University of Virginia Library

A called meeting of the Board of Visitors was held on this date at 10 o'clock A.M.
with the Rector, Fred. W. Scott, and Visitors Corbitt, Garnett, Hall, Rinehart, Stuart, L. C.
Williams and R. Gray Williams, and President Newcomb present. Absent Mr. Goolrick and Mrs.
Munford.

The President made the following announcements:

Enrollment:

         

Regular session 1937-38, to Oct. 19th	2656
Summer session 1937	1265
Extension division, 1936-37	962
Nurses Training School	186
Grand total	5069

Gift:

 

Mr. Arthur Curtiss James, to be used in bringing up to date the Library's collection of books on the Negro

$1,000

Upon the recommendation of the President the following actions were taken:

• Leave of absence granted Miss Louise Oates, Professor of Nursing Education,
  from September 1, 1937 to June 1, 1938, without pay, in order to pursue further
  graduate work in Nursing Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Ratification of the following appointments made during the summer:

• Dr. Kenneth W. Spence, Acting Assistant Professor of Psychology for the session
  of 1937-38, at a salary of $3,000.

• Mr. John Joseph Smith, Acting Assistant Professor of Commerce and Business
  Administration, at a salary of $2,800.

• Miss Clare M. J. Wangen, Superintendent of Nurses, University of Virginia
  Hospital, at a salary of $2,100, replacing Miss Josephin McLeod, resigned.

Election:

• Mr. Edward Angelo Colonna, full-time Instructor in the School of
  Romanic Languages, at a salary of $2,000.

Report of cost of Constructing and Equipping the New Engineering Building
(Thornton Hall) now completed.

RECEIPTS

     

Sale of $304,000 4% serial bonds	$304,000.00
Grant received from Federal Government	120,000.00
Appropriation by the University for plans and specifications prepared in advance of the contract with the Federal Government for grant and which it disallowed as being subject to grant	9,000.00	433,000.00

COST

           

Expended for construction, equipment and its installation		$432,977.32
Balance on hand		$ 22.68
Note: The expenditures on construction, equipment and installation admitted by the Federal Government as basis for grant was $406,749.95:
Grant per centage 30, or	$122,024.93
Grant paid in cash	120,000.00
Remainder payable by cancellation of bond and/or coupon cancellation	$ 2,024.98

Request from the Lawrenceville Baptist Church for a reduction in the
interest rate on its $4500.00 from 5% to 4½% was not granted.

The request of the Executive Committee of the McIntire Tumor Clinic Fund
for the transfer of $5,000 of the accumulated surplus income to the principal endowment
account was approved.

Mr. F. Gray Williams, Chairman of the Committee on the Miller Farm, reported
on his investigation of the Farm and as to certain offers of purchase, recommending that
sale not be considered at this time which was approved by the Board.

In connection with the settlement of the estate of Dr. Charles M. Fauntleroy,
the President made the following statement:

The foregoing report was duly considered by the Board, and it was, thereupon,

The President called the attention of the Board to the covenant entered into by the
Board with the purchasers of its Library Revenue bonds under Resolution adopted by the
Board January 16, 1937 as follows:

and stated that the following rule or plan for collection of these library fees has been put
in operation for the Session 1937-38, that is to say

After a full discussion, it was

Extension of time on the Library project:

Upon the recommendation of the President the following was adopted.

