xt7k9882k643 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7k9882k643/data/mets.xml Lexington, Kentucky University of Kentucky 19100231 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, 1910-02-may31. text Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, 1910-02-may31. 1910 2011 true xt7k9882k643 section xt7k9882k643 MINUES OF T1E BOARD OF TUSTEES - Regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of State University of Kentucky, held at the office of the President, Gymnasium Building, Lexington, Kentucky, beginning May 31st, 1910, at 10-30 A.M. In the absence of Governor Willson, upon motion of President Patterson, duly seconded and carried Mr. C. M. Clay was elected temporary chairman, and took the chair. The roll call showed the following: Present: Messrs. Atkinson, Carpenter, Clay, Edelen, Nichols, Patterson, Stoll, Terrell, Turner, White, Walker, Cox, Wathen end Regenstein, 14 Absent: Messrs. Willson, Smith, Davies, Barker, 4 There being a quorum present business was proceeded with. Upon motion of Mr. Walker duly seconded and carried all absentees were excused. At this point Prof. Lewis, of the Sue Bennett Memorial School, of London, Kentucky, came before the board and made a statement about the establishment of a branch school of the College of Agriculture, at said school, and asking the Board to make provisions by which such a school at London would be supplied from the University with an instructor in agriculture. After informal discussion between Prof. Lewis and the members of the Board, Mr. Stoll offered the following resolu- tion: Provided the suggestion of the Committee on Budget is adopted relative to the re-organization of the Agricultural College, I move that the question of co- operation with the Sue Bennett Memorial School, be referred to the executive Committee, with power to act. Said motion was duly seconded by Judge Terrell, and carried. Mxay 31, 1910 MIUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES - May 31, 1910 At this point upon motion of fudge Terrell, duly seconded and carried, the Board adjourned, so as to give the members an opportunity to inspect the grounds and buildings, to meet at two o'clock P.M. of the same day. Board met. pursuant to adjournment at two o 'clock P.1i. of the same day, at the same place, and same members present. At this point Mir. Atkinson was sworn in as a trustees (trustee) by Mr. Stoll as a Notary Public. The Secretary then read the minutes of the last semi-annual meeting and the special meeting of the Board, Which without objection stood approved as read. The Secretary then read the minutes of the Executive Committee of meetings held since the December meeting of the Board, which, without objection, stood approved as read. Upon motion of Mr. WTalker, duly seconded and carried the Minutes of the Faculty, and the minutes of the special faculties since the December meeting of the Board, were referred to the Committee on Minutes of the Faculty without being read in the Board. M-TNUTS OF TEL BOARD OF TR"USTEES - May 31, 1910 At this point President Patterson presented his report, vwhich is as follows: Lexington, Ky., May 19th, 1910. To the Board of Trustees of the State University of Kentucky. Gentlemen:- I beg to submit to you the following report, covering the period from the beginning of the University year just closing to March 12, 1910 of the current year, the date upon which Mr resignation was formally accepted by the executive Committee. A period of transition is always unsatisfactory. Knowing this, I endeavored so to arrange matters that after my declared intention of last June to resign as soon as I should feel assured of a resaonable prospect for a competent successor, the business of the University could go on without interruption or dislocation. I recommended that the Vice-President should relieve me of some of the burdens of administration until my resignation should become effective, and that he should thereafter, with my advice and aid, discharge the duties as President until my successor should be elected and installed. This recommendation was adopted and under this provisional arrangement the University wrk has been carried on from June of last year until now. Early in January, I placed my resignation in the hand of Governor Willson with the request that it become operative January 15, 1910. I notified the Business Agent of this action and made my settlement with him for the half year ending January 15, 1910. Thenceforward becoming the beneficiary of the retiring allowance provided for by the Board of Trustees, instead of receiving a salary as heretofore. I notified the Executive Committee of wihat I had done at their next meeting thereafter, viz: Mviarch 12, 1910. La action was ratified by them and from that date I consider that I ceased to be President, although Governor Willson has not yet formally accepted my resignation. This report then covers the period from June 1st of last year until March 12, 1910, or a little more than two-thirds of the current university year. MIMTES OF TIE BOARD OF TPRUST=2o - Iay 31, 1910 The session opened in September 1909 with a fairly good attendance. There was a shortage in the matriculation as compared with previous years and notwith- standing the addition of the matriculates in the College of Law. The matricula- tion in the University proper and in the Academy does not show any increase over that of the years immediately preceding, indeed rather otherwise. The matricula- tion for the last six years is as follows:- 1904-1905 705 1905-1906 813 1906-1907 901 1907-1908 1064 1908-1909 772 1909-1910 684 (exclusive of post-graduates) It will thus be seen that the maximum attendance attained by the University was in 1907-1908. The rapid decline in the two following years, viz. Last year and the year just closing, was due principally to the unfortunate and ill-advised elimination of the Normal Department at the instance and insistence of the Normal Schools by the