xt718911p06d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt718911p06d/data/mets.xml Lexington, Kentucky University of Kentucky 19100413 minutes English University of Kentucky Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, 1910-04-dec13. text Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, 1910-04-dec13. 1910 2011 true xt718911p06d section xt718911p06d 




MIAUUTS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSDe r 1



      The Board of Trustees of the State University met in semi-annual session

on Tuesday, December 13, 1910.

      Present: Governor Yillson, Superintendent Regenstein, Judge Barker, Messrs.

Tibbis Carpenter, Claude B. Terrell, Cassius to. Clay , Richard C. Stoll, Charles

B. Nichols, James K. Patterson, Acting President vhlite, Thomas L. Edelen.

     Absent: Messrs. William H. Cox, Denny P. Smith, Hywel Davies, Louis L.

Walker, Richard N. iathen, Tohn B. Atkinson, Tames 'S. Turner.

     Governor Wilison in the chair.

     Upon motion made and duly seconded, Ivr. Clay was elected Chairman pro tem

of the meeting.





     President Emeritus Patterson made the following statement to the Board:

     "A few days ago MSr. R. C. Stoll, a member of this Board, informed me by a

special messenger that a rumor was current that the Calvert property fronting

101 feet on Limestone Street and lying between the property known as Patterson

Hall and the recent purchase made from the MICLaughlin heirs,had been sold to one

Mr. Cropper, for the purpose of erecting a laundry thereon.  He requested that I

should send Prof. W. K. Patterson to Mirs. Calvert to ascertain the truth of the

rumor.   This I did.   In conversation with IMtrs. Calvert, she informed him that she

considered the property as good as sold, that the man had agreed to give her $5100.

for it and would return on the Monday following (December 5th), to complete the

transaction.   She stated, however, that he had not returned, that she had entered

into no written obligation to convey the property, that no money had passed be-

tween the parties, and that she therefore considered herself free to entertain

any alternative proposition.   After some conversation, she agreed to give him an

option for the University for one week on the basis of.5250.  On his return he

reported the result of the conversation to me.



December 13, 1910




 





MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TAUSTMS      -



       "1Next morning by telephone I requested Mr. Stoll to prepare the option, if he

  concurred in the propriety and expediency of purchasing the property at that figure.

  He expressed his gratification and willingness, but said that he had to go to

  Frankfort and suggested that I call up Mir. Nichols, Chairman of the Executive Com-

  mittee.   In conversation with Mr. Nichols, he concurred entirely in the desirability

  of securing the property and suggested that Mr. Clay be consulted. I requested him

  then to consult Mr. Clay and report the result to me. Ir. Clay's opinion agreeing

  with the other members consulted, I then requested Tudge Lafferty to prepare the

  option. Prof. W. K. Patterson took the papers to Mirs. Calvert and obtained her

  signature to an option of ten days, on a basis of $5200. instead of $5250,, the con-

  dition which she had made upon the previous day.

      "We now have an opportunity of acquiring for the University the piece of prop-

 erty intervening between Patterson Hall and Winslow Street, and coming into posses-

 sion of the entire frontage on Limestone Street from the property owned by Mrs.

 Woolley, and making it, except for the intervention of Winslow Street, a part of

 the larger property on which the University buildings now stand. I respectfully

 urge the completion of the transaction thus auspiciously begun. If we allow this

 property to slip from us now, the probability is that a serious inconvenience will

 be established in our immediate neighborhood, of wnich we could not rid ourselves

 except at great additional expense in the future.

     "The thanks of the Board of Trustees are due to Mir. Richard C. Stoll and to

his brother John, through whom the intelligence was first obtained.

                                       "Respectfully submitted,

                                             James K. Patterson."

     The option was then read to the Board, which is as follows:

     "THIS CONTRACT, made and entered into this 8th.day of December, 1910, by and

between Rebecca Calvert of Lexington, Kentucky, party  of the first part, and

Augustus E. Willson, Henry S. Barker, Tibbis Carpenter, William H. Cox, Denny P.



