University of Virginia Library

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University of Virginia
July 11th 1888.

The Board of Visitors met this the 11th of July 1888
pursuant to adjournment on the 27th inst.

Present. Hon. J. L. Marye, Rector, Randolph, Stuart,
Bolling, Gordon, McCabe and Watts.

The Rector called the Board to order.

The subject of employing an Instructor in gymnastics
was considered, whereupon on motion it was

Resolved, that the present financial condition of the
University renders it inexpedient for the Board of Visitors
to guarantee any salary to an Instructor of Gymnastics or to
make any further appropriation to the Gymnasium.

Resolved, that, the Committee on finance be requested
to visit the Proctor and examine and report to the Board
what bonds and other evidences of debt due the University
are in his hands and what indebtedness has been discharged
by him in the last year and cancel all such evidences of indebtedness
so paid off.

The Rector announced that the Miller Board was in session
for the purpose of considering the nomination to this
Board of a Professor of Biology and Agriculture in the Department
of Experimental and Practical Agriculture and suggested

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the appointment of a Committee to wait upon that Board
and inform them of the readiness of this Board to receive any
communication from them they may wish to submit, whereupon on
motion, Judge Bolling was appointed a Committee of one to convey
this information to the Miller Board, who thereupon retired
for that purpose and soon returned after having reported
to the Miller Board as requested, and stated that he was requested
by that Board to announce, that they would, in a very
short time, report the result of their deliberations to this
Board.

In a few minutes a Committee of the Miller Board appeared
and announced the nomination of Profr Albert H. Tuttle of the
State University of Ohio, for said professorship, by said
Board, and submitted for the consideration of this Board, along
with their nomination, the testimonials of the qualifications
of Profr Tuttle which had been carefully read and weighed by
them, before arriving at their decision.

The Committee then retired, and on motion, the Board
proceeded to consider the nomination of Profr Tuttle and after
reading the testimonials submitted by the Committee, it was
moved and seconded, that the Board proceed to a vote on the
nomination which was ordered and resulted unanimously in favor
of the nominee, Profr Albert H. Tuttle.

On motion, the Secretary was instructed to notify Profr
Tuttle of his election, and to request him to attend here, on
the 25th inst. to be present at the meetings of the Miller
Board, and of the Executive Committee of this Board, as agreed
upon

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On motion the Board adjourned to meet to-morrow at
9 1/2 A. M.

Jno. L. Marye
Rector

Jas D. Jones,
Secretary.

University of Va,
July 12th 1888.

The Board met in pursuance of adjournment on yesterday.

Present. The same members as on yesterday, and Major
Conrad in addition.

The Committee on Library, & Apparatus submitted its report
of which the following is a copy:

To the Rector & Visitors,

Your Committee appointed to examine the condition of the
Library etc., report that they have made the examination. A
large and convenient space in the Library is now filled with
books very rarely, if ever called for, —Such as Congressional
Reports, old magazines etc., to the exclusion of books of general
interest which are much more frequently used, and which
should, in the opinion of Your Committee be given the room now
occupied by the vast amount of books which nobody ever reads.
It seems to Your Committee to be advisable to remove these unused
books to one of the unoccupied rooms of the University,
so that the space now filled with them can be made available
for the Austin Library, one of the most attractive collections
in the Library, and for other books of general interest which
may be added from year to year.

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Your Committee are of opinion that the arrangement of
the books is not convenient and would suggest, that they should
be arranged according to subjects, which has not been done,
except to a very limited extent, by such a rearrangement and
the removal of the Congressional records, which merely cumber
the shelves, much valuable space could be saved, which is
very important because of the very limited unoccupied space.
They therefore recommend that these books be removed from the
Library, and if it is impracticable to provide shelves for
them in one of the unoccupied rooms, then the [they?] recommend
that they be bosed up and catalogued and the boxes
proper [ly?] labeled.

Legh R. Watts Commee

Mason Gordon Commee

W. Gordon McCabe Commee

The report was read and considered and on motion the same was
adopted together with its recommendations.

On motion,

Resolved, that, the Librarian be directed to remove from
the Library the Mass of Congressional records now occupying
space on the shelves, to one of the unoccupied rooms of the
University, to be designated by the Proctor, and to so rearrange
the books in the Library as to assign to a more convenient
and appropriate position the Austin Collection of books.