General Assembly of 1908. I have done all that I could, by addresses to high schools, participation in the proceedings of state, district and county institutes, correspondence, information supplied to superintendents of county schools and by whatever other means I could command, to redress the balance and bring up the attendance to the level of 1907. I have, moreover, sent out compe- tent and energetic agents, particularly during the vacation, into the field to address institutes, visit schools and private families and to distribute illus- trated posters and booklets, catalogues and other literature. I have had Dr. Louis F. Snow, Dean of the Department of Education, in the field during more than half of the current year, visiting high schools, making addresses, and attending educational assemblies and conventions. I consider this a most important work, indeed and urgent necessity. We must do what we can through the Department of YMMITES OF TE BOARD OF TRUSSEES m may 31, 1910 Education to train teachers for the high schools. The General Assembly, in re- establishing by formal recognition the Department of Education, expects the University to do this. The General Assembly looks to the Normal School to provide teachers for the common schools and to the University, through its Department of Education, to supply principals and teachers for the High Schools. WN:e must make our course in Department of Education so full, attractive and so practical, so well administered and so well taught that teachers for the high schools shall find in it all they need and be induced to come hither because of thoroughness, pres- tige and ecoaomy. If we neglect to do this or fail in the effort, students pre- paring to be teachers in the high schools will go elsewhere to prepare for their work, either to other states or to other colleges and universities in our owm state. We shall thus lose prestige, build up other institutions through our neglect or incompetency and, worse than all, lose both leadership and revenue. So far as our Department of Education is concerned and its relation to high school teachers, we are now at the parting of the ways. Under these circumstances it will be impossible to think of the discontinuance of the Department of Education, as some have suggested. The eame is true of the Academy. The Legislature of 1908 made provision for the elimination of the Academy of the State University as rapidly as educational conditions in Kentucky should warrant. This was done in anticipation of the expected establishment and early maturity of the high schools provided for by the General Assembly of that year. In many of the counties of the Commonwealth high schools are only beginning to be established and their growth and efficiency will necessarily be slow. The legislation of 1893, which is still upon the statute book, makes it obligatory upon the University to receive and matriculate pupils who have graduated from the common schools and have on competitive examination received appointments from their re- spective county superintendents. Even at the best, the majority of the high schools in the counties where they had not existed before the passage of the high school act could not take graduates of the common school course and prepare them for the Iva1'rUTES OF M BOARD OF TRUSTEIS May 31, 1910 Freshman class of the State University in less than three or four years. The maintenance of the Academy is thus imperative, in order to bridge over the interval between the commonn schools and the University. We cannot eliminate the Academy, however much we may desire to do so, until the high schools can do the inter-mediate work, The system of appointment which links the common school, through the Academy, to the University is the most popular feature in the legislation which makes the University the head of the educational system of the Commonwealth. Without it we should have been unable to hold the half cent tax in 1893, and without it we sould be unable to prevent its repeal today. It is sincerely hoped that the high schools will, within a reasonable time, attain the necessary efficiency in the work of pre- paring students for the University. Meanwhile we must keep faith with the state or forfeit both their support and their goodwill. Twenty-two percent of the under- graduate matriculates of the State University last year were entered in the Academy, and a very considerable proportion of those who entered the University through the Academy came as appointees on competitive examination from their respective counties. WiJe must now either make a bold effort to recover lost ground and to move forward, or else stand still and fall hopelessly to the rear. We have reached a stage when it will be necessary, in order to justify further appeals to the Legislature, to show more substantial results than we are at present achieving. We are making good scholars, good scientists, good engineers, good agriculturists, but with the means at our disposal we could take care of many more matriculates than we have, and in order to justify further appropriations we must show larger results. The University of Illinois has seven or eight times our income, but it has seven or eight times our number of students. With twenty percent more of income we could readily take care of twice our present numbers, and be it remembered numbers count for much, both in the estimation of the Legislature and of the general public, and it is quite apparent that with double our present numbers or treble, we could with a much more hopeful prospect of Success importune the Legislature for further endowment. MnUTES OF TIE BOAPR OF TRUSTEES - May 31, 1910 An Act was passed by the last General Assembly making an additional appro- priation for the University of $20,000. per annum for two years. A like amount and on identical conditions was appropriated for each of the normal schools. The bill was vetoed by Governor Willson after the adjournment of the General