor of law is respectfully
asked to assist the Secretary in preparing the Edition,
digesting it into proper order, and dividing it into appropriate
chapters and sections, with marginal notes of the
contents and other requisite notes of explanation & reference.
Resolved That the Chairman of the Faculty be required
to note in the journal of his proceedings, to be annually
laid before the Visitors, all offences reported to him by
others with the name of the person giving the Information,
and the measures taken in consequence thereof. The Board
earnestly enjoin upon the Chairman, a mild and paternal yet
firm and inflexible execution of the laws, admitting no exemption
from the operation of general laws, no excuse for
their habitual disregard; and being indulgent to those violations
only, which are casual and proceed from no design
to offend. In this spirit the law respecting uniform and
all the laws of the Institution will be constantly executed.
Doubts having been entertained on the construction of
that enactment which requires of a professor intending to
resign, three months' previous notice thereof, for the removal
of which doubts;
Resolved, That no notice of an intended resignation
which is not unconditional will be deemed sufficient, and
that such notice must import plainly that the professor
vacates his seat at the end of the session, so that the
Rector and Visitors may be without embarrassment in their
endeavour to provide a successor.
Resolved, That if the number of Students require it,
the Executive committee may cause the doors connecting adjoining
Dormitories to be closed, and require two Students
to occupy each room.
The Board regrets extremely that the professors do
not all find it convenient to make their weekly reports,
as required by the enactments, and to attend the meetings
of the Faculty so as to enable the Chairman to fill up his
monthly circulars, and they again enjoin upon the professors
a regular attention to this duty.
Resolved, That the plan of outer gardens reported by
the Executive Committee at the present session be approved
by the Board and that they be directed to carry it into
effect so soon as the Funds will permit.
Professor Davis having applied to the Board of Visitors
to be permitted, at his own expense, to make a door of communication
between his Pavilion and an adjacent Dormitory,
and also to make certain changes in the chimney of his
Dormitory;- Resolved that his application be referred to
the Executive Committee.
The Committee of Finance made their report and submitted
the following resolutions which were adopted:
Resolved That the account of Mc. Nevin should be
immediately adjusted and paid.
Resolved that the debt due by Mr. Bonnycastle be
adjusted with him by the proctor and settled in his account.
Resolved, That the claim of Gray & Bowen be paid by
the Executive committee out of the Sterling fund, or if,
for any reason that should prove unavailing, that it be
Resolved that the balance of the Sterling fund be applied
to the purchase of periodicals and other books for
the library pursuant to the Authority given to the Executive
Committee at the last meeting of the Board.
The Committee of Inspection made a report accompanied
by the following resolutions which were adopted:
1. Resolved, That in future the penalty for defacing
any book of the library shall be only one half the value
of the Book defaced.
2. Resolved, That the Authority given to the Executive
Committee at the last annual meeting of the Visitors to
exchange the lecture and dissecting rooms at the Anatomical
Theatre and to make alterations in those apartments having
reference to such exchange be and the same is hereby revoked.
3. Resolved; That the Executive Committee be required
to cause shutters to be annexed to the windows in the present
museum at the Anatomical Theatre; and that they cause
the moiety of the pavement in front of and contiguous to
that building to be taken up and laid down in water proof
lime, with a view to remove the cause of the dampness now
appearing in the Eastern wall of that apartment.
4. Resolved, That the Executive Committee cause the
kitchen garden contiguous to the Anatomical Theatre to be
removed at the end of the current year, and that they
to the small brick building in the Valley below to be
laid down in a lawn and planted with trees, with reference
to the suitable improvement of the ground as a part of the
future botanic garden.
5. Resolved that the Executive committee, on consultation
with the professor of chemistry & Materia Medica, cause
a range of cases with glass doors; two panes of glass deep,
to be placed on each side of the Door of Entrance to the
chemical lecture room, so as to extend from the door to the
curved cases at each end of the apartment, and at such elevation
on the wall as to exhibit advantageously to the
classes the specimens in the collections appertaining to
that department.
6. Resolved, That authority to change the position of
the Wood pillars in the chemical lecture room, or to substitute
them by pillars of iron, be confided to the discretion
of the Executive committee.
7. Resolved, That the duty of procurring information
from Mr. Barlow in England as to the cost of the philosophical
and astronomical apparatus as required by a resolution
adopted at the last annual meeting, should no longer
be delayed in its execution by the Executive Committee,
and that a special report upon this subject be made to
the Visitors at their next annual meeting.
8. Resolved, That the proctor cause the desks in the
Philosophical lecture room to be painted of such colour
as the professor of Natural Philosophy may prescribe.
9. Resolved, That the Executive Committee be authorised
to invite the aid of Mr. Franklin Peale of Philadelphia
in annexing a nomenclature to the objects of natural
and artificial curiosity in the collection known under the
denomination of Mr. Jefferson's domation, & in arranging
those objects in suitable cases to be constructed for the
purpose, and that they have authority to contract with
Mr. Peale for the payment of his expenses on his journey
to and from the University and for a reasonable compensation
for the service to be rendered.
