University of Virginia Library

PROFESSOR EMERITUS TITLE CREATED

President Darden, proposing that the title of Professor Emeritus be created as
an honorary rank in the University, laid before the Board (1) a letter of 1 May
1957 from the University's Special Counsel giving a legal opinion that the Board
possesses authority (under Section 23-76 of the Code of Virginia, 1950) to create
the title, and (2) an excerpt from the minutes of a meeting of the University
Senate, held on 15 January 1957, at which the following resolution was adopted

• I. That the title, Professor Emeritus, be established at the University
  of Virginia. That this title be conferred by the Rector and Visitors
  on faculty members of the University of Virginia upon the occasion of
  their retirement. (This title would automatically be conferred on
  all full professors retiring between the ages of 65 and 70 after at
  least 10 years of service at this University, and, in addition, all
  retiring members of the faculty may be considered for this title).

• II. That the election of an individual as Professor Emeritus be
  announced at the Final Exercises in June and that thereafter his
  name and title be printed in the appropriate University catalogues.

• III. That a Professor Emeritus have no salary or prerequisites [sic], no
  specific duties, no voice or vote in meetings of any of the Faculties
  of the University and no formal relation to the department or school
  of which he was formerly a member

• IV. That qualified members of the Faculty who have already retired be
  invested with this title.

After discussion the Board adopted, on motion of Mr. Hartfield, duly seconded,
the following resolution

RESOLVED by the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia that the title
of Professor Emeritus be and it is hereby established as an honorary rank in the
faculties of the several schools and colleges of the University,

RESOLVED further that election to the rank of Professor Emeritus shall be by
specific action of the Board of Visitors, in response to nominations made by the
President of the University of the following categories of candidates: (1) full
professors retiring between the ages of 65 and 70 after at least 15 years of service
in the University of Virginia, and (2) former full professors who have previously
retired between the ages of 65 and 70 after at least 15 years of service in the
University of Virginia,

RESOLVED further that a person holding the title of Professor Emeritus shall
have his name listed in the appropriate catalogues of the University, but that the
possession of this title shall not in itself entitle him to any salary or
perquisites, nor to any specific duties, nor to any voice or vote in University
faculties, nor to any official relationship to any department, school, or college
of the University.