University of Virginia Library

EXECUTIVE SESSION

In the discussion which followed, the point was made that opinions might have been colored
by the brutality of subsequent events. It was pointed out, however, that the three students, knew,
solely on the basis of what they saw at the time, that a bawdy party was in progress. Judge
Smith said that he wanted particularly to have it noted that this matter of suspensions fell
within the final jurisdiction of the President, that interference by the Board in these suspensions
would be an improper intrusion upon administrative matters, that the President, who with several
trusted and experienced members of the faculty had spent much time on this matter, must be
supported.

President Darden, who now returned to the Board room by request, was asked how the Board
could sustain his action on the suspensions without jeopardizing the three students' commissions,
which he had said earlier he wished to protect. He said that he hoped the Board would not
confirm his penalties, thus tying his hands. If he were left free to modify the punishments he
had set, his plan would be to withhold the degree of Mr. Bocock, whose guilt was the least, and
require him to go to summer school. He would suspend the other two as soon as they had taken
their R.O.T.C. examinations

The Board resolved that the President's action in suspending Messrs. Bocock, Martin, and
Talman be sustained, but that the President be authorized to modify any or all of the three
suspensions to the extent necessary to prevent any one of these three students from being
deprived of his reserve commission in the armed forces.

Mr. Howard had left the meeting before this Resolution was made, expressing strong regret
that he could not remain and cast his vote in support of President Darden's action, and Mrs. Smith
abstained from voting on the Resolution because she had been unable to be present at the beginning
of the day's meeting.

The Rector asked Judge Smith to prepare a more formal draft of this Resolution for presentation
to the Board on May 27th.

On motion the Board adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

27 May 1954

The Board of Visitors in special session reconvened on this date at 9:15 a.m. in the Office
of the President of the University with all members present except Mr. Howard, who had been recalled
to Richmond by the Governor for an important meeting of the State Board of Education.

At the request of the Rector, Judge Smith read to the Board the formal draft he had
prepared, as follows, of the Resolution adopted by the Board immediately prior to adjournment
on May 26th

BE IT RESOLVED by the Rector and Board of Visitors in the matter of the appeal from
suspensions by the President of Bocock, Martin, and Talman, as follows:

That it is the sense of the Board that the decision of the President in these cases
was justified on the evidence presented at the time and is hereby sustained. It now appearing,
however, that the suspensions may automatically jeopardize or forfeit the R.O.T.C. and/or R.O.C.
Commissions about to be awarded to the students involved, which constitutes an additional penalty
not anticipated or intended to be imposed, the President is therefore directed and authorized
to make such reductions or modifications in the penalties heretofore imposed, as will assure
that such penalties will not have the effect of preventing either or any of such students from
receiving the R.O.T.C. and/or R.O.C. Commissions in the Army or the Navy to which they would
otherwise be entitled.

The Board approved and adopted the Resolution as read, Mrs. Smith abstaining from voting
because of her unavoidable absence from the beginning of the meeting on May 26th

Mr. Howard was unavoidably absent: Messrs. Coxe, Mears, and Talbott requested that their
negative vote be recorded.