December 13, 1910




 



MtJNUS  OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES



Smith, Claude B. Terrell, Cassius a. Clay, H1ywel Davies, Richard C. Stoll, Louis

L. Walker, Richard N. .,Tathen, John B. Atkinson, Thomas L. Edelen, Charles D.

Nichols, James K. Patterson, Tames W. Turner, and Ellsmorth Regenstein, Trustees

of the State University of Kentucky, parties of the second part;

      WITNESSETH: That the party of the first part, for and in consideration of the

 sum of Five Dollars, ($5.00) cash in hand paid, the receipt of which is hereby

 acknowledged, does hereby agree that she will, for a period of ten days give to the

 parties of the second part the right and privilege to purchase the premises upon

 which she now resides on South Limestone Street, Lexington, Ky., and lying between

 the University property, Patterson Hall, on the north and the McLaughlin lot re-

 cently purchased on the south;

      "That said purchase, if made, shall be for the sun of Five Thousand, Two Hun-

dred Dollars, ($5200.), cash in hand paid, when a deed of conveyance is made. This

sale to include all of the property in that connection which she owns, or to which

she has any right in any way whatever, other than personal property.  Said prop-

erty shall also be transferred free from all encumbrances and taxes.

     "If second parties elect to buy said property, first party will furnish an

abstract of title and warrant same. Second parties may elect at any time within the

period of ten days to take said property at said price, and immediately after such

election, first party will have the deed made and delivered and will give possession

on or before the       day of

     "It is agreed that this shall be a binding contract from this date, if signed

by the first party and by lames G. iWhite, Acting President of the said State Univer-

sity.

     ",Given under our hands this the day and date first above written.

                                  (Signed)
                                              Mrs. Rebecca Calvert

                                              James G. White,
                                           Acting President of the State
                                           University of Kentucky.
Attest:
  Jalter K. Patterson~tt



December 13, 1910




 





MINUTES OF T1E BOARD OF TRUSTES   -   DEcember 13, 1910



    motion made and duly seconded that the University accept the option to buy

the Calvert property and that President Emeritus Patterson, Mr. Nichols and Judge

Lafferty be appointed a commnittee to complete the transaction.

     On roll-call said motion was unanimously carried.





     President Emeritus Patterson then presented the following resolution:

     1=31MEAS through the good offices of Superintendent Regenstein and the liberal-

ity of the General Board of Education, of which Dr. Wallace Buttrick is Secretary,

an Inspector and Supervisor of Schools for Secondary Education in Kentucky has been

appointed by the General Board;

     "AND 1MMEAS one of the conditions attaching to the appointment is that the

official so appointed shall have headquarters at one of the colleges or univer-

sities of the State, that he shall be intimately identified with the institution

selected for headquarters, that he shall be recognized as a professor therein and

as a member of the general faculty of the university or college;

     "AnD VDREAS the State Superintendent and the General Board of Education prefer

that the headquarters of the appointee be the State University and that he be iden-

tified with the State University;

     "AND W1BE9EAS a further condition of appointment and residence is that the

University or College selected for headquarters shall pay the travelling expenses

of the appointee of the Board of Education, the said Board providing the salary,

viz: $3,000.;

    "TIMREFO1E, RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the State University accept

with thanks the overture of the General Board of Education and agree to pay the

travelling expenses of the appointee, to provide headquarters and an office for his

use, elect him Professor of Secondary Education in the Department of Education, and

recognize him as a member of the general faculty of the University.




 




MINUTES OF DES BOARD OF TRUSTEES    -



     "RESOLVED further that the Board of Trustees of the State University thank

Superintendent Regenstein for his good offices in procuring the appointment of

Prof. McHenry Rhoads, late Superintendent of the city schools of Owensboro, Kentucky,

to the office of Supervisor and Inspector of Secondary Schools by the General Board

of Education;

     AND RESOLVED further that the Board of Trustees of the State University thank

Dr. Wallace Buttrick and through him the General Board of Education for the compli-

ment of selecting the State University of Kentucky as the headquarters of the Super-

visor and Inspector of Secondary Schools for the Commonwealth, and pledge their co-

operation with Prof. Rhoads and the General Board of Education to realize the benef-

icent results contemplated by his appointment." .

     The foregoing resolution, being duly seconded, on roll-call was unanimously

carried.





     Mr. Regenstein made a motion that a committee be appointed to reorganize the

Department of Education and the Academy, inasmuch as Prof. Phoads' work will be with

the secondary schools of the State, this committee to be appointed with instructions

to report to the Executive Committee, with power to act on the part of the Executive

Committee.

     Said motion, being duly seconded, was carried unanimously.

     On motion duly seconded and carried, it was resolved that said committee should

consist of Mr. Regenstein, Chairman, Tudge Barker end Prof. White.






     Mr. -Stoll stated that at the June meeting, Prof. 1-hitets salary was made tM3,000.

per year, while he was Acting President, and that when Judge Barker took his seat,

it was to go back to $2500.   He therefore moved that Prof. White be continued as



December 13, 1910




 





MINUTES OF TEM BOARD OF TUSIESDe



Vice-President of the institution, with a salary of 13000. a year.