Assembly. I think it unfortunate that we were associated with the Normal schools in a common measure. I feel confident that if we had stood alone we would have gotten a larger appropriation, with less risk of veto. Many members of the General Assembly with whom I had conversation upon the subject were unanimous in the opinion that we had made a mistake in associating ourselves with the Normal Schools for the introduc- tion of legislation in common. When, therefore, we go before General Assemblies herafter, whether for money or other needful legislation, we should stand alone. And I vill add that all measures brought before the General Assembly for the benefit of the University should emanate from the Committee on Legislation appointed by the Board of Trustees and from them alone. For years the financial condition of the University has been a matter of grave concern. While knowing within appreciable limits the aggregate income from various sources, we have not been able to forecast with any degree of accuracy the expendi- tures for any current year and we have been quite unable to know, within thousands of dollars, what our obligations were at any time. This is not as it should be. The responsible officials of any well managed corporation should be able and are able to know, at the close of each day, exactly how theli accovauts stand, viz. Sources of income, incomes realized and realizable, cash on hand, expenditures, fixed charges, outstanding obligations. The Comptroller believes that he has devised a scheme which will clarify the situation. If he can bring order out of the confusion that has reigned for years past, he will deserve the thanks of the Board. There is an estimate deficit of '12,000. or $15,000. at the close of the present fiscal year, and on the basis of the budget of 1909-1910 an estimated excess of expenditure over income of $10,000. or Al2,000. The budget Committee is now at work MISUTES OF IRE BOARD OF TRUSEjE - May 31, 1910 in an effort to make income balance expenditures for the year 1910-11. There are certain fixed charges which can neither be eliminated nor materially cut down. There are others more elastic, for example, appropriations for current expenditures in the various departments of instruction which may be reduced for the next two years, but in this reduction care must be taken not to impair efficiency, either in instruction or administration. One thing, however, is certain, that with a deficit for the present year and an embarrassed exchequer for the next, increase in the existing staff of instruction or administration is, on any same hypothesis, clearly out of the question. To attempt a re-organization of the existing staff of administration, which would involve additional units or increased expenditure would be nothing short of an inexcusable folly. To project the creation of a staff of administration on the scale of the Universities of Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Cal- ifornia or Cornell, the income of each of which is seven or eight fold that of ours and the matriculation in the same proportion, would be preposterous. No prudent farmer would think of employing as many hands to cultivate a ten-acre plot as he would to cultivate a farm of one hundred acres. Nor would a manufacturer think of employing as many operatives in a factory of small dimensions as in one the capacity of which is ten times as great. In a bank with a small capital and a smell business, one man may be teller, bookkeeper, cashier and president, but let the business in- crease tenfold or a hundred fold and the principle of the division of labor becomes applicable and may be employed with economy and advantage. Nor would a mine operator give employment to 500 miners, if a hundred be equal to the requirements of the mine. We all agree that economy must be practiced, but each one wishes an exception made in his case, an extra employee, an extra appropriation, extra equip- ment, and the exception once made multiplies automatically. Economy evaporates in words and at the end of the year wie are as badly off as before retrenchment and enonomy were discussed or attempted. We must get down to business principles and adhere to them, if our corporation is to succeed. Sentiment and finding jobs for persons, however deserving, find no place in a business enterprise, and I beg to MINUTES OF TH5 BOARD OF TRUSTEE - May 31, 1910 remind you that the State University is a business enterprise and you are appointed to conduct it on business principles. The most obtrusive needs of the State Uni- versity of Kentucky today are a sound fiscal system, efficient administration and instruction, and the harmonious co-operation of all employees, from the President of the institution down through all its grades and all its relations. hEy policy as President of the University has been to build up a well rounded, symmetrical institution, affording equal advantages and facilities for growth, development and expansion to all the colleges of the University. I have wished especially to see an Agricultural College of such character and proportions as would command the allegiance and active support of the farmers of Kentucky. I have wished to see Colleges of Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Mining Engineering well established and adequately maintained, so manned, organized and conducted that the State University would be recognized as the great engineering school of the south. Agriculture and Mining will be for generations to come the Dredominant industries in Kentucky and well equipped colleges affording the necessary facilities for educa- tion in these industrial pursuits must become potent factors in the up-building of the commonwealth. I have wished to see the Colleges of Science and the College of Arts so develop- ed that scientists should be made by Ithe one and classical scholars by the other equal to those made by any college or university in the nation, and the Department of Education