University of Virginia Library

Commissions were issued on the 5th day of May last by
Governor Holliday, to date from the 29th day of February last
appointing a Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia,
consisting of the following gentlemen, viz- Thomas S. Bocock,
Holmes Conrad, John Goode, Jr., James H. Gilmore, John F. Lay,
John L. Maryee, W. C. N. Randolph, A. H. H. Stuart and Paul
Whitehead.

The Board met in annual session at the University on the
28th day of June 1880. Present, Messrs Goode, Gilmore, Lay,
Randolph, Stuart & Whitehead. A quorum being present, on motion
of Dr. Randolph Mr. Gilmore took the Chair and called the meeting
to order.

The first order of business being the election of Rector,
Mr. Stuart was placed in nomination for this position and
unanimously elected.

On motion, Jas. D. Jones was elected Secretary of the
Board.

The Standing Committees were appointed by the Rector, as
follows-

• Finance - Messrs Bocock, Randolph & Conrad.

• Apparatus - Lay, Whitehead & Gilmore.

• Grounds & Buildings - Randolph, Maryee & Gilmore.

• Library - Maryee, Goode & Lay.

• Miller Fund - Conrad, Whitehead & Goode.

• Conduct of Schools - Randolph, Whitehead & Lay.

• Examination of Va. Students - Conrad, Whitehead & Goode.

On motion the Secretary was requested to notify the
Chairman of the Faculty that the Board were ready to receive
the annual reports of the Chairman, Faculty &c and request the
transmission of the same to the Board. The Chairman was notified
accordingly and appeared before the Board and presented his
Annual Report accompanied by the Report of the Faculty, School
reports &c which were received and laid on the table for future
consideration at the present session.

The Executive Committee of the Board appointed consisting
of the Rector and Messrs Randolph & Bocock, the Rector being a
member ex-officio.

On motion the Board adjourned until tomorrow morning at
9 Oclock.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment on yesterday.
Present all of the members of the Board, Messrs Bocock &
Conrad having arrived since the adjournment on yesterday.

The annual Report of the Faculty was on motion taken from
the table and read by the Secretary to the Board, whereupon
Resolved, that the General Report of the Faculty be distributed
among the several Committees of the Board according as the subjects
therein contained fall more appropriately within the province
of one or the other of said Committees, except that the
recommendations in said report on the subject of the establishment
of new degrees, and the modification of those now existing
be referred to a special Committee of three to be appointed by
the Rector, & that said special Committee be directed to make
their report to the Board on tomorrow not later than four Oclock.

The Rector appointed Messrs Goode, Whitehead & Conrad
as the Committee under the foregoing resolution.

Resolved, that in future the Committee on Boarding Houses
constitute one of the Standing Committees and that the Rector
now appoint said Committee. Whereupon the Rector appointed as
said Committee Messrs Randolph, Whitehead & Lay.

The Chairman of the Faculty forwarded to the Board the
petition of a number of students, boarders of Miss Ross' complaining
of their fare &c and asking relief, which was recd
and read and on motion the same was referred to the Committee
on Boarding Houses for its consideration and report thereon to
the Board.

Resolved, that a Committee of three be appointed to
confer with Prof. Fontaine and report to the Board of Visitors
a plan by which the Scheme of lectures in the School of Natural
History, Mineralogy & Geology shall be so modified as to
permit at least two months of field work and to get from him
any suggestions that he may have to make for the advancement
of the usefulness of his school. The Rector appointed Messrs
Bocock, Randolph & Whitehead as the Committee under the foregoing
resolution.

Resolved, that the Chairman of the Faculty be requested
to forward at this and each subsequent meeting of the Board
of Visitors the Minutes Book of the Faculty meetings.

The Special Committee on Change of Degrees submitted their
Report, which on being read and considered on motion of Mr. Goode,

Resolved, that the Faculty be requested to appoint a
Committee of their body to confer with the Board at 12 M. tomorrow
in regard to the proposed scheme for a change of Degrees
to be conferred by the University.

On motion Major Green Peyton was unanimously elected
Proctor & Superintendent of Grounds & Buildings.

Resolved, that the Secretary forthwith notify Major Peyton
of his election and request him to execute his official bond
in the penalty of $20,000 with good security and have the bond
before the Board before its adjournment for its approval.

On motion the Board adjourned until tomorrow morning at
9 Oclock.

The Board met in pursuance of adjournment on yesterday.
Present, all the members of the Board.

