University of Virginia Library

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the
University of Virginia was held on this date at 10:00 a.m. in the Office of the President of the
University, at Charlottesville, with the following present. The Rector, Barron F. Black,
President Colgate W. Darden, Jr., Visitors Barksdale, Coxe, Dunn, Emmett, Gravatt, McWane, Mears,
Pollock, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Smith, Talbott, and Wheeler. Absent: Visitors Berkeley, Gray, Hartfield,
and Howard.

The minutes of the meeting of 12 February 1955, previously distributed, were approved, subject
to a correction in Hospital accounts charged off, as noted below.

MR. BERKELEY, MR. HARTFIELD, AND MR. POLLOCK APPOINTED VISITORS

The Rector introduced and welcomed to the Board Dr. Herbert Chermside Pollock, one of three
Visitors appointed by the Governor on February 28th for the four-year term ending 28 February 1959.
A certified copy of Mr. Pollock's oath of office, taken before the Clerk of the Circuit Court of
Albemarle County on March 11th, was handed to the Secretary and ordered to be filed

The Rector also announced to the Visitors the appointment to the Board on the same date of
Mr. Norborne Berkeley and Col. Joseph Manuel Hartfield, who, like Mr. Pollock, were named by
Governor Stanley as a result of the Act of the General Assembly, approved on 2 April 1954, amending
Sections 23-70 and 23-71 of the Code of Virginia so as to increase the membership of the Board from
fourteen to seventeen Visitors, no more than three of whom may be Alumni of the University resident
outside of Virginia. Letters from Mr. Berkeley and Mr. Hartfield which were read aloud to the
Board expressed the hope of both to be present at the April 8th meeting, but Mr. Berkeley said it
would not be possible for him to attend every month, and he thought it would be better for him to
withdraw acceptance of his appointment than to miss a large proportion of the meetings.

BOARD MEETINGS ON ALTERNATE MONTHS

President Darden and various members of the Board expressed a strong desire to have Mr. Berkeley
on the Board, and the Rector was requested to write to Mr. Berkeley and urge him to delay his
proposed withdrawal. A trial period of fewer meetings was proposed, and in the discussion that
followed it was pointed out that the May and November meetings are usually held in Fredericksburg,
and that it has been customary to hold in June the Annual meeting required by law.

On motion of Mr. Talbott, duly seconded, the Board resolved to hold the meetings as now
scheduled for April 8th, June 10th, and September 9th, to omit the meetings scheduled for May,
October, and December, 1955, and so on alternately, to refer to the Executive Committee matters
of importance arising between meetings, and to have the full Board called by the Rector when an
emergency need should require it.

GIFTS AND GRANTS

The President announced the following gifts and grants.

                                   

From Mr. and Mrs. W. H. White, Jr., securities to be added to the Mary Stamps Suhling Cancer Fund, valued at	$ 17,216.00
From Mr. William G. Brady, Jr., to the University Hospital	500.00
From the Sycamore Tree Trust, to the University Hospital for use of the premature nursery	1,200.00
From the James L. Camp Foundation, to the Medical School to set up the House Staff Scholarship Fund	1,800.00
From the Johnson Foundation, to be added to the President's discretionary fund	100.00
From Mr. Clifton Waller Barrett, 551 volumes from the Wegelin Collection of American Poetry, valued at	1,100.00
From Colonel John R. Fox, 38 volumes valued at	430.00
From Mrs. Doris K. Neale, for the Doris Kellogg Neale Fellowship for 1955-56	500.00
From the S. E. Massengill Company, to be added to the urology research fund	2,500.00
From the Student Aid Foundation, for athletic grants-in-aid	40,516.67
From the University Hospital Nurses' Alumnae Association, to be added to the Fluid Research Fund	2,000.00
From Smith, Kline and French Laboratories, for chemical research under the direction of Dr. Alfred Burger	20,000.00
From the Virginia Cerebral Palsy Association, for the Cerebral Palsy Clinic	15,423.00
From the Charlottesville and Albemarle Cerebral Palsy Association, for the Cerebral Palsy Clinic	500.00
From Allen-Sherman-Huff Pump Company for research under the direction of Prof. R. M. Hubbard	35,000.00
From Philip Morris and Company, for continued research under the direction of Prof. R. M. Hubbard	1,000.00
From the National Science Foundation, for support of a conference under the direction of Prof. H. L. Alden	6,000.00
From the American Chemical Society, for research in chemistry under the direction of Dr. R. E. Cunningham	6,000.00

RESIGNATIONS

The following resolution was adopted by the Board

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the resignations of the following faculty members be and they are hereby accepted

Dr. Harold F. Chase, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, as of July 1, 1955

Dr. Woodbury Perkins, Clinical Instructor in Internal Medicine, as of January 1, 1955.

We wish for them the highest success in their new undertakings.

ELECTIONS

The following resolution was adopted by the Board

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the following persons be and they are hereby elected to the faculty:

Dr. Joseph L. Blotner as Assistant Professor of English, effective in September, at a
session salary of $4,450.00.

