 | Board of Visitors minutes January 5, 1914 |  |
January 5th, 1914.
At a meeting of the Board of Visitors of the University
of Virginia on above date, in the office of the President,
East Lawn.
Present: Rector Gordon, Visitors Flood, Michie, White,
Norton, Craddock, Drewry, Oliver and Stearnes; also Dr.
Page and Dr. Whitehead. Mr, Irvine arrived about four
o'clock.
The Board was called to order at 12:00 M. by the
Rector, who presented to the Board a letter from Dr. S. C.
Mitchell, President of the Medical College of Virginia,
and also one from Mr. Eppa Hunton, Jr., Chairman of the
Executive Committee of said Medical College, both of which
Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 18,
1913.
Rector University of Virginia,
Staunton, Virginia.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your
communication of the 13th inst., with the two inclosures
from the Secretary of your Board of Visitors.
May I inquire if your Board designated
certain ones to act with others from our Board as a
Steering Committee to secure the passage of the Enabling
Act by the Legislature. I take for granted that Mr.
L. Z. Morris, Mr. Eppa Hunton, Jr., Dr. George Ben
Johnston and Mr. John W. Williams will act in this
capacity for the Medical College. May I inquire also
if the Enabling Act is in course of preparation. It
seems vitally important that we should present a united
front to the Legislature, and you will no doubt agree
that it will be helpful to all interests to secure the
passage of Enabling Act at the earliest possible moment.
Our Board stands ready, as I understand it,
to go right forward with the proposed merger.
Rector of University of Virginia,
Staunton, Va.
Your letter of the 13th inst., addressed to Dr.
S. C. Mitchell, President Medical College of Virginia,
was submitted to the Executive Committee of the Medical
College of Virginia at its meeting on yesterday.
I think I am correct in saying that during all
of the negotiations looking to the merger of the Medical
College of Virginia into the Medical Department of the
University of Virginia, there is not a single suggestion
which has been made by the Medical College of Virginia,
or any one connected with it, which has received favorable
consideration by your Board, although a number of these
suggestions were endorsed and approved by the Committee
of your Board at its conference with the Committee of the
suggestions all grew out of our familiarity with the
conditions in Richmond, with which your Board could not
be familiar, and which if adopted we believed would contribute
very considerably to the successful administration of your
Medical Department here.
We now understand very clearly that we must agree
to whatever your Board may wish, in order to reach an
agreement with it.
We have been greatly disappointed at the spirit in
which we have been met in these negotiations, and feel
it very keenly—
We are, however, not willing to permit our personal
feelings to interfere with a great enterprise from which
we believe great results will come.
The Executive Committee of the Medical College of
Virginia, although it believes that its suggestions were
wise, and would have been most helpful, do not believe that
they are essentials, and therefore, has unanimously
instructed me to advise you that it will accept and agree
to the terms and conditions of merger adopted by the Board
of Visitors of the University of Virginia at its meeting on
the 11th day of November, 1913, and reaffirmed at its
meeting on December 10th, 1913.
I am,
The merger of the two medical schools was then
taken up and discussed very fully by the members of the
Board and also by Dr. Whitehead, and the matter was disposed
of in the following resolution, offered by Mr.
White as a substitute to one offered by Mr. Gordon, and
adopted by the following vote; Ayes, Messrs. Flood,
White, Norton, Craddock, Drewry, Stearnes. Noes, Messrs.
Gordon, Michie and Oliver. (Mr. Irvine had not then
arrived.)
Resolved: That the Rector be and is hereby authorized
to prepare, or cause to be prepared, an Act to enable this
Board to carry into effect the agreement reached for the
transfer of the Medical Department at Richmond, and
that when so prepared, he, together with Dr. Alderman,
Dr. Whitehead, and with the other members of the Committee
provided for November 11, 1913, to act in conjunction with
a similar committee on behalf of the Medical College of
Virginia, to confer with the gentlemen from whom it is hoped
the contribution contemplated by said agreement, will be
made; and if said persons give said committee satisfactory
assurances as to amount and terms of such contribution, then
and in that event, the said Rector and his associated shall
report their action to the Board.
The Rector appointed a committee consisting of
Messrs. White, Norton and Flood to prepare the Enabling
Act as provided for in the foregoing resolution.
The foregoing resolution was a substitute for the
following offered by Mr. Gordon:-
Resolved: That the agreement between the University
of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia for
the absorption of the Medical College of Virginia by
the University of Virginia, as a part of its Medical
Department to be located at Richmond, having been concluded,
this agreement be submitted to the Carnegie
Corporation of New York and the General Education Board,
from whom a proper endowment is expected, in order that
the assurances of such endowment be given by said
corporations in accordance with the provisions of the
sixth and last clause of said articles of agreement, to
the end that application may be made to the General
Assembly for an Enabling Act.
The question of the establishment of a woman's college
co-ordinate with the University and to be located in
proximity thereto, which was under consideration at the
December 11th meeting and carried over to this day for
final action, was taken up.
Several members offered motions, among which was
a proposed enabling act presented by Judge Norton, to be
substituted for that of the advocates of the woman's college.
A very thorough discussion of the whole matter was had by
the body, and the question was disposed of in the following
manner.
The chair ruled, that of the several motions, that
presented by Mr. Michie was the original, and the others
would be taken up and passed upon as presented, resulting
as follows;
Mr. White presented the following substitute for the
original which was defeated by a vote of seven to three, viz:-
Ayes,—Messrs. Flood, Irvine and White.