10. Resolved That it shall be the duty of the Proctor,
with all convenient dispatch to cause the leak in the line
of pipes in the waterworks extending from the cistern near
the residence of the Patron to the Eastern side of the
University to be ascertained and remedied.
11. Resolved, That the Executive Committee cause to
be erected in the rear of Professor Tucker's and professor
Harrison's pavilions, offices upon the plans indicated in
their written applications submitted to the Visitors at
the present meeting, and that they also cause an office
to be erected in the rear of the Hotel to be assigned to
the fourth Hotel keeper now authorised, and that such office
be similar to those annexed to the other Hotels.
12. Resolved that it shall be the duty of the Proctor
to cause the arched spaces under the pavement in front of
the Anatomical Theatre & the steps in rear of the Rotunda
to be cleansed, and access to the former to be barred by
keeping it locked, and to the latter by a suitable iron
railing upon such plan as the Executive Committee shall
approve.
The Board adjourned sine die.
Report to the President & Directors of the Literary Fund.
In obedience to the law, requiring the Rector & Visitors
of the University of Virginia to make a report annually
to the President & Directors of the Literary Fund, to
be laid before the Legislature at their next succeeding
meeting, embracing a full account of the disbursements, the
Funds on hand, & a general statement of the condition of
the University, the Rector & Visitors make the following
Report.
In conformity to the provisions of the Act of the
General Assembly establishing the University of Virginia,
which requires of the Rector & Visitors that they should
annually visit the institution for the purpose of enquiring
into the proceedings & practices thereat, and of examining
into the progress of the Students, they held a
stated annual meeting at the University commencing on
that month.
During this session of the Board, embracing the period
of the public Summer examination the members were engaged
in discharging such duties as the condition of the
University relative to its general Economy and management,
rendered incumbent on them, & in occasionally attending on
the Examinations of the several classes.
The results of these examinations were highly gratifying;
and together with an increased number of successful
candidates for those academic distinctions which constitute
the appropriate rewards of merit in the Student, give satisfactory
proof that a large & respectable proportion of
the youth who resort hither for instruction, have thus far
fullfilled the hopes of their country and the expectations
of their friends. These in gratifying numbers, are gathering
the fruits of their Industry, application, & devotion
to their Studies, while they vindicate the judicious liberality
of the State in the construction & endowment of
the University. They testify, at the same time; to the
general zeal and ability of the Professors who guide & direct
them.
The general management & Economy of the Institution
have been such during the past Academic year as, in most
respects, to meet the approbation of the Board. With a
more efficient, they have deemed it expedient to abolish
the office of assistant Proctor, & to separate those of
Patron & Proctor, heretofore united in the same individual.
The office of Patron has been continued with Mr. Arthur S.
Brokenborough, with the permission to keep a book store
within the precincts of the University, in some tenement
rent free to be designated by the Executive Committee of the
Board, with a view, particularly, of furnishing the requisite
text books to the Students at a specified rate, to be
regulated by the Faculty.
The office of Proctor now embracing the duties formerly
assigned to the assistant Proctor and aided in the discharge
of some of them by the Hotelkeepers & Janitor has been filled
by the appointment of Mr. John A. Carr of Albemarle, a
gentleman highly recommended to the Board as possessing
the requisite qualifications for it's discharge.
Mr. John A. G. Davis, who at the last meeting of the
Board had consented, on their invitation to fill for the
limited term of twelve months the Chair of Law, then vacant
by the appointment of the former Professor to a judicial
office, has been appointed Professor of Law on a permanent
footing.
In the recess of the Board their Executive Committee
appointed Colo. Colonna D'Ornano to the place of tutor in
the school of Modern Languages. At the end of the session
intending to return to Europe, & the term of his temporary
appointment having expired, the Board have supplied
his place by the appointment of Mr. Hervè, recently of
Richmond - Mr. Hervè is a native of France, recommended as
well qualified for the duties of his appointment.
In addition to the honorary distinction of Graduate
in the several schools of the University already provided
for by the Board, the Rector & Visitors have deemed it expedient
to authorise the higher degree of "Master of Arts",
to be conferred on those who may be induced to appropriate
a longer period to Academic pursuits, to embrace an ampler
course of Study, & distinguish themselves by higher attainments
in Science.
The number of Matriculates in the session of the University
which has just terminated, is one hundred & thirty
three, precisely the same as of the preceeding session,
and they were distributed among the several schools as
follows:
| Antient Languages | 57 |
| Modern Languages | 46 |
| Mathematics | 78 |
| Natural Philosophy | 57 |
| Law | 17 |
| Chemistry & Mat: Med: | 37 |
| Medicine & Medical Jurisprudence | 29 |
| Anatomy & Surgery | 23 |
| Moral Philosophy | 37 |
The accounts of the receipts, disbursements & Funds
on hand, as rendered by the Bursar & Proctor, are given
with this report as required by law.
| Board of Visitors minutes July 11, 1831 | |