has been very near to my heart. Its development and expansion is among the most vital questions that the University is called to consider. The Agricul- tural College is growing slowly but steadily, but it would grow more rapidly and attract more liberal patronage and end do more good for the farmers if it had the more active and effective co-operation of the Experiment Station, one of its most essential departments. Indirectly and to a very limited extent has the Experiment Station been of any advantage to the College of Agriculture. It has interested farmers and farmers' institutes in the results of experimental work along agricultural lines. It has, however, done very little to stimulate among MINUTES OF TEE BOARD OF TRUSTEEES - May 31, 1910 the farmers a desire for agricultural education. The Agricultural College has gotten little or nothing from the station in the instruction of its matriculates or in the inspirati n which comes from contact with living agricultural specialists. The Agricultural College has not gotten from the establishment and endowment of this Department under the hatch Act what the Federal Government, the Commonwealth and the University had a right to expect. I give you a solemn warning now and here in this my last official utterance as President, that you cannot afford Longer to neglect this matter and allow things to drift and crystallize apart as they have been doing. The ELxeriment Station is by law not a self-contained unit, but an integral and essential department of the Agricultural College, and should bear a large part in its up-building and development, instead of standing apart in a quasi-benevolent attitude. Measures for more effective co-operation are, I under- stand, under consideration from which let us hope substantial results may follow. Be it remembered that land-grant colleges received their original endowment from Congress with the express purpose and intention that they should build up strong colleges of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. In the latter, as interpreted by the different phases of engineering, we have achieved our most marked success. Our graduates in engineering have been in demand for years. The high grade of work (or) which they have been able are capable of doing places them in the first rank of engineers in America. While our scientists and classical scholars have stood well to the front and take rank as the best, their numbers are and have been relatively small, the en- gineers in number leading the way. Of the two, viz: The College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts, the former is the better equipped for work. In Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Biology and associated subjects it is and has been strong, but its courses of study do not attract matriculates for the degree. The B. S. degree is not sought as it should be and yet graduates in science are in great demand all over the country. The A. B. course, though the MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF RDJUSTE1S weaker of tChe two in some essential subjects, yet attracts and graduates more matriculates than the B. S. course does. Until a year ago it was weak in Greek. This defect has been redressed by the establishment of a separate chair in Greek under Prof. Terrell, a very competent scholar and successful teacher. The De- partment of Latin has been made an independent chair under the charge of Professor Tones, an excellent scholar and a capital teacher. The Department of History and Economics has been materially strengthened during the last two years, but it needs further expansion in order to bring it up to the level of modern requirements. This can I think be further enlarged during the coming year. The weakest element in the Arts course for years has been in Logic, Metaphysics and Ethics. These have been taught for some years, first by Prof. Shackleford and latterly by Prof. Mackenzie, as incident to, but by no means cognate with the subjects that make up the course in English. Their inclusion in the Department of English, which was intended to be temporary and provisional only, has in consequence of the lack of funds wherewith to constitute special and adequate provision for their instruc- tion, taken time from the Department of English which it needs for its own proper work. The establishment of a separate self-contained and independent chair of Logic, Metaphysics and Ethics I now regard as a fundamental and urgent necessity. With the courses in Latin and Greek enlarged, the course in History, Sociology and Economics developed and a course in Logic, Metaphysics and Ethics added, the Arts course would be as strong as any in the country. A strong course in liberal arts is recognized by the best authorities on education as the best means for the attainment of the mental discipline necessary for the preliminary training which makes the more technical courses effective, the best means for laying the founda- tion on which an intelligent course in Law should be based, the best means for the necessary training in journalism, authorship, the diplomatic and consular service, statesmanship, good citizenship, and above all providing the culture essential for a gentleman. M.fen and women are intended to be producers in the May 31, 1910 MINUTES OF TIE BOARD OF TRUSTEES - May 31, 1910 world of mind not less than in the world material things. In an age devoted to material production, it is often forgotten that "On earth there's nothing great but man; In man there's nothing great but mind." All industrial activity, all material production, all the conquests of man over nature, ought to be regarded not as ends in themselves, but as means for the growth of the intellectual faculties, the development of the moral powers, the expansion and enlargement and perfection of the soul. To the Vice-President I leave to report the more technical details of the University administration during the year now brought to a close. To