Noes,—Messrs. Gordon, Craddock, Drewry, Michie, Norton,
Oliver and Stearnes.
A petition having been presented to this Board asking
its approval of a measure looking to the establishment of
a female school on or near the grounds of this institution,
to be under the government of the Rector and Visitors as
a department of the University; and a full hearing having
been accorded those who support the movement, and the subject
having been maturely considered, it is the sense of the
Rector and Visitors that the establishment of such a feature
usefulness; and therefore its approval must be withheld.
Judge Norton then placed before the body the first
two sections of his paper as a substitute for the
original which was defeated by a tie vote of five to
five, viz:—
Ayes,—Messrs. Gordon, Craddock, Norton, Oliver,
and Stearnes.
Noes,—Messrs. Drewry, Flood, Irvine, Michie, and
White.
That it would be unwise for the State to attempt
to provide for higher education of men and women in
totally disconnected institutions, located distantly from
each other, with a varying or different standard of
degrees. Rival claims upon the Legislature for adequate
support would be serious, if not disastrous to both
institutions. There would be a strong tendency to divide
men and women of the State. There would be danger of
real calamity. With co-ordination, and students of both
institutions receiving degrees with the imprimature
of the University, rivalry would be, at least, modified;
for women would be interested in strengthening the University
upon which they would be dependent for high degrees;
and the men's pride would badly bear a neglected Woman's
Co-ordinate College. Self interest and self respect would
demand co-operation.
Higher education by the State for men and
women should be directed and controlled from one center.
This is the logic of the situation, and a necessity to
prevent divided allegiance of our people, and to turn the
minds and hearts of all to one great University.
We must recognize the trend of the times and the
change in conditions. In almost every walk of life
woman's sphere of activity has wonderfully advanced.
The question demands answer. Shall our University
close, absolutely, forever, the door of hope for women,
so far as it is concerned; or shall it march abreast
of the times, and extend to them such aid and encouragement
as it can?
That the Woman's College, if established by the State,
should be co-ordinate with the University of Virginia,
and under its guidance and complete control. Its location
should be on separate grounds of its own, at least one
half mile from the Rotunda of the University. The degrees
conferred should have the same requirements, as the like
degrees in the University, and should bear the imprimatur
of the University by proper certificate thereon, thus
guaranteeing that the holder thereof was of equal
learning and attainments with the University graduate.
Mr. Stearnes then presented the following substitute
to the original (by Mr. Michie) which was defeated by
the vote of eight to two, viz.—Ayes,—Messrs. Oliver
and Stearnes; Noes,—Messrs. Gordon, Craddock, Drewry, Flood,
Irvine, Michie, Norton and White.
Whereas, the Rector and Visitors of the University of
Virginia believe that Virginia should make such provision
for the education of the young women of the State as may be
consistent with a just consideration of the other necessary
calls upon the public revenues, and
Whereas, we believe that one practical and efficient mode
of meeting this need, would be found in the creation of a
woman's college co-ordinate with the University.
Resolved, first, that it is the sense of the Rector and
Visitors that if the General Assembly in its wisdom sees
fit now or in the future to found a co-ordinate college
for women near the University, such college should be located
on or beyond the eastern limits of the City of Charlottesville,
thereby minimizing the dangers of actual or virtual co-education.
Resolved, second, that if the estimates made for the
needs of the woman's college should fall within the limits
of the amount of revenue that the Legislature deems
Visitors of the University of Virginia recommend that a
proper enabling act be granted in accordance with the
provisions of a paper herewith submitted.
All substitutes being disposed of, the original
by Mr. Michie was placed upon its passage, and adopted by
a vote of six to four, viz:- Ayes,—Gordon, Drewry, Flood,
Irvine, Michie, and White. Noes,—Messrs. Craddock,
Norton, Oliver and Stearnes.
Whereas, the Rector and Visitors of the University
of Virginia believe that Virginia should make such provision
for the education of the young women of the State
as may be consistent with a just consideration of the
other necessary calls upon the public revenues; and
Whereas, the Rector and Visitors further believe
that one practical and efficient mode of meeting this
need would be found in the creation of a woman's college
co-ordinate with the University; therefore be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Rector and Visitors
that the first step should be the appointment by the
General Assembly of Virginia of a competent commission
to make a thorough and searching investigation, and a
careful and detailed examination into the costs of
founding and maintaining such college.
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Rector and
Visitors that if the General Assembly in its wisdom sees
fit now or in the future to found a co-ordinate college
for women near the University, such female department should
as a condition precedent to its establishment, be located
on a site beyond the eastern limits of the city of
Charlottesville.
Dean Page called the attention of the Board to
the fact that Professor Charles Hancock, on account of
ill-health had been compelled to relinquish his work for
the present. The matter was thoroughly discussed, and
disposed of in the following resolutions,—
Resolved, That Professor Charles Hancock, on
account of the weak state of his health, be and is hereby
granted leave of absence, on full pay, from the University
until September 10, 1914.
Resolved, That the sum of $600., or as much
thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby appropriated,
to be used by the Dean of the Department of Engineering,
in providing means for carrying on Professor Charles
Hancock's work for the rest of this session.
On motion, the Board then adjourned.
Secretary.
Rector.
| Board of Visitors minutes January 5, 1914 | |