The Committee on Boarding Houses, to whom was referred on
yesterday the Petition of Miss Ross' Boarders, submitted their
Report as follows:

The Committee to whom was referred the questions arising
under the Petition of Students with reference to a change of
Boarding Houses, without a change of rooms, as was required by
law- beg relave [sic, probably leave, to report that they have
given the subject careful advisement and consideration. They
are satisfied that an evil exists, needing redress—but the
mode of redress is surrounded with many difficulties. In the
past a similar change has been made and not attended with good
result. This Petition is too respectable in point of numbers
and in names to be deemed captious, or without foundation in
fact. The complete remedy seems to be to grant the prayer of
the Petition, but at the same time to guard against the one
evil, which also seems to be the difficulty. They recommend
the passage of the following resolutions, viz-

Resolved, That the petition of the Students applying for
leave to change their Boarding Houses, without change of Rooms
appearing to be just, & without reasonable objection- the request
of the same be accorded; and that the existing laws as
to Boarding Houses, be so far modified, as hereafter to permit
this change, without change of rooms. Provided, 1st That in
each Boarding House the Students themselves shall select a

President of the Mess, with two Vice Presidents, whose duty
it shall be to receive complaints, &, in their discretion,
notify the Boarding House Keeper; or forward the same to the
Faculty fully empowered to preserve order and decorum, & who
will obligate themselves, in cases of refusal to recognize
their authority, to report the offending parties to the
Authorities of the University, &

Resolved 2d That it be left in the discretion of the
Faculty, at any time during the Session, if satisfied that
this obligation of the Students is not carried out in good
faith, to take such action as they may deem advisable, to the
extent of reestablishing the present system.

Resolved, (3) As the opinion of this Board that the
Boarding House Keepers shall, themselves in person, or by some
proper representative, preside at each meal, & bring to the
notice of these selected officers of the Mess any infractions
or violations of order & decorum in their dining rooms. And
in this connection the Board do not hesitate to avow their
belief, & express the earnest hope, that no young Gentleman will
so far forget the courtesies & proprieties of the Table, as to
render the presence of a Lady at her Table, an unpleasant position,
to her dignity, or to her modesty.

The Committee of Buildings & Grounds recommend that
the Proctor be authorized to enlarge the Reservoir. That the
slatted walk on the terraces be removed and a close plank
walk put in its place.

The Buildings seem to be in good repair and the Grounds
well kept, we would advise that the Proctor be requested to
suggest some better and more sightly approach to the University
than the present one.

The Committee on the Library report that they find the
books well preserved, and the cases and furniture in good
condition.

The removal of the partition which cut off one of the alcoves
for an office, and the filling up of the space, has

increased the accomodations for books, and imposed no practical
inconvenience on the Librarian. No suggestions are made by the
Report of the Librarian or the Faculty calling for any action
of the Board at this time as to the Library. The lists furnished
of the annual additions made to the Library for each of
the four past years, through the means afforded by the Corcoran
fund, show how timely and wise was this special gift of Mr.
Corcoran among his other munificent provisions for the University

For two or three years past the young ladies & gentlemen
attending the commencement exercises have occupied the Library
during some hours of each day as a dancing hall. This use of
the Room, during the daytime of Commencement week, is disapproved
by many of the earnest and influential friends of the University,
as incongruous & unseemly, and in the opinion of your Committee
tends to create injurious misconceptions as to the judgment and
aims of the Authorities controlling the Institution. The Committee,
while making no suggestion of objection to the grant
of the use of the Room for the dance and festival on the night
of the final day of Commencement, deem it proper to ask the
attention of the Board as to the use of the room for dancing
or other social diversions at any other time.

The Committee on the Conduct of the Schools beg leave
to make the following report-

In the school of Latin we recommend the appointment of an
Assistant Instructor and approve the Professor's request to
be allowed to establish a class for graduates and recommend
that he be authorized to confer certificates on such students
as have satisfactorily accomplished such work. In the report
of the School of Modern Languages, Dr. Schele deplores the
utter insufficient preparation in English of the Students of
his class. The Prof. Hist. & Lit. says "The preparation of
Students, especially in the Elementary studies of grammar,
spelling, expression, geography & general information and capacity
for thought seems to become more every year."

Your Committee have urged the necessity of the establishing
a Chair of English in a previous report; they be leave to

call attention to it again and have quoted from the two reports
of modern Languages & Hist. & Lit. as evidence of the
growing need of such a chair.

The Prof. of Natural Philosophy reports no students in
the Class of practical physics and states the cause to be probably
the makeshift character of the arrangements of room and
fixtures, the inconveniences of which he deems a great bar to
its usefulness and popularity. We recommend a thorough equipment
for this school as soon as the finances of the University
will permit.

We advise that in accordance with the recommendation of
the Faculty the Janitor be ordered to attend the Natural Philosophy
room on Tuesdays, thursdays & Saturdays from 10 to 11
A.M.