      Said motion was seconded, and on roll-call was unanimously carried.





      President Emeritus Patterson presented the following resolution:

      ZEFM2EAS the Board of Trustees of the State University of Eentucky have

 heard with regret and sorrow of the serious illness of our former colleague, Judge

 Robert Lee Stout:

      "THMREFURE, RESOLVED that we place on record our high estimation of him as a

 public servant and a gentleman, and express to him our sincere sympathy in his

 illness, with the hope that a kind Providence will deal gently with him, assuage

 his pains and alleviate his malady, and that in the end he may be restored in per-

 fect health to his family, to the bench and to the state;

     "RESOLVED that our sympathies and best wishes go in full measure to his dis-

tressed wife, the able and honored head of the Department of Physical Education for

Women in the State University;

     "RESOLVED that these resolutions be placed upon the minutes of the Board and

a copy sent to Mrs. Stout.??

     The above resolution, being seconded, was unanimously adopted.





     The following report was then presented by President Emeritus Patterson:

"To the members of the Board of Trustees,

      State University,

        Lexington, Eentucky.

"Gentlemen: -

             -When in New York two or three weeks ago, I sought an interview with

Mr. James Bertram, Private Secretary of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, who gave, as you are



December 13, 1910




 



MlIUTES OF TE[ BOARD OF TRUSTEES   -      December 13, 1910



aware, the donation to the State University by which the library building was erected.

I submitted to him the question whether book racks, tables, chairs and other articles

of equipment of this character might be paid for out of the annual appropriation re-

quired by lMr. Carnegie for the up-keep of the Library, and in order to bring the

matter more definitely before him in a concrete form, I stated that material for the

construction of six tables for the use of the library had been purchased and the

tables made by the salaried carpenter employed by the State University, and asked

him whether the expense incurred thereby could be legitimately paid out of the fund

appropriated for the upkeep of the library. His answer was a decided negative.

This I think ought to set the matter at rest. I think it not only just, but expedient,

under existing conditions, that the State University keep absolutely good faith with

Mr. Carnegie with reference to his gift and the conditions attaching thereto.

                                             Respectfully submitted.

                                                  James K. Patterson."

      This communication was ordered to be received, filed and referred to the

 Executive Committee.





      Acting President 'Luite was then requested to read his semi-annual report to the

Board, which is as follows:

                                           "Lexington, Ky., December 9, 1910.

 "To the Board of Trustees of the State University of

        Kentucky:

t'Gentlemen:-

           In submitting to you my second Semi-annual Report, I will be brief. Inas-

much as Judge Barker will in a few weeks enter upon his work as President of this

institution, I am not expected to outline in this Report what I conceive should be

his policy. In truth, I have during my administration attempted no radical changes,

but I have endeavored to prepare the way as far as possible for a successful beginning




 





MD=UTES OF THE BOARD OF 'MUST=E$  -



of President Barker's administration.   A cordial and friendly feeling exists among

our professors and also among our students, and I have never known a more sympathetic

feeling to exist between the professors and students than we have at present.

      The University opened September 8th with a somewhat larger attendance than in

 the year previous, most of the Departments sharing in the increase.

      While our attendance is somewhat larger than it was a year ago, I believe a

  proper following up of my correspondence of last summer will bring to us quite a

  number of desirable students.   My experience, like that of others, is that the

  first letter often fails to bring the student, but a second or third letter accomp-

  lishes the desired result.    Many of those to whom I wrote last summer and who are

not with us now are probably at home; many others have probably gone to northern

colleges and universities which find Kentucky a good field in vWich to solicit stu-

dents.

     During the past six months I have learned something of the zeal and of the

methods of other institutions in soliciting students in Kentucky, and I am fully

satisfied that with the proper presentation of the advantages now being offered by

this University to her sons and daughters, Kentucky will soon send us a thousand

students more than we have at present.   Our students for several years have organized

themselves into Clubs more or less active in bring(ing) to the attention of their

home district the advantages of this institution.   At present we have two large

Clubs, one composed of the students from Louisville and the other known as the Jack-

son Purchase Club. If my encouragement to the students in these Clubs is followed

up as it should be, they will be of great service in bringing us well prepared

students.

