 | Board of Visitors minutes February 18, 1914 |  |
February 18th, 1914.
At a called meeting of the Board of Visitors at twelve
o'clock, noon, on above date,
Present: Rector Gordon and Visitors Drewry, Flood,
Irvine, Michie, Norton and White.
Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting was
dispensed with for the present.
The Rector stated that the special object for which
this meeting was called was the further consideration of
the merger of the Medical Department of the University with
the Medical College of Virginia, under the control of the
University.
In view of the fact that at a former meeting at which
the proposed merger was considered and passed upon, there
were only five members present, it was thought wise to have
the matter considered by a full Board, if possible.
The question was considered at much length by the
members, together with Dr. Whitehead and Dr. Page. A
telegram from Mr. Craddock, sent from Savannah, Ga., was
presented, setting forth his views which were to the effect
that, unless more satisfactory assurances of the proposed
endowment had been received since the date of the last
meeting, he was opposed to the merger.
Mr. White offered the following, which was defeated
by a vote of 5 to 2, as follows:—Noes, Gordon, Flood,
Irvine, Michie and Norton (5); Ayes, White and Drewry, (2);
Resolved: That the draft of an Act of Assembly, submitted
to the Board, and looking to the transfer of the
Medical School of this institution to Richmond upon certain
conditions in said draft mentioned, be given by the
Rector to some member of the Legislature, for introduction
and passage at the present session of the General Assembly.
An Act to Empower the Rector and Visitors of the University
of Virginia to remove the Medical Department of
the University to the City of Richmond, and to
take over the property of the Medical
College of Virginia, to accept bequests
and devises, and to assume certain
liabilities of said Medical College
of Virginia.
Whereas, it is believed that, by removing the
Medical Department of the University of Virginia to
Richmond, it will result in the establishment of a medical
college of such commanding proportions and usefulness
as to prove adequate not only for the needs of this
State, but of a large part of the south; and
Whereas, in furtherance of that purpose, the Medical
College of Virginia and the Rector and Visitors of the
looking to the removal of the Medical Department of the
University of Virginia to Richmond, and the absorption
by it of the said Medical College of Virginia, upon the
terms contained in the said understanding, hereinafter
set out, and
Whereas, the said Rector and Visitors do not feel
that they have the power to carry the said understanding
into effect without legislative authority; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
First. That the Rector and Visitors of the University
of Virginia are hereby authorized and empowered to
transfer the medical Department of the University of Virginia
to Richmond, Virginia, and there maintain and conduct
said Department in accordance with the agreement between
the said Rector and Visitors and the Medical College of
Virginia, which agreement is in the following words and
figures, viz:-
"Being convinced that the unification of the Medical
Educational interests of the State of Virginia would result
in a great medical school in this State, in order to
accomplish this result, the Committees of the University
of Virginia and of the Medical College of Virginia,
boards, agree to recommend to the General Assembly of
Virginia, the passage of an act to enable the Medical
College of Virginia to be merged into and become a part
of the University of Virginia upon the following terms:
1. The Board of Visitors of the Medical College of
Virginia will make an unconditional transfer of the property
of the Medical College of Virginia, subject to the existing
liabilities of said Medical College, which shall be
assumed by the Rector and Visitors of the University, to
the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
as the nucleus of a department of Medicine of the
University of Virginia in Richmond.
2. The task of organizing this new Medical School,
in all its details, shall be entrusted to the authorities
of the University of Virginia.
3. The proposed school shall be a bona fide department
of the University of Virginia having the same academic
and legal relationship to the University as that borne by
the present Department of Medicine.
4. The University of Virginia will discontinue the teaching
of medicine at Charlottesville, except that the instruction in
the subjects of the first year of the curriculum may be offered
there; but the entire medical course will be maintained in Richmond
in Richmond or in Charlottesville. And this provision
shall become effective as soon as the transfer from
Charlottesville to Richmond shall be completed.
5. The Board of Visitors of the University of
Virginia shall, unless and until otherwise determined by
said Board, designate and appoint from its members a special
committee on the new department consisting of the President
of the University "ex officio," and three members of the
Board who shall have special charge, subject to the Board
of Visitors, of the details of administration affecting
said department. The executive management of the proposed
school shall, unless and until otherwise determined
by said Board of Visitors, be entrusted to a Dean of the
Medical Department of the University of Virginia who shall
reside in Richmond, subject to the direction of the Rector
and Visitors of the University.
6. The above agreement is conditioned upon the assurance
satisfactory to the Rectorand Visitors of the University
of Virginia, of securing sufficient funds to guarantee the
establishment, organization and maintenance of the proposed
school upon a thorough University basis in accordance with
the best modern ideals."