Dr. Frederick L. Gwynn as Associate Professor of English, effective in September, at a
session salary of $5,800.00.

Dr. Floyd Stovall as Edgar Allan Poe Professor of English, effective in September, at a
session salary of $9,500.00.

Dr. Philip Y. Paterson as Assistant Professor of Microbiology, effective July 1, 1955, at an
annual salary of $6,000, to be paid from a grant of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Kenneth Boyd Grim as Instructor in Pathology, effective April 1, 1955, at an annual
salary of $5,700.00, $3,800 of which is to be paid from the University budget and $1,900 from
departmental funds.

Dr. W. Ralph Singleton as Miller Professor of Biology and Director of the Blandy Experimental
Farm, at an annual salary of $10,000.00, effective in September.

Mr. A. W. Patrick as Assistant Professor in the McIntire Undergraduate School of Commerce,
effective in September, at a session salary of $4,950.00.

Dr. Walter Aron as Assistant Professor of Physics beginning in September at a salary of
$4,950.00.

DISTRIBUTION OF COLLEGE GRADES

Copies of a summary of enrollment in College and Graduate School courses and the distribution
of College grades for the first semester of the 1954-55 session were laid before the Board.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

President Darden invited the Board's attention to the possible confusion resulting from the
name of the Graduate School now that various professional schools in the University have independent
programs of graduate study. The Board adopted the following resolution

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the name of the School of Graduate Studies be and it is hereby changed to Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences.

UNCOLLECTIBLE HOSPITAL ACCOUNTS

The Board adopted the following resolution

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the Hospital Accounts Committee be and they are hereby authorized to charge off as
uncollectible accounts Schedules 508, 508-a, 511, and 512, aggregating $65,448.54, as recommended
by them

President Darden noted a clerical error in the numbers and total sum of the Schedules charged
off in February and requested correction. The Board thereupon adopted the following resolutions

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the section of the minutes for the meeting of the Board held on 12 February 1955 entitled
UNCOLLECTIBLE HOSPITAL ACCOUNTS be and it is hereby cancelled.

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
that the Hospital Accounts Committee be and they are hereby authorized to charge off as uncollectible
accounts Schedules 498, 502 and 503, aggregating $38,307.11, as recommended by them

REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Mr. Mears, Chairman of the Finance Committee, read to the Board the following report

Following discussion it was resolved that the Report be accepted and approved, and filed in
conjunction with the accompanying Report and Summary of University of Virginia Consolidated
Endowment Funds submitted by the State-Planters Bank and Trust Company for the period from
January 25, 1954 to January 25, 1955.

MESSRS. GUNN AND WILLCOX PRESENT

At eleven o'clock the Messrs. L. B. Gunn and D. S. Willcox, of the State-Planters Bank and
Trust Company, were admitted to the Board Room and introduced to the Board. There followed an
analysis and discussion of the University's investments management and plans and the handling of
the various funds. Mr. Gunn and Mr. Willcox withdrew at eleven-thirty.

MESSRS. GUNN AND WILLCOX ABSENT

APPOINTMENT OF A DEAN TO DIRECT EXTENSION WORK

President Darden commented on the great expansion throughout Virginia of the teaching work of
the Extension Division in recent years, and the enlarged responsibilities of its Director. He felt
that the importance of the work undertaken merited recognition through the title of Dean, and he
requested the Visitors to give consideration to the matter prior to the April 8th meeting, when
he would ask for a decision on this matter

MC GREGOR LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The President expressed his regret at having to announce to the Board the resignation,
owing to ill health, of Mr. Robert B. Tunstall from the Advisory Committee of the Tracy W.
McGregor Library, a collection of rare source materials in American history which is maintained
in large part through annual grants from McGregor Fund of Detroit, and is housed and administered
in the Alderman Library building as one of the numerous special collections embraced in the
Division of Rare Books and Manuscripts. President Darden nominated as Mr. Tunstall's successor
Mr. David J. Mays, of Richmond, Virginia, attorney-at-law, Recording Secretary of the Virginia
Historical Society, Chairman of the State Library Board, and author of the Pulitzer prize-winning
biography of Edmund Pendleton. The Board adopted the following resolution

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia,
that pursuant to the articles of the Deed of Gift of McGregor Fund of Detroit, Mr. David John Mays,
of Richmond, be and he is hereby appointed Representative-at-Large to the Advisory Committee of
The Tracy W. McGregor Library of the University of Virginia, succeeding Mr. Robert Baylor Tunstall,
for the remainder of the five-year period which began on 1 July 1953.