A communication from Mrs Bürthe was received requesting
permission to use a part of University grounds for garden purposes;
On motion, Resolved, that the Proctor consider this request,
and assign to Mrs Burthe for a garden so much of the
said ground and in such locality as he shall deem judicious.

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The petition of a large number of persons living near
the University grounds, asking that a road be opened through
the grounds was presented to the Board and duly considered.
Whereupon on motion, the Board disapproved and denied the petition,
and directed the Proctor to report forthwith to this
Board whether, in his judgment, any, and if so what further
facilities of access to the grounds of the University may be
granted consistently with the due protection of the interests
of the University.

The Proctor reported in obedience to the foregoing order,
which report is as follows:

The report was read & considered by the Board whereupon,
the same was approved & adopted together with its recommendations.

Resolved, that, W. P. Mayo be appointed purveyor for the
Mess clubs of the University for the coming year.

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The following in reference to Dr Cabell was adopted unanimously.

The Board being informed that the health of Professor
James L. Cabell is delicate, and that he feels apprehensive
that he may not have physical strength sufficient to perform
efficiently all the duties of his chair, it was unanimously
resolved,

That, the Board learns with profound regret of the physical
infirmities of Profr Cabell and being convinced that the
interests of the University require that Profr Cabell should
continue to perform such part of the duties of his chair as
his health will permit, the Board both authorize and request
Dr Cabell, whenever he deems it best so to do, to select and
appoint an Assistant Instructor in his school, and to assign
to such assistant such duties as he thinks proper so as to
relieve himself of some of the burdens of his school, and to
do such part of the work as he shall find himself able to perform,
the compensation of this assistant to be paid by Dr Cabell
out of his salary.

On motion it was,

Resolved, that, the Proctor loan to Profr Seamon of the
Miller Manual Labor School the cases in the Old Agricultural
Lecture room, on the conditions set forth by Profr Seamon in
his communication.

On motion the Board proceeded to elect a Chairman of the
Faculty, which resulted in the election of Profr Wm M. Thornton.

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On motion the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, that, the Chairman of the Faculty be authorized
to employ, at the expense of the University, F. W. Page
as Secretary of the Chairman, at a salary of Five hundred dollars,
to be paid out of any unappropriated moneys accruing
hereafter.

The following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, that, the Board authorize the Charlottesville
& University Electric Light & Gas Co. to place in each of the
180 dormitories of the University an Electric lamp of the candle-power
of the Edison incandescent patern, and in order to
reimburse said Company for the cost of placing said lamps,
[which the said Company has agreed with the Board shall be
charged for at $450.00] the Proctor is directed to charge and
collect from each student occupying one of said rooms [in
whole or in part] at the time of his matriculation the sum of
one dollar for the privilege of using said lamp during the
session, and the Proctor is directed to keep a separate account
of the moneys so collected, and to pay it over to the
said Company in reimbursement of said cost of $450. until that
amount is fully paid to said Company.

Resolved, that the Board has not the time at this session
to give due consideration to the communication from the Mayor
of Charlottesville in reference to the water-works, and that
the Board will consider this subject at its special meeting in
November next.

On motion,

Resolved, that, the Executive Committee be authorized and

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The Committee on Finance submitted their report of appropriations,
etc. for the ensuing fiscal year, which was read and
considered and thereupon on motion approved & adopted together
with its recommendations, and reads as follows:

The undersigned Committee on Finance respectfully report,
That by reason of the reduction by the General Assembly of the
amount heretofore appropriated, annually to the University,
the receipts for the ensuing year will be curtailed $5000.

To prevent, in the future, the recurrence of such misfortune
by ill considered legislation we recommend that the
Rector be authorized and requested, whenever the interests
of the University may be threatened in that quarter, to designate
such members of the Board as he may see proper to appear
before the appropriate Committee of the Legislature and
do what may be proper to avert the mischief.

To avoid the misapprehension which has appeared to exist,
as to the apparent balances remaining in the hands of the
Proctor, at the close of the fiscal year on the 31st of May,
we recommend that the accounts of the Proctor be brought down
each year, and closed, on the 30th of June, each year.

Your Committee recommend that the application of Mr. B. L.
Rex be granted on such terms as the Board may impose.