The form of class report forwarded by the Faculty we
think should be adopted, as it furnishes fully the information
needed.

We advise that Mr. Charles I. Bonner whose application to
be authorized to stand his examination for his degree in the
Department of law be permitted to stand such examination after
the termination of the session.

We recommend that the fee in the class of Practical Physics
be fixed at $50 with a charge of $5 for outfit of apparatus.
As advised by the Faculty we recommend that the privilege be
extended to any student of the University of attending the
class of surveying under the Instruction of Prof. Thornton
(established by the Faculty during the last Session for Students

in the School of pure Mathematics) on the payment of three
dollars for use of instruments, provided Prof. Thornton be not
required to form a class unless a sufficient number of applicants
present themselves to justify it.

We approve of the establishment of the Degree of Bachelor
of Scientific Agriculture and advise such action by the Board.
And also advise the establishment of the Degrees in the School
of Nat. Hist. & Geology proposed by the Faculty. Resolutions
confirming the expulsions of Messrs John S. Spencer of Gallipoli,
Ohio, and A. N. Towle of Mobile Ala. are herewith forwarded.
We advise the confirmation of the action of the Executive
Committee in approving the plan as adopted by the Faculty
of so arranging the curriculum for the Medical School as to
cover two full sessions. The Committee attach much importance
to the suggestion and recommendation of the Faculty referring
to the tendency to idleness extravigance and dissipation from
the unlimited supply of pocket money to Students & the failure
on the part of parents or guardians to note and act upon the
information given in the monthly reports and they authorize
the Faculty with the Express Sanction of this Board to issue
a Circular setting forth these Acts in emphatic terms & urging
the cooperation of parents & guardians in the effort to suppress
them.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Miller
Fund of the University of Va., the following resolution was
adopted-

Resolved, That this Board feels itself constrained to
declare its conviction that, so far, the Agricultural School
of the University of Virginia has fallen far short of the
purposes of its beneficent Donor, and of the legitimate hopes
and expectations of its friends, and that without some marked
change, within the next twelve months, both in the material
results, and in the number of Students attending the said
School this Board will feel itself obliged (to the extent of
its legitimate authority) and in cooperation with the Board
of Visitors of the University of Va.) to make a radical change
in the whole management to the end that the original purpose
of the School may be accomplished.

Resolved, that the Secretary be instructed to send a
copy of the above Resolution to the Board of Visitors of the
University of Va.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment on yesterday.
Present, all the members of the board, with the exception of
Mr. Gilmore who had left for home.

Whereas the Miller Board of Trustees have agreed to depart
from their own construction of the Scholarship rule in
the Agricultural School as laid down by them, and under the
peculiar circumstances attending the case of Mr. Frank Hampton
of the University of Va. who had applied for a Scholarship
and had successfully passed the required examination.

Resolved, That the Board of Visitors, without committing
themselves to the construction as claimed, but consenting that
this case shall not be used as a precedent, do order (that
Miller Board consenting as they have done) that Mr. Hampton
shall take the scholarship- he having passed the necessary
examination.

Resolved, that the Faculty be directed, in carrying out
the action of this Board respecting the "Miller Scholarship"
had on yesterday, to subject applicants to the ordinary examination
required of all students desiring to matriculate
in the Schools of the University, and that in advertising for
such competitive examination, the exact language of the

resolution of the Miller Trustees shall be followed.

Resolved, that the Hon. T. L. Bocock be requested and
authorized to prepare and forward letters of thanks to Mr.
Corcoran, Mr. Vanderbilt & other persons, contributors. to
the University and to furnish copies of the same to the Secretary
of this Board for record.

Major Green Peyton laid before the Board his Official
Bond as Proctor &c, on motion Resolved, That the official
Bond tendered by Green Peyton with S. V. Southall as surety
be approved and accepted and spread upon the record which
Bond reads as follows:

Know all men by these presents that, we, Green Peyton
and S. V. Southall are held and firmly bound unto the Rector
and Visitors of the University of Virginia and their successors
in office, in the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars, lawful
money of the United States, to be paid to the said Rector
and Visitors of the University of Virginia and their successors
in office; for the payment whereof well and truly to be made,
we bind ourselves jointly and severally, firmly by these
presents. Sealed with our seals and dated the 29th day of
June in the year One thousand Eight hundred and Eighty. The
condition of the above Obligation is such that, whereas the
above bound Green Peyton has been duly elected Proctor and
Superintendent of Grounds and Buildings of the University of
Virginia: Now therefore if the above bound Green Peyton shall
well and truly and faithfully discharge and perform all the
duties devolved upon him as such officer, then the foregoing

obligation shall be void, otherwise to remain in full force
and virtue.