The Board resolved further that the Secretary be directed to convey to Mr. Tunstall the
Visitors' good wishes for the prompt recovery of his health and strength, together with the lively
sense of gratitude of the Rector and Visitors for his distinguished and constructive services to
the University's libraries, particularly The Tracy W. McGregor Library, his able work as Advisor
being only one of many notable services that Mr. Tunstall has unselfishly performed for the
University over a period of many years

LAND ON ROUTE 250 TO BE RE-ZONED

Mrs. Smith, Chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, read to the Board the
following report

Through refra by Mr. Darden, the Buildings and Grounds Committee were approached by
Mr. Stevens, Realtor, and W. Max Smith, representing the Braxton Valentine Family of Richmond to
ascertain whether or not the University would enter an objection to a proposed rezoning from
residential to business of a plot of ground lying between Copeley Hill and Route #250. If a
conversion to business is contemplated it is fortunate to have it in the hands of the Valentine
Family who contemplate discretion in developing an overall plan with a set-back of buildings and
with the intention of creating an architectural unit. Due to the location of the land with
business buildings already located to the west and to the east the recommendation of the
Committee is that since this area is obviously more suitable for business than for residential
purposes the University should enter no protest against the rezoning of the area.

Judge Barksdale

Mr. McWane

Mrs. Smith
Buildings and Grounds Committee

The Board resolved that the foregoing report be accepted and approved, and ordered it to be
filed.

RETIREMENT REGULATIONS

The President inaugurated a discussion of the problems of retirement, pointing out that
professors' retirement is now optional (with the individual only, not the University) at age 65
and obligatory at age 70. Mr. Darden said that the students and the University needed to be
protected through extension of this option to the University, and that he had been holding discussions
with the faculty toward this end. The Faculty having requested further discussion of
the matter, Mr. Darden said that he would not lay the new retirement plan before the Board for
consideration and action until the April 8th meeting.

The President, the Deans, and the Comptroller, Mr. Darden said, ought to be retired without
option to extend their services at age 65, but Deans who are still vigorous might well be continued
as professors to a later age, up to age 70. Mr. Darden stated that he did not wish to
continue as President beyond age 65, and he laid before the Board a letter from Mr. Shea, University
Comptroller, stating an intention to retire at the end of the regular session following his
65th birthday.

Under Virginia law, Mr. Darden pointed out, administrative personnel of the University may
retire on the Virginia Retirement System pensions and Social Security at age 65, with such
retirement obligatory at age 70, but Virginia law does not prevent the Board from retiring
administrative officers at an earlier age. Teaching personnel now retire on Teachers Insurance
and Annuity Association (successor to Carnegie) pensions, but are shortly to take a vote on
joining the Social Security System under the new legislation covering college teachers

BUILDING PLANS

President Darden reported briefly on the visit to the University by the Governor's
Commission on Capital Outlays to consider the building plans for the next six years as recently
submitted. Mr. Darden said that the visit had been a satisfactory one, and that he had found
the Commission particularly sympathetic to the critical and dangerous situation now existing
at the University Hospital.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE

Mr. Mears reported that his special committee on Administration had held further
discussions, but would have no report until a later meeting of the Board. Mr. Mears mentioned
that the Committee had included in its deliverations the salary of the Secretary to the
Visitors.

SECRETARY ABSENT

The Rector having declared the Board in Executive Session, the Secretary withdrew from the
Board room at 12:00 o'clock, being recalled at 12:10. During this interval there was a brief
discussion of the Secretary's salary, and the matter was referred to the Finance Committee in
consultation with the President.

SECRETARY PRESENT

FACULTY SALARIES AND STUDENT FEES

An extensive discussion was held on the critical need for an increase in faculty salaries
in order to hold as many as possible of the abler teachers and attract competent new men to the
Faculty. President Darden stated that his latest move in this continuing problem, which has
become increasingly serious, had been a further discussion with the Governor, who had agreed to
approve a general increase providing that the major part of the cost could be met from increased
student fees. The President said that he had moved toward higher fees with the utmost reluctance,
as the lesser of two evils and the only available means of preventing deterioration in the
quality of instruction. The new schedules would be ready to lay before the Board for decision
at the April 8th meeting.

During the discussion, all of the Visitors present expressed approval of the general plan
Mr. Darden expressed the hope that applications for admission, now up by the extraordinary figure
of 90 per cent over last year's, would not be adversely affected, and that means for additional
scholarship help might be found for needy students who would suffer hardship under higher fees
Mr. Talbott and others pointed out that the announcement should be made in such a manner as to
acquaint students and the public with the necessity. The Rector requested that the new
schedules be sent to Board members at the same time they are submitted to the Governor.

MARY WASHINGTON COLLEGE MATTERS

DISCHARGED WORKER'S PROTEST

The Rector read to the Board a letter from Mr. Fred C. Abbott, Richmond Attorney, requesting
a hearing by the Board of a protest by Mr. William Houchins, who was discharged as a laborer at
the College some months ago. President Darden said that the man discharged was one of several
who had made a joint appeal. He had reviewed the case, denied it, and asked Mr. Charles O'Conor
Goolrick to handle it as attorney for the College. The group had then withdrawn the complaint.

On motion of Judge Barksdale, duly seconded, the Board resolved that the Rector refer the
letter to the University's Special Counsel.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE COLLEGE

The Rector reported a telephone call from Mr. Howard, Chairman of the Committee on the
College, saying that he would be unavoidably absent from today's meeting. In view of the
Chairman's absence, decisions regarding the College administration were deferred.

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On motion the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 o'clock