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Your Committee have ascertained that the bequest for
the establishment of the "Birely" Scholarship can not be made
available for at least twelve months hence, and no compromise
can now possibly be made by the Board for filling such Scholarship.

Your Committee recommend the following appropriations
for the ensuing year:

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Holmes Conrad,

Mason Gordon,

W. A. Stuart.

Resolved, that, in view of the circumstances affecting
the finances of the University for the past fiscal year, the
Board directs that the action of the Proctor in paying the
sum of $3000. to each of the 18 full Professors as their compensation
for the Session of 1887-1888. is approved and ratified.

Resolved, that out of the $5000. appropriated for repairs
and improvements there be applied to erecting a new dining
room for messing students on Carr's Hill, $1500.

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It is ordered that a special session of this Board be
held on the 21st day of November next at 4 P. M.

Ordered, that, the pavillion lately occupied by Profr
John R. Page be assigned to Profr Albert H. Tuttle.

The Committee on Conduct of Schools & Examination of
Students submitted its report as follows:

To the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia.
Your Committee on the "Conduct of Schools & Examination of
Students" begs leave to submit the following recommendations:
First, the establishment of a general Academic Degree to be
known as the Bachelor of Arts Degree, which all Academic students
shall be required to take before proceeding to the
higher degree of Master of Arts. The course of instruction
for this B. A. degree shall be essentially different in scope
from that provided for the M. A. degree, which latter, under
the scheme now proposed, shall be given to such Academic students
only as shall have given satisfactory evidence of having
mastered some special line of study after taking the general
[B. A.] degree.

The said general or B. A. degree shall be conferred upon
students, who shall have obtained certificates of a "pass for
the B. A. degree" from the Professors in the following subjects:

• 1. Latin.

• 2. Greek.

• 3. Mathematics

• 4. Practical Physics, [answering to the present Junior
  Natural Philosophy]

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• 5. One Teutonic Language.

• 6. One Romance Language

• 7. General Chemistry

• 8. Logic & the History of Philosophy.

Your Committee recommends that the scope of instruction
in the above subjects shall be such as shall give a good general
knowledge of each, reserving the rigid requirements of
specialistic training for the higher M. A. degree.

Such a degree ought to be attainable in two years by
young men of fair preparation, of good ability & of steady
industry, & Your Committee believes that the establishment
of such a general degree, which all Academic students (aiming
at a degree) shall be required to take, will attract students
to the University, who are now repelled by the extreme difficulty
of winning the M. A. degree, & that it will create,
through "class feeling", a stronger sentiment of loyalty on
the part of Academic students to their Alma Mater by reason
of the common tie of Academic honors won in mass together.
Second, that any student desirous of proceeding to the higher
M. A. degree, shall pursue an advanced course of study & graduate
in four subjects embraced in the list of studies prescribed
for the B. A. degree, the grouping to be of cognate
subjects as far as possible.

To illustrate (a) If a student desires to proceed M. A.
in Letters, he shall pursue a course more adanced & Special
than that required for the B. A. degree, & take diplomas in

• 1. Latin.

• 2. Greek.

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• 3. Moral Philosophy.

• 4. One Teutonic &

  One Romance Language

(b) If a student desires to proceed M. A. in Science he shall
pursue advanced courses & take diplomas in

• 1. Mathematics.

• 2. Natural Philosophy.

• 3. Applied Chemistry.

• 4. Natural History, or

  Biology.

(c) If a student desires to proceed M. A. in Philosophy,
[partly literary and partly scientific], he shall pursue adanced
courses & take diplomas in

• 1. Latin.

• 2. Greek.

• 3. Moral Philosophy or

  One Teutonic and

  One Romance Language.

• 4. Mathematics

  or

  Natural Philosophy.

The combinations possible are multitudinous, & the schemes
given above are merely meant to indicate the general scope of
the reform proposed.

Finally, Your Committee recommends that the present M. A.
degree be left as it is, open to such students as may aspire to
a specialistic training in all directions. All of which is
respectfully submitted.

W. Gordon McCabe, Chairman

Legh R. Watts

W. C. N. Randolph

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On Motion of the Chairman of the Committee, the above
Report was referred without action on the part of the Board
of Visitors to the Faculty of the University for an expression
of opinion as to the advisability of the proposed changes
in the requirements for Academic degrees.

On motion the Board adjourned to meet again on the 21st
of November next.