     While our enrollment is materially larger than it was a year ago, I feel that

our chief cause for congratulation lies in the imporvement in the preparation of

our new students.  Professor Miller, the Chairman of our Accredited School Committee,

tells me that nearly 60%g of our present Fresluman Class have entered with full credit



December 13, 1910




 





MINUTES OF TE BOARD OF TRUSTEES     -     December 13, 1910



for High School work, wMhile last year the percentage was about 40 and the year

previous even less.  The enrollment in our Academy is less this year than former-

ly, due, I believe largely to the increasing facilities for High School work now

enjoyed by many of our cities and towns. I anticipate that the enrollment in our

Freshman Class will grow larger and that in our Academy smaller year by year as the

High Schools in the State grow in number and in strength.  The appointment by the

Rockefeller Educational Board of Superintendents Coates and McHenry Rhoads to look

after the secondary school interests in our State will materially improve the out-

look for good preparatory work in Kentucky.

     Notwithstanding the fact that High School work in Eentucky is better:than it

was a few years ago, for the past two or three years I have noticed that we have,

what it seems to me is an unduly large number of failures in our Freshman Class

and that the students who fail as Freshmen do not return to College the next year.

Several reasons for these failures suggest themselves, but in a matter which affects

vitally the welfare of so many young men, I believe that a careful study of this

problem should be made at once.  I hope to give some attention to it when President

Barker enters upon his duties with us.

     Our dormitories for young men, under the supervision of ,;,rs. IMarshall, while

not as homelike as we desire, are more cleanly and more comfortable than they were

a few years ago and are filled with county appointees.  During the past summer, I

wrote personal letters, besides sending the printed matter required by law, to near-
  every
ly/ ounty Superintendent in the State.  I wrote hundreds of letters also to pros-

pective students and to their parents, setting forth the advantages offered by this

institution and the very extraordinary privileges granted to appointees.  Mr. 0. TW.

Irvin, a Senior student, made quite a satisfactory canvass for students in the western

portion of our state.   The result of my correspondence and of !Mr. Irvin's canvass

is that 99 counties of the State have representatives in our student body, leaving

20 counties unrepresented.  Of the 99 counties, those outside of Fayette which




 





MINUMES OF BME BOARD OF MRUSTEES



have the largest representation are as follows:-

Jefferson         38     Daviess       30        Kenton      21
Campbell          20     Woodford      17        Jessamine   14
Mason             13     Henderson      12       Graves      12

      The 20 counties which have no representatives in our student body are chiefly

 in the eastern portion of the State. It is true that many of these counties have

 such poor schools that their students are not prepared for collegiate work, but I

 believe that we can and should do something to relieve this unfortunate condition.

      Our new Chemistry Building is nearly ready for occupancy and Dr. Maxson hopes

 to have everything in readiness for the students the first of January.  Dr. Tuttle,

 our chief chemist, after a protracted illness from typhoid fever, hopes to resume

 his work in January.   During Dr. Tuttleta illness, Dr. Maxson has had charge of

 the Department of Chemistry and, so far as I have been able to learn, he has handled

 the Department well.   I may say in this connection that the instruction in all

 Departments of the University has been substantially as in other sessions.

     A more intimate association than formerly of the Experiment Station and the

College of Agriculture was effected last July by the joint action of the Board of

Control and the Executive Committee.   Director M. A. Scovell of the Experiment Sta-

tion was made Dean of the College of Agriculture.   With Dr. Scovell the heads of the

Departments in the Experiment Station became members of the University faculty. Al-

though the University is embarrassed by the lack of money to properly equip this

College, a growing interest in it is manifest among our students and I anticipate

that in the no distant future it will be one of the largest and most popular Colleges

of the University.

     In August, on the resignation of Mrs. Stout as Dean of Women, Miss Anna J.

Hamilton of Louisville was by our Executive Committee elected Dean of Women and

Assistant Professor of English,   She entered upon the discharge of her duties at

the beginning of the session in September and gives abundant evidence of great inter-

est in her work.



December 13, 1910




 



MINUTES OF TEE BOARD OF 9MUSTES    -



      The demand for our graduates as teachers has been far greater then we have

 been able to supply.   As our High Schools increase in number and efficiency, the

 demand for well-trained teachers will become greater and greater.  We cannot supply

 the demand now and the sad part of the story is that we are doing so little to re-

 lieve this unfortunate situation.   The number of matriculates in our courses for

 teachers is slowly increasing and in these courses we have quite a number of bright

 young men and young women, but for the most part our young teachers are going to

 Ohio, Indiana and other northern states to acquire an education, and Superintendents

 and School Boards in some cities are sending to these states for their teachers.