The Students' Admission Application Committee submitted a detailed report of application
denied and payments made therefor to the students so denied who are attending other
universities, from May 4th, 1937 to Sept. 17, 1937, which was approved in the following
resolution adopted.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Name	Residence	Institution	Dept.	Amount
Banks, Lavinia J.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Barnes, Wm. H.	Manassas	Boston U.	Grad	78.45
Barrow, Lucy Clay	Phoebus	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Black, Aline E.	Norfolk,	K. Y. U.	Grad	73.32
Bluford, Wm. E.	Clay Bank	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Bolling, Geraldine	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Booker, Alice I.	Amelia	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Booker, Sylvester	Emmerton	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Boone, Elwood B.	Petersourg	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Botts, John M.	Hampton	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Bowes, Mary Helen	Fredericksburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Bowes, Paul E.	Fredericksburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Bowles, Eloise P.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Bracey, Arthur W.	Portsmouth	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Bradford, Williana	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Braxton, Margaret	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Brickhouse, Eunice	Norfolk	N. Y. U.	Grad	73.32
Brooks, John M.	Blakes	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Brooks, Lyman B.	Blakes	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Brown, Antoinette	Ruthville	Ohio St. U.	Grad	50.00
Brown, Dorothy L.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Brown, Emma C.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Brown, Louis P.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Brown, Mamie E.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Buford, Beatrice	Pulaski	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Browne, Margaret	Fredericksburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Bullock, Lucy J.	Fredericksburg	Boston U.	Grad	78.45
Butcher, Armeta L.	Roanoke	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Butler, Alonzo E.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Carey, John Henry	Portsmouth	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Carr, Ladonia Dare	Christiansburg	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Catus, Viola C.	Ettrick	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Chambers, Elnora	Portsmouth	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Chambers, Emily G.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Cheatham, Ada M.	Chase City	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Cheatham, Louise B.	Heathsville	Western Reserve	Grad	82.90
Chick, Clarence A.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Christian, Howard N.	Lynchburg	Colorado St. eg.	Grad	50.00
Clarke, Geo. W.	Hampton	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Clarke, Peresa L.	Petersburg	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Coleman, L. W.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Coles, Violet B.	Charlottesville	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Crawford, Harry S.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Crocker, Curtis A.	South Boston	Columbia	Grad	88
Curl, Page T.	Petersburg	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Dandridge, Ethel J.	Ferdericksburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Daniel, Eunice L.	Ashland	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Davis, Arthur P.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Davis, Thursa F.	Newport News	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Driver, Willard M.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Eason, J. Corbett	Richmond	Howard	Grad	50.00
Edmonds, Helen G.	Lawrenceville	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Finney, Ernest A.	South Hill	Cornell	Grad	62.77
Foreman, Madeline C.	Hampton	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Foster, Chris. J.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Foster, Richard W.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Gaither, A. S.	Lawrenceville	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Gaskins, Allen A.	Cambria	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Giddings, Percy W.	Roanoke	U. of Cincinnati	Grad	50.00
Giles, H. Leslie	Lawrenceville	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Givens, Alma W.	Norfolk	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Gough, Ruth M.	Warrenton	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Grant, Carroll C.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Graves, David A.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Graves, Elsie Z.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Gray, Eliz. K.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Gray, Hattie E.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Green, Harriet	Lawrenceville	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Greer, Louise E.	Charlottesville	Cornell	Grad	62.77
Greer, Mary Carr	Charlottesville	Cornell	Grad	62.77
Griffin, Samuel F.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Hancock, Gordon B.	Richmond	Oxford	Grad	100.00
Harris, Viola B.	Ettrick	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Harris, Blanche E.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Heiskell, Elsie C.	Charlottesville	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Henderson, Kate G.	Richmond	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Henderson, Mary E.	Richmond	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Henderson, Thos. H.	Richmond	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Hill, Lester V.	Richmonf	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Hill, Sadie T.	Norfolk	N. Y. U.	Grad	73.32
Holmes, James E.	Richmond	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Howell, Samuel C.	Richmond	Temple	Grad	50.00
Huggins, Sarah E.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Hunter, M. E. V.	Ettrick	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Jackson, Alice C.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jackson, Geneva M.	Ettrick	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jackson, Louise F.	Portsmouth	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jackson, Moncerie	Warrenton	Catholic U.	Grad	50.00
James, Elva V.	Petersburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jeffries, Louis V.	Richmond	U. of Chicago	Grad	100.00
Johnson, Albertine	Alexandria	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Johnson, Harry P.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Johnson, Marg. F.	Newport News	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Johnson Marye M.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Johnson, Martha A.	Hampton	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Johnson, Minnie E.	Lynchburg	N. Y. U.	Grad	73.32
Johnson, Vivian M.	Norfolk	Howard	Grad	50.00
Jones, F. Beatrice	Lynchburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jones, M. Boyd	Gum Fork	Cornell	Grad	62.77
Jordan, Amy P.	Lynchburg	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Jordan, Daisy J.	Lawrenceville	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Jordan, John A.	Lynchburg	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Jordan, Ruby Bernice	Norfolk	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Keen, Ella M.	Roanoke	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Kerr, Wm. J.	Bremo Bluff	U. of Atlanta	Grad	50.00
King, Montgomery W.	Burkroe Beach	Howard	Grad	50.00
Knox, Marie J.	North Emporia	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Kyle, Miriam P.	Lynchburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Kyles, Blanche M.	Norfolk	Howard	Grad	50.00
Kyles, Ira A.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Lawson, Sadie V.	Roanoke	Harvard	Grad	79.45
Lewis, Page G.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad	50.00
Lewis, Rosa B.	Powhatan	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Linnette, Harry M.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Liverpool, G. Wm.	Richmond	Ohio State	Grad	50.00
Lloyd, Kate C.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Lomax, Olga Louise	Lynchburg	Columbia	Grad	81.88
McCown, Marion V.	Ettrick	Columbia	Grad	81.88
McDaniel, Reuben R.	Vienna	Cornell	Grad	62.77
Morgan, Josie B.	Dillwyn	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Palmer, Edward N.	Newport News	U. of Michigan	Grad	50.00
Palmer, Anna R.	Norfolk	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Palmer, Ethel L.	Hampton	Columbia	Grad	81.88
Penister, Lucile	Petersburg	Temple	Grad.	50.00
Peters, Grace W.	Petersburg	Temple	Grad.	50.00
Picott, John R.	Newport News	Temple	Grad.	50.00
Ransome, Joseph R.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Richardson, A. G.	Richmond	Butler Univ.	Grad.	50.00
Ridley, Peter S.	Newport News	Howard	Grad.	50.00
Ridley, Walter N.	Newport News	U. of Minnesota	Grad.	50.00
Robinson, Georgia	Petersburg	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Robinson, Irene R.	Lawrenceville	Howard	Grad.	50.00
Robinson, Selina B.	Ettrick	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Ruffin, Geo. V.	Reedville	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Segear, Henrietta	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Segear, James E.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Sellers, Elnora B.	Charlottesville	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Smith, Bernard S.	Richmond	Chicago	Grad.	100.00
Smith, Edith L.	Norfolk,	N. Y. U.	Grad.	73.32
Smith, Roger D.	Petersburg	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Spain, Adolph S.	Bristol	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Spencer, Alroy	Lynchburg	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Spencer, James P.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Spiller, Wm. M.	Norfolk	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Steptoe, Walter P.	Lawrenceville	U. of Cincinnati	Grad.	50.00
Taylor, John R.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Thomas, Celie E. M.	Catlett	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Thomas, Nicholas	Midland	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Thompkins, Robt. E.	Mannboro	U. of Pittsburgh	Grad.	50.00
Thompson, Charlotte	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Thompson, Susie M.	Covington	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Tidline, Nellie F.	Richmond	Cornell	Grad.	62.77
Travis, Nannie M.	Lawrenceville	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Turner, Eliz. W.	Norfolk	N. Y. U.	Grad.	73.32
Turner, Henry V.	Norfolk	C. O. N. Y.	Grad.	50.00
Wall, Limas D.	Richmond	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Ward, John H.	Norfolk	N. Y. U.	Grad.	73.32
Wesley, Emma G.	Crozet	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Williams, John W.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Williams, Purvis J.	Norfolk	U. of Wisconsin	Grad.	50.00
Wingfield, Mary J.	Richmond	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
Woltz, Annie E.	Richmond	U. of Penna.	Grad.	50.00
Womack, Fannie S.	Lynchburg	Howard	Grad.	50.00
Womble, Charles W.	McKenny	U. of Michigan	Grad.	50.00
Woods, Alcia H.	Lynchburg	Columbia	Grad.	81.88
				$11,135.67
Refunds -
	Greer, Mary C.			20.00
	Johnson, Minnie E.			41.32
Total payments from May 4, 1937-Sept. 24, 1937				$11,074.35