Second. When the said Medical Department of the
University shall have been so transferred, and the hospital,
other buildings and equipment generally contemplated
by said agreement shall have been installed in whole
or in part, the said Rector and Visitors shall have the
further power to do any and all things necessary,
proper or desirable to conduct the said Medical Department
at Richmond in all of its appointments and administrative
features in such manner as shall seem to them
proper and desirable.
Third. The Property of the Medical College of
Virginia referred to in the said agreement, shall be
transferred to the said Rector and Visitors at the end
of the current session of the said college, or such
subsequent date as may be fixed by the said Rector and
Visitors; and when the latter shall enter into possession
of said property, full power and authority is hereby
given the said Rector and Visitors to assume the indebtedness
of said College as of the date of such transfer of
possession.
Fourth. Further power and authority are hereby
given said Rector and Visitors to accept any and all
contributions, donations, legacies and devises which
may, from time to time, be made by individuals, corporations,
of the said Medical Department at Richmond.
Fifth. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
this act are hereby repealed.
Sixth. An emergency existing therefor by reason
of the necessity for taking over the property in Richmond
and to receive and use the contributions mentioned
in the above agreement, this act shall be in force from
its passage.
The question of building an additional wing to the
hospital was considered and laid on the table.
Dr. Page stated to the Board that the prospects for
securing the establishment of a School of Forestry at
the University were very good, and it was tentatively
agreed that Dr. Page should handle the matter in such
way as may seem to him proper.
Application of the Alpha Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity
for a site on western side of Carr's Hill on which to
erect a Fraternity House, was received and granted.
Messrs. Flood and Norton, composing a Committee to
arrange for the inauguration of the Ryan Scholarships
under appointment by the Rector at the November 11th
which were unanimously adopted:-
Resolved: That the following provisions shall govern
the Thomas Fortune Ryan Scholarships, subject to the approval
of President Alderman and Mr. Ryan.
1. The Scholarships shall be known as "The Thomas
Fortune Ryan Scholarships."
2. If practicable and as far as possible, one of these
scholarships shall be given to a student in each of the
ten congressional districts of the State; said applicant
must have been a bona fide resident of the congressional
district from which he makes application for two years prior
to such application, and no two appointees shall come from
the same Congressional district, unless there is a failure of
applicants from some otherdistrict.
3. The recipients of such scholarships will be required
to satisfy the entrance requirements.
4. The selection of the recipients of such scholarships
shall be made prior to the first of July each year.
5. Four years is the maximum period that any one
person can receive this scholarship, and his right thereto
is to be determined each year.
6. The recipient of the scholarship will be allowed
to take any course in the University he may desire.
7. Each candidate must submit to the Rector and
the Board of Visitors at least two testimonials of
good character and future promise, from authoritative
sources and a letter of his own stating he needs
financial assistance to attend the University.
8. The selection of the incumbent to each Ryan
Scholarship will be made by the Rector and Board of Visitors;
in making such selection, weight will be given to the
testimonials and character, and particularly to evidence
of future promise submitted by the applicant.
9. The value of each scholarship is three hundred
dollars a year.
Dr. C. W. Kent, Chairman of the Religious Exercises
Committee, sent a communication to the Board setting
forth the fact that certain funds collected by Prof.
Dunnington, acting Treasurer of the old Temperance
Society, accruing from rentals for the rooms in the old
Temperance Hall, had been turned over to the Proctor
of the University in 1895, and that other certain rentals
were received by the Proctor, all of which was turned
into the general income account of the University and
used by it in payment of current expenses, and that no
part of such funds had ever been repaid to the Temperance
A large amount of money now being required to
erect the building to replace the old Temperance Hall,
the income of which had been, during recent years,
used by the Committee on Religious Exercises in supplying
the University Chapel with ministers, etc., the
Committee requested that such funds as may have been
turned into the general treasury of the University, be
refunded. The matter was referred to the Executive Committee
to investigate and report back.
Resolved: (1) That the Rector and Visitors of the
University of Virginia desire to make grateful acknowledgment
to Mrs. Mary Cameron Buford, of Richmond,
Virginia, for the gift of a portrait of her distinguished
brother, William Alexander Ross.
(2) That it will be with great pleasure
that the Visitors will direct the hanging of this portrait
in company with that of another distinguished
brother, Dr. George Ross, as being peculiarly worthy
to adorn the walls of Alma Mater,—perpetuating as it
will the memory of a member of the "Southern Guard," a
son who after a brilliant career in the service of his
country, gave for her his life upon the field of battle.
On motion, the Board adjourned.
Secretary.
Rector.
| Board of Visitors minutes February 18, 1914 | |