 Only today I received a letter, which, omitting names, reads as follows:-

 "President of State College,

      Lexington, Kentucky.

 Dear Sir:-

        Has it been called to your attention that the Superintendent of City Schools

 of one of our largest cities      ------shows favor to only Ohio educated teachers?

 If our own schools and colleges do not receive recognition, why shall we support

 them?


 We are preparing well-trained engineers and scientific investigators for Kentucky

 and for other states, but in the matter of training teachers, needed nowhere perhaps

 more than in Kentucky, we are lamentably deficient.

      The question asked by the writer just quoted must be answered.   If we can give

no satisfactory answer to the public, we will find it more and more difficult to

satisfy our people that we deserve the appropriations the State is giving us.    I have

been studying this problem and I hope soon to offer to President Barker some sug-

gestions as to how we may best serve our State in giving to it well-trained teachers

for our High Schools.

     The grounds adjacent to the new Chemistry Building, the Civil and the Mining

Engineering Buildings, have been graded as far as our means would permit, and a

macadam roadway has been constructed leading to these buildings.



December 13, 1910




 





MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRJSDc1S



     Mr. D. C. Frazee's resignation as Business Agent, tendered to your Executive

Committee during the latter part of the summer, was accepted and became effective

October 1st.   The offices of Business Agent and Comptroller were united under the

charge of Judge Lafferty. He prepares a monthly statement of the financial con-

dition of the institution and his books are now kept so that our exact financial

condition can be easily determined at any time.  IVle have, of course, not been able

to pay off our outstanding obligations, but by close scrutiny of all requisitions

for expenditures and the cutting out of all items unnecessary for maintaining the

efficiency of our work, our expenses for the current year will, I believe, come with-

in our income.

     Early in November, the heads of Departments at my request prepared a careful

estimate or invoice of the value of books, furniture, apparatus, machinery, etc. in

their keeping and belonging to the University. I have gone over most of these

estimates very carefully and I believe that the following figures are trustworthy:

                   Value of Buildings               $550,000.

                   Value of Grounds                  225,000.

                   Apparatus & Machinery              67,400.

                   Furniture and Miscellanies         33,900.

                   Library                            34,700.

                   Live Stock                         10,000.

                   Total                                      $921,000.

"For a detailed statement of the figures involved in this report see the separate

sheet sent herewith.)

     These figures show that beginning with nothing in 1878 When the A. & M. Col-

lege was by legislative act detached from Kentucky (now Transylvania) University, the

material wealth accumulated by President Patterson's administration and bequeathed

by it to President Barker's, is in round numbers nine hundred and twenty thousand

dollars.   Compared with the wealth of some of the larger Universities, ours is



December 13, 1910




 







MIINMLES OF TEE BOARD OF TRUSD     e



small, but when we consider the fierce struggle for existence that President Pat-

terson found it necessary to maintain for many years, we should feel proud of his

success.

    With an earnest prayer that the closing years of the life our retiring Presi-

dent may be his happiest, and that God may guide our incoming President and make his

administration a great blessing to our State, I am

                                        Your obedient servant,

                                              (Signed) Tames G. White.



                    Boun
                    No.

Agriculture         1264
Civil Engineering    150
Mechanical   "       1200
Mining       it        51
Law                  2200
Dept. of Education   446
Academy                  3
Anat. & Physiology     75
Chemistry             436
Domestic Science      30
English               212
Ent., Zool., Geol.  1202
Latin & Greek          55
History                70
Mathematics            94
Mod. Languag(e)       352
Physics                90
Phys. Edu.
Dorms. & Adm. Offices
Library              6967
University          14897
Expt. Stat.         4800



EAGENT OF

Library
1 Volumes
  Value

  .$15O0.
    350.
    1200.
    145.
    4245.
    325.
    14.
    300.
    1200.
    50.
    350.
    1200.
    172.
    35.
    114.
    400.
    135.


  10432.
  :$22167.
  12500.



STATE UNti VSITY.

Furniture
   and
Miscellanies

    $2700.
    3300.
    2950.
    1440.
    460.
    1280.
      570.
      390.
      500.
      160.
      50.
      2080.
      208.

      84.
      215,
    3240.
    350.
    2800.
    2655.
    25432.
    8500.



Apparatus
   and
Machinery

  $1900.
  4000.
  23550.
  4400.


     52.
   2500.
   5200.
   355.
     50.
   3770.
     40.

   1045.

   5500.
   2800.



