 | Board of Visitors minutes July 1, 1841 |  |
On Thursday July the 1st 1841 Poard of Visitors of
the University of Virginia assembled at the University in
annual meeting: Present Chapman Johnson, (Rector), Joseph C.
Cabell, John H. Cocke, Ths. J. Randolph, James M. Mason, &
Samuel Taylor-
The Board were occupied during nearly the whole of the
three first days of their meeting in examining the numerous
testimonials accompanying the applications of the respective
candidates for the vacant professorships of Law, Mathematics
& Modern Languages. On the first day no other business was
done.
Friday July 2d 1841. Present all the members of the
Board except Mr. Rives.
The following resolutions were passed
1. It is represented to the Board that Messrs. Caskie &
Shanklin, students at the University have graduated in all
the schools necessary to entitle them to the Degree of A. M.
except in Modern Languages, in which school they have both
received degrees in the French Language at the last session;That
to them by the Chairman because of the uncertain
condition of the school of Modern Languages, to refrain from
entering it, in consequence of which, by the same recommendation,
they each entered, in lieu, the class of political Economy
in which they received certificates of proficiency, & the
fact being that the chair of Modern Languages having become
soon after vacant, thus justifying the doubt that was entained:-
It is resolved, under the special circumstances
above detailed, the Faculty be authorised to confer the degree
of A.M. on each of those gentlemen- But that a special
endorsement be made on the Diploma of each, noting the absence
of one degree in the school of Modern Languages, because
of the condition of the school at the present session-
2. Resolved, that Henry St. George Tucker be appointed
professor of Law at the University of Virginia from and
after the present session.
3. Resolved that Henry St. George Tucker be appointed
Chairman of the Faculty for the ensuing year; and that the
Rector communicate the above resolutions to Mr. Tucker.
Saturday July 3d 1841. Present as on yesterday.
1. Resolved, that while the Board entertain a very favorable
opinion of the proposition submitted by the Society of
Alumni, respecting the establishment of a professorship of
general History and English Literature, they deem it inexpedient,
in the present state of the Funds of the University,
that a copy of this resolution be communicated to the Society
thro' the Secretary of this Board.
The Board then took a recess to attend the proceedings
of the public day. After these were concluded the Board
again assembled, and passed the following resolutions
Resolved,
2. That professor J. J. Sylvester of the University College
London be, and he is hereby appointed Professor of Mathematics
at the University of Virginia for one year from and
after the termination of the present session: and that the
Rector communicate to Mr. Sylvester his appointment.
3. Resolved that Doct: Charles Kraitser be and he is
hereby appointed professor of Modern Languages at the University
of Virginia for one year from and after the termination
of the present session: And that the Rector do communicate
to Doct: Kraitser his appointment.
The Board then adjourned till Monday morning.
Monday. July 5. 1841. Present Chapman Johnson (Rector)
Joseph C. Cabell, Thomas J. Randolph, and James M. Mason;
Genl. Cocke & Mr. Taylor having left the University.
The following resolutions were adopted
1, Upon the request of Mrs. Bonnycastle thro' Lucian
Minor Esq. for permission to retain certain rooms in the
pavilion now occupied by her and the Dormitory heretofore
used by the decd. Mr. Bonnycastle. It is ordered, that the
of the pavilion & it's appurtenances which might
interfere with its occupancy by another professor preparatory
to the ensuing session; but that the Proctor, under the control
of the Faculty be, and he is hereby authorised to grant
to Mrs. Bonnycastle any other accommodation for her furniture
&c which may not interfere with the necessary appropriation
of the buildings or rooms at the University.
2. Resolved that the thanks of the board of Visitors be
unanimously tendered to Mr. Pike Powers for the very able and
satisfactory manner in which he discharged the duties of professor
of Mathematics ad interim in this University for the
unexpired portion of the session ensuing the death of Professor
Bonnycastle;- a manner which, in the opinion of the
board, evinces high mathematical talent & attainment, and a
happy power as a lecturer and instructor, and that the Secretary
do communicate the foregoing resolution to Mr. Powers.
3. The application of Messrs. Lay & Jenkins to be permitted
to occupy the vacant rooms in pavilion No. 7 (the Old
Library) being considered by the board - Resolved that it is
inexpedient to permit the occupancy of said rooms by the
Students.
