 | Board of Visitors minutes August 31, 1946 |  |
A special meeting of the Rector and Visitors was held on this date at 11 O'clock in the
office of the President, with the following present: The Rector, E. R. Stettinius, Jr., Visitors E. C.
Anderson, Mrs. J. M. H. Willis, M. H. Bustard, Thomas B. Gay, and G. Tyler Miller; President Newcomb
and President Combs.
President Newcomb stated that the principle business of the meeting was the reconsideration
of the Board's action rejecting the proposal to admit male veterans as day students at the Mary Washington
College.
The following letter in the matter addressed to President Combs was read:
Richmond, Virginia
August 24, 1946
Mary Washington College
Fredericksburg, Virginia
I have brought your letter to the attention of Governor Fuck
and he has requested me to write you and ask you to initiate the action
necessary to call a special meeting of the Board of Visitors to reconsider
their action rejecting the proposal to admit male veterans as day
students at the Mary Washington College. The Governor feels that the
action of the Board of Visitors is directly at odds with the policy of the
State Board of Education and the policy he has set forth himself in regard
to veterans education. If there are male veterans in the vicinity of
Fredericksburg, married or single, who would find it more convenient to
attend Mary Washington College, the Governor feels that they must be
allowed to do so. Since the time remaining before the opening of the
Fall term is short, the Governor urges you to re-open this matter with
the Board as soon as possible.
When you are in Richmond, the Governor will be happy to talk
to you about this matter, but does not consider a special trip necessary.
With all good wishes, I am
Executive Secretary
The action of the Board of Visitors at the meetings of June 1st and August 9th on the subject
of admitting male day students applied to all male students, and not merely to war veterans.
Mr. Miller stated that following an opinion of the Attorney General in the matter of admitting
male non-boarding veterans to the State Teachers Colleges at Farmville and Harrisonburg, the State
Board of Education authorized their admission.
Following some discussion of the matter, Mr. Gay offered the following which was adopted:
RESOLVED, that, if in the opinion of the Attorney General they may be
legally admitted, non-boarding male veterans, married or single, be admitted to
Mary Washington College during the 1946-47 session, in view of the unprecedented
demand for and present lack of educational facilities in colleges admitting male
students in the State of Virginia.
The President presented a communication he had received from Governor Tuck on the proposed expenditure
for the renovation of the Brompton property at Mary Washington College, the estimate for which
was in excess of the amount allotted therefor. Dr. Combs explained that since the date of the Governor's
letter, a conference had been had with the Budget Director, during which it was explained to him that
certain renovations could be eliminated or reduced in cost.
Following some discussion of the matter, the following motion was adopted:
RESOLVED, that the members of the Board's committee on the Mary Washington
College be and they are hereby requested to consider the Governor's proposal
and to report their recommendations at the regular monthly meeting of the
Board on September 13th.
The meeting then adjourned.
Rector
Secretary
| Board of Visitors minutes August 31, 1946 | |