%p55162. Livestock
12250.   10000



    Upon motion, seconded

the appropriate committee.



and carried unanimously, this report was referred to



I - _  11-. -  -                          - - - - - - - - -



December 13, 191:0



.L10ato, Z{ --o~bb 7v



@;5Y;5a: .



:9-6741.z.  .510000.




 





Minutes  OF TE BOARD OF TRUSTEES



     A motion was made, seconded and unanimously carried that all committees

appointed at the June meeting be continued until the next June meeting.





     'The minutes of the last meeting of the Board were then read by the Secretary,

and on motion were approved as read.



     The Secretary read the minutes of the

by President Emeritus Patterson that these

     Motion lost for want of a second.

     Mr. Regenstein moved that the minutes

unanimously carried.

     Motion made and carried to adjourn to



Executive Comittee.    A motion was made

minutes be referred to a committee.



stand approved as read.   Seconded and



meet again at 7.15 P.M.



     The Board of Trustees convened at 8 P.M.

     Present:  Supt. Regenstein, Judge Barker, Messrs. Tibbis Carpenter, Claude B.

               Terrell, Cassius M. Clay, Richard C. Stoll, Charles B. Nichols,

               Thomas L. Edelen, James K. Patterson, Acting President White.

     Absent: Messrs. William H. Cox, Denny P. Smith, Hywel Davies, Louis L.

              Walker, Richard N. Wathen, John B. Atkinson, James W-1. Turner,

              Augustus E. Willson.

     Mr. Clay in the chair.





Mo. Stoll nominated Judge Lafferty as Secretary of the Board of Trustees. Seconded

and unanimously carried.



Decefaber 13, 1910




 






MINUTES OF  EBOARD OF TRUSD b



    Acting President White offered for the consideration of the Board the minutes

of the faculty.  He called attention to the fact that last June three young men

of the Senior Class were not allovwed to graduate on account of unfinished work, that

Prof. Rowe had presented their names to the faculty at a recent meeting and the

faculty now recommended that the Board confer the degree of Bachelor of Civil En-

gineering on John Stanley Dawson, Sherman Harry Stivers and James William Waller.

He therefore moved that these degrees be granted.  Said motion being seconded, it

was unanimously carried.





     The following resolution, offered by Prof. White, was duly seconded and unani-

mously carried:

     'RESOLVED that a committee composed of the Deans of this University prepare

rules and regulations for the University and that said rules and regulations be-

come operative when approved by President Barker and the Executive Committee.

    Vice-President White was appointed chairman of this Committee.





    On motion duly seconded, the minutes of the faculty were referred to the

appropriate committee.





     The Acting President then stated that Miss Chinn had been appointed by the

Executive Committee as Instructor in Domestic Science, at a salary of '800., to

take the place of Miss Marshall, this appointment being made subject to the approval

of the Board.

     On motion said appointment was ratified by this Board.



December 13, 1910




 




MAfNUTS OF TIM' BOARD CF TRUSTEES



     Acting President White made a statement to the Board embodying the substance

of the following letter from the Commandant:

                                      "Lexington, Ky., Nov. 30, 1910.

"To the Board of Trustees,
    Kentucky State University.

 ?tCentlemen:

     "It is my purpose to respectfully draw your attention to a matter that is of

vital importance to the military work in this institution.  Wheat I refer to is the

question of instruction in rifle practice, and the absolute lack of facilities for

carrying on such instruction at this institution.

    "It is hardly necessary for me to expatiate on the necessity for the dissemi-

nation of a knowledge of rifle shooting among our citizens. Battles of the present

day are largely, if not entirely, decided by rifle fire.   The policy of this country

always has been, and probably always will be, to depend upon its citizen soldiery

for its defense.   This citizen soldiery will be largely composed of infantry armed

with the rifle.   The efficacy of this rifle fire will decide our future battles.

Ergo: The issue of our future wars will depend upon the degree of instruction of our

citizens in the use of the rifle.

    "There is no question as to the truth of the foregoing statements. The logic

is not only sound; but is borne out by the facts of history.   The United States

won its independence with the rifle and has since maintained that independence with

the rifle.   The magnificent fight made by the Boers was only rendered possible

by their ability as rifle shots.   In everything else they were far outclassed. They

represented about the state of development current in this country in frontier days.

Every man was a marksman in those times.

    "The past tense is used here advisedly.   Wife once prided ourselves on being a

nation of sharpshooters.   That is now a hollow boast.   We have long ago grown

away from this fact as a present truth.   I have had eight years experience on the