University of Virginia Library

Your Committee, consisting of the Rector, Barron F. Black, Thomas B. Gay and E. C. Anderson,
Chairman, have had the subject of this report under consideration for more than a year. On
May 13, 1949, the Committee recommended that an office of publicity, public relations and fund-raising
be created and that a suitable person be found to direct all activities of this office. Up
to the present time, it has not been possible to find a person qualified to assume the position,
and, therefore, your Committee offers the following suggestion as a substitute and as a method for
carrying on the work begun by the Development Fund until a more permanent arrangement can be made.

Your Committee believes that it is desirable to terminate the activities of the Development
Fund, other than the collection of unpaid pledges. By so doing, future fund-raising activities
will not be restricted by the objectives set up for the Development Fund and greater freedom of action
will be gained.

Your Committee suggests that an organization known as Mister Jefferson's Sponsors be created,
that the President of the University become president of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors, that
the Development Fund Committee of the Board become the Executive Committee of Mister Jefferson's
Sponsors and that it invite the Alumni Board of Managers to name two members, who will become members
of the Executive Committee of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors. The rotation of these alumni representatives
might be made in any manner in which the Alumni Board of Managers elected

Your Committee recommends that the Executive Committee elect Mr. Knox Turnbull of Charlottesville
as Executive Vice President of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors and that the Board of Visitors
assume the expense, not in excess of $10,000, for one year to maintain an office and staff at the
University for the Executive Vice President. The Board made this appropriation at the February meeting.
In this connection, we suggest that collections of Development Fund pledges be carried on in
this office and that an appropriate charge be made for this service.

It is recommended that the Executive Committee meet at least twice a year, and our idea
is that from time to time this Committee would become active in an effort to raise money for any
objective which they may decide upon.

Your Committee suggests that Mr. Powell-Tuck, or some similar person, be retained as consultant,
and that he confer with the Executive Committee at stated intervals during the year in order
to review the work that is going on and to develop a continuing program. For the immediate
present, your Committee recommends that as soon as Mr. Turnbull can get his office organized that he
go to work on the Development Fund organization throughout the country in an effort to enroll them
and to have them enroll others as Mister Jefferson's Sponsors. The goal might be set at 1,000 members
who would agree to join and to pay $100 per year into a fund which, with the approval of the
Executive Committee, would be spent at the discretion of the President to provide and to supplement
professors' salaries at the University. Furthermore, the membership of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors
would agree to do what they were able to do to further the welfare of the University, and by organized
effort to endeavor to interest wealth individuals and corporations in giving to the University.
Particular objectives might be set for the entire group or projects of special interest for a part
of the group. It would be desirable to have some significant goal each year.

Your Committee recommends further that the Board of Visitors or the Executive Committee
of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors work out some suitable method for recognizing the benefactors of
the University. Thought might be given to the holding of exercises of a suitable nature at the
University to honor these benefactors and to present to them some testimonial. With proper publicity
and planning and with speakers of national or international standing, a very significant occasion
might be created.

This report is not intended to limit the activities of Mister Jefferson's Sponsors or
even to insist on the use of that name. It is a recommendation for continuing the fund raising
activities on a long range basis which were begun by the Development Fund