4. Nathaniel P. Howard having performed the duties of
his temporary appointment to the Chair of Law in a manner entimely
satisfactory, evincing talent of a high order, legal
attainment of great extent and accuracy & rare industry,
due and cheerfully tendered to him for his valuable services;
& that the secretary communicate this resolution to Mr.
Howard.
5. Resolved that the Proctor be authorised to pay to
Professor Tucker the Interest upon the money advanced by him
under the authority of the resolutions of July 1829 & 1837
for certain alterations in pavilion No.9 as the same was stipulated
in said resolutions, from the time of it's expenditure
until it was reimbursed.
6. Resolved that the Secretary be authorised to return
the testimonials of those offering for appointments to the
vacant professorships, who have not been appointed, to the
persons who presented the same or their agent.
7. Resolved that when any vacancy may exist in the office
of Chairman during the recess of the Board of Visitors
the Faculty shall have power to appoint a Chairman pro tempore
who shall be invested with all the powers of Chairman
and shall hold his office 'till a successor be appointed by
the board of Visitors.
8. Resolved that the proctor account with Mrs. Bonnycastle
as administratrix of her husband and with Mr. Pike
Powers for the sum of one thousand dollars which would have
been due to Mr. Bonnycastle if he had lived, for that proportion
of his salary which would have accrued from the
period of his death to the end of the session, paying to
with Mrs. Bonnycastle for the other five hundred dollars, provided
that Mr. Powers shall accept the sum so to be paid to
him in addition to another sum of five hundred dollars which
he has already received thro' the hands of the Proctor out of
the fees of the school of Mathematics in full satisfaction
for the services he has rendered in that school during the
past session.
It appearing that the roofs which have recently been
erected over the halls at the former gymnasia obstruct the
view and are injurious to the aspect of the buildings of the
University, and it having been ascertained that they may be
reduced without injury to the apartments beneath:
9. That the proctor be instructed to cause the upper
portions of the aforesaid roofs to a perpendicular depth of
thirty inches to be removed and substituted by flat roofs
covered with copper or zinc, and that he proceed, as soon as
practicable, to procure the proper materials for the change
hereby required.
10. Resolved, that the apartment which is now in a
course of execution in place of the Eastern gymnasium be fitted
up and appropriated to the general meetings of the University
& as a place of religious worship for the professors,
officers & their families and of the Students of the University,
& that it be placed under the directions of the Faculty.
11. Resolved that the opposite or western hall be fitted
Philosophy & for the reception of the philosophical apparatus
and of the objects of natural History &c bequeathed to
the University by Mr. Jefferson.
12. Resolved that the two apartments in the first story
of the Rotunda, now occupied by the philosophical Apparatus,
& by the objects constituting the aforesaid donation of Mr.
Jefferson, so soon as the apparatus and those objects shall
have been removed shall be used as additional lecture rooms,
under the directions of the faculty.
13. It being represented to the Visitors that the present
lecture room of the professor of Chemistry in the basement
story of the Rotunda is not as well adapted for the
purposes of a lecture room as the opposite apartment in the
same story, now used as a chemical laboratory.
13. Resolved that the Proctor, under the directions of
the professor of Chemistry, be instructed to cause those
apartments to be altered in their interior arrangements so
as that the Eastern apartment be used as a chemical lecture
room & the western apartment as a chemical Laboratory.
Mr. Randolph & Mr. Mason were appointed a committee of
finance.
The petition of Doct: Blaetterman for further compensation
on account of repairs done to the pavilion which he
formerly occupied & for the payment of a balance which he
claims as due for a part of his salary, having been condidered,
repairs as was deemed admissible was allowed by a former
board, & has been paid, and that so much of the salary claimed
by him as was not necessary to defray the expense of repairs
to his pavilion which he was bound to make & left undone has
been paid him by the proctor, so that there now seems to be
nothing justly due to him.
14. Resolved therefore that his petition be not granted.
15. Resolved, that the Proctor be authorised to renew the
porch in the rear of pavilion no. 2 and enlarge the size thereof
equal to that of no. 4: provided in the opinion of the Executive
Committee the funds of the University for the present
year would permit it without detriment to the other appropriations.
The petitions of J. W. Norris & James R. Orr two students
of the Law School who left the University last fall after the
death of Professor Davis, have been carefully considered.