Mr. Stuart, Chairman of the special committee to study cause of failure of Law
School Graduates, submitted, on behalf of the Committee a very full report of their investigations
and studies of the question, which was read and their recommendations discussed
at some length, With respect to the recommendation of the Committee that two
additional members be added to the law faculty, President Newcomb stated that one had
been added for the present session and that he had included another which had been requested
in the bi-ennial budget.

With respect to the recommendation for raising the entrance requirements for the
Law Department, Mr. Corbitt offered the following, which, being duly seconded, was adopted:

Report of Special Committee on the Law Department.

This committee consists of the following members of the Board: Messrs. Lewis C.
Williams, R. Gray Williams, Christopher B. Garnett, James H. Corbitt, C. O'Conor Goolrick, and
Wm. A. Stuart, Chariman. The committee did not find it possible to have a complete meeting.
At the meeting called for May 22, 1937, at the University, only Mr. Lewis C. Williams and the
Chairman were able to attend. That meeting was very instructive, however, to the two members
of the committee who were present, due to the preliminary discussion with President
Newcomb, followed by a prolonged discussion with the committee of the Law Faculty consisting
of Messrs. Eager, Ribble, White, Nash and Dillard. Since that meeting there has
been some correspondence between the members of the committee and a number of informal
conferences between individual members.

The work of the committee grouped itself naturally around three questions:

• (1) - What changes in the curriculum and in the order of subjects studied could
  be made to provide better preparation for the students taking the Virginia
  State Bar examination?

• (2) - What changes, if any, should be made in the requirements for admission
  to the Law Department?

• (3) - Is the personnel of the Law Faculty sufficient to carry the present and
  prospective teaching load?