Mr. Orr, who left the University without leave on account
of Mr. Davis' death, not being content to continue a
student under his successor, asks that the board should return
to him a due proportion of the money which he had paid
for dormitory rent, for the use of the public buildings and
library, & for professors' fees;- and Mr.Norris who left the
University by leave of the Chairman of the Faculty on account
of ill health, and has had returned to him under an enactment
of the University a due proportion of the fees paid for the
now asks that a like proportion of the Professors' fees which
he had paid should be returned to him.
By the laws of the University, with which every student
is required to make himself acquainted before he matriculates
no student is allowed to enter the Institution for any shorter
period than for the whole of the session, or for so much thereof
as shall remain after his matriculation, and he is required
to pay in advance the professors fees to be immediately paid
over to them, and to pay in advance the Dormitory rent, &
compensation for the use of the public rooms and library, for
the whole session. He is not at liberty to leave the University
till the end of the session without permission from the
proper authority, and even when he leaves it with permission,
the University stipulates for the return only of a due proportion
of the monies paid for dormitory rent and for the use
of the public buildings not interfering with the fees which
have been paid to the professors and have thereby become
their private property. The University does not stipulate to
furnish individual professors; but it is the duty of the
Visitors, to remove the unworthy & to supply all vacancies
with reasonable diligence. In the case of Mr. Davis' death
the vacancy was promptly supplied by the appointment of a
gentleman of fine talents & acquirements, & who tho' then
without experience has proved himself an excellent lecturer,
& discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his class.
Under these circumstances the board is of opinion that
the students have no just claim upon the University for refunding
any part of the sums claimed & that it would be of
pernicious influence to set an example of refunding in such
cases:
16. Resolved therefore that the petitions of Mr. Norris
& Mr. Orr, be rejected, and that the Secretary transmit to
each of the petitioners a copy of this resolution.
The Committee of Finance made a report accompanied by
the following resolutions which were adopted:
17. Resolved that the proctor be authorised to use temporarily
the Legacy of Mr. Madison of $1500 now in the Bank
if the exegences of the University should require it for the
expenditures of the present year.
18. Resolved that the appropriations of the present year
be in conformity with the accompanying estimate of the proctor
and the specific resolutions of this body.
19. Resolved that the chairman of the Faculty cause the
papers and manuscripts deposited in the library by the Representatives
of the late Richard Henry Lee decd. to be examined
and classified by some competent hand on terms that he may
deem reasonable & that they, together with a brief descriptive
list of such as may appear to be of general interest or value
be carefully lodged in such cases in the library as will best
ensure their safety & preservation, the expense of this work
to be paid by the proctor upon the order of the Chairman.
The Visitors having frequent occasions at their sittings
for conference with the professors- It is ordered, that the
professors be requested not to leave the University earlier
the seventh day (exclusive) after the day of the annual meeting
of the Visitors unless the Board of Visitors should have
earlier adjourned.
The Proctor reported to the Board that he had appointed
Thomas L. Swann Hotelkeeper in place of Christian Grimme
resigned.
20. Resolved that said appointment be approved.
21. Resolved that the Proctor be allowed, under the superintendance
of the Executive Committee to make such additions
or alterations in the House occupied by him as he may suggest,
and as may be approved by said committee provided the same
do not exceed the sum of six hundred dollars; and provided
also that should the funds of the University for the current
year be inadequate to this charge that the same shall be advanced
by the Proctor to be repaid to him with Interest thereon
when the funds of the University may admit.
22. Resolved that the petition of the Jefferson Society
for leave to alter Hotel C. be referred to the executive committee
with power to allow the alterations to be made under
the direction of the Proctor, so far as they may think it
can be done without material injury to the building.
The petition of Mrs. M. C. Ward setting forth that in
consequence of the death of professor Davis during the past
and praying that the rent of the Hotel occupied by her & which
had been paid for the session should be refunded in consequence,
was considered by the Board - whereupon it was:
23. Resolved that the prayer of the petition be not
allowed.
24. Resolved that in conformity with a request made by
Mrs. Davis widow of the late professor Davis, a portion of
ground in the burying ground of the University, contiguous to
the grave of her deceased husband be set apart & reserved by
the Proctor under the directions of the Executive Committee
as a future place of interment for the family.
The Board then adjourned sine die.
| Board of Visitors minutes July 1, 1841 | |