With regard to the first question, your committee reports that during the year
that has elapsed since the subject was first mooted, the Law Faculty has taken important
steps to improve the preparation of students taking the Virginia State Bar examination.
These steps have consisted, first, in rearranging the course of study, so that those subjects
which might be expected to be most helpful for the purposes of the bar examination are now
grouped so that they will be freshest in the minds of the students at the time when most
students take the bar examination, namely, at the end of the second year of the course;
second, by expanding the courses relating to Virginia pleading and practice; third, by explaining

to students well in advance the scope and character of the bar examination and
impressing upon them the importance of making careful preparation; fourth, by enforcing
a more stringent elimination of unpromising law students during their first year. These
changes were made in time to become partially effective in advance of the bar examination
of June, 1937. The results of that examination, so far as students of the Law Department of
the University were concerned, showed a marked improvement over the disappointing record
of the immeidately preceding years. Seventy-four students of the University Law School
took the examination and 65 passed or 87.8%. Ninety-four and seven-tenth per cent of the
graduates passed (only one failed) and 85.5% of the second-year men passed (eight failed).
These results afford an extraordinary contrast to those of the bar examination of June,
1936, at which 11 graduates of the Law School passed out of 21 taking the examination,
or 52.4% and 24 second-year men passed out of 41 taking the examination, or 59%. Your
committee is of opinion that since the bad situation that had developed was called to the
attention of the Law Faculty, they have made earnest, and largely successful, efforts
to deal with it. However, your committee feels that the results of the bar examinations
should be carefully watched in future by the appropriate authority in the Law Faculty, and
that reports thereon should be promptly and regularly made to the President of the University.

(2) - With regard to the question as to the adequacy of the present requirements
for admission to the Law School, your committee has found that six American law schools now
require an academic degree for admission, namely, Harvard, Yale, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh,
Georgetown and California. Thirty other American law schools require three years of college
academic work. Among these are North Carolina, Duke, West Virginia, George Washington,
and William and Mary. The present requirements for admission to the University Law School
is only two years of academic work. That is the same as the minimum requirement of the
state law. In other words, the standards of admission to the University Law School are
no higher than the minimum requirements for admission to the bar fixed by the state law.
This necessarily means that the University Law School to-day is not taking a leading position
in the efforts being made to turn out better educated and better equipped lawyers,
but, on the contrary, is content to accept material that measures up only to the minimum
of the general state requirements for admission to the bar. Your committee considers this
position unsatisfactory, and recommends that the requirements for admission to the law
school be raised to three years of academic work beginning with the session of 1939-1930.
Your committee has given inquiry and thought to the question whether such an increase in requirements
would result in too sudden and drastic a reduction in the number of applications
for admission to the Law School. The Law Faculty were unanimous in their opinion
that such a result was not to be apprehended, due to the fact, first, that only the first-year
class would be affected in 1938, and, second, that the number of applications has
shown a marked upward tendency during recent years. The University Law School has enjoyed
deserved distinction in the past, which, however, it cannot hope to maintain unless
it raises its standards so as to keep them abreast of current progress in this field. It
cannot hope to maintain a position in the front rank if its student material is interior
to that of its competitors. At the request of the committee, the office of the dean of the
Law School furnished a tabulation showing the academic training and the average grades
made by the first-year law students over the past five years. This tabulation shows that
236 first-year students, having two years of academic preparation, made an average grade
of 84.576; 166 first-year students having three years of academic preparation made an
average grade of 85.907; 191 first-year students having academic degrees made an average
grade of 87.979. When it is remembered that the passing mark in the law school is 83,
these figures demonstrate very strikingly by what a precarious margin the average first-year
student, with only two years of academic preparation, is able to maintain himself
beyond the passing mark. On the other hand, the greater measure of success immediately
attained by the students with better academic training is striking.

(3) - With regard to the sufficiency of the present teaching staff of the Law
School, your committee reached the definite conclusion that the Law Faculty is overworked,
and that at least two more additions are urgently needed, besides the additional
professor provided this session. There has been a steady expansion, boty in the
number of students in the Law School and in the variety of subjects of instruction during
recent years. Corresponding provision for the needed additional teaching staff has not
been made. A reasonable amount of spare time for study and research must be provided for the
members of the faculty if the Law School is to hope to maintain a distinguished position.
The burden upon the present faculty is entirely too great to allow them this essential
opportunity. Your committee have compared the teaching loads in the other leading
American law schools with that of this University, and the results strikingly attest a
state of over-work based upon comparative standards. The situation is frankly pointed out
by the executive committee of the Association of American Law Schools which made its inspection
of the Law School in March, 1937. In the report, made by Dr. H. W. Arrant of
the Ohio State University Law School, the following is said upon this subject:

The meeting then adjourned.