my successor you and I are both pledged to give a hearty and unanimous support, in order that he may build wisely on the foundations which have been well and truly laid. With much respect, Your obedient servant, .ames K. Patterson. The longest life comes to an end and the longest official relationship comes to a close. In the Providence of God it has been given to us to work longer together in a common cause than to most men. For more than forty years I have been associated with you and your predecessors in the Board in a laud- able effort to build up an institution commensurate with the dignity and the needs of this good Commonwealth. We have encountered opposition, able, strong, intense, uncompromising and bitter. We have triumphed over all that rose up against us to do us hurt. No weapon formed against us has prospered. We have established the principle of state aid to higher education. We have won recognition by the Legislature, by the courts and in the constitution. The University stands before us today in the vigor of youth, well endowed, well manned and well equipped, entrenched in the affections of its friends and respected even by those who were MINUTES OF THs BOA-RD OF T-HUSTEOS - May 31, 1910 its former enemies. W'e have taken counsel together, we have legislated for the good of the University, we have agreed on most important measures, and we have differed and argued our differences with warmth and vigor, on questions of policy, but in all our agreements and disagreements we have been loyal to the great trust committed to our charge and I feel that when this relationship is ended and I formally surrender to my successor the reins of authority, when I shall no longer stand at the helm, the dominant feeling of the Board and all its members will be loyalty to the State University. Gentlemen, you have a great trust committed to you to administer, the beneficent results of which generations to come will see and enjoy and when the few years which may be still allotted to me of this mortal life have closed, I shall ask no recognition than this, 'lie was for forty years President of the State University of Kentucky." God bless you all and God bless and prosper the University. Said report was by the chairman referred to the Committee on President's Report. At this point Acting President White, presented his report, which is as follows: Lexington, Ky., May 23, 1910. To the Board of Trustees of the State University. Gentlemen:- By your honorable body I was made Vice-President of this institution June 1909. In accordance with the desire expressed by President Patterson at that time that he be relieved of active service, a large part of the administrative duties of the past year were assigned to me. President Patterson made his report for your consideration at your meeting the last of this month. As he has kept in MNUTES OF TS], BQJARD OF TRMTEES - May 31, 1910 rather close touch with the administration, I presume that his report covers nearly or quite every department of this institution. I therefore make my report brief. With it I transmit the reports of the heads of various departments of the University,, including that made by Dr. Scovell of the Experiment Station. These reports will show that the year now closing does not differ greatly from its immediate pre- decessors either in the quantity or the quality of the work done. The number of our matriculates is not increasing as it did a few years ago. In fact, it is decreasing, although the chief decrease is due to the elimination of the Normal Department two years ago. Omitt(i)ng Summer School students who, with relatively few exceptions, were preparing for entrance examinations or were removing conditions in their college work, the following table shovws our attendance for the past three years: 1906 1909 1910 College 476 457 473 Academy 115 188 155 Special and Short Courses 26 80 96 Normal 182 0 0 Totals 799 725 724 Omitting Normal, Special and Short courses students, the following table shows our attendance by classes during the same period: 1908 1909 1910 Preshmen 142 149 152 Sophomores 133 112 100 Tuniors 86 1.3 90 Seniors 87 72 93 Post Graduates 28 11 38 Academy 115 188 155 Totals 591 645 628 MMNUESS OF TIHS BOARD OF TRUSTEES - ay 31, 1 910 In the above classification I have for 1909 included as Juniors 27 first year law students and for 1910 I have included as Sophomores 20 first year law students and as seniors 26 second-year law students. It is perhaps proper that I should remind you that the two-years Law course received its first students in September 1908, and that the law course has now been extended to three years. Collegiate students, omitting those in law, show the following changes during the past three years: 1908 1909 1910 Gain Loss Arts & Science 125 118 107 18 Agriculture 18 15 20 2 Civil Engineering 104 84 87 17 M'ech. Engineering 192 162 151 41 Mining Engineering 18 21 27 9 Education 19 30. 35 16 I have no satisfactory explanation of these losses, which are possibly due to several causes. VPe are planning an active campaign this saumer in presenting to the people of our state the superior advantages now offered by the State University. With the hope of materially increasing our attendance, the co-operation of a large part of our faculty has been requested and many of our professors are entering on this work with enthusiasm. We desire especially to secure high school graduates and to this end I believe we can well afford to offer free tuition in all departments except law, to all graduates of four years high schools. This offer will place a premium on gradua- tion from high schools and in this way it will be a potent factor in building up and strengthening these schools - a thing earnestly desired by every citizen of Kien- tucky who is interested in education. MI2uUTS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES - The number of hours of wTork per week required by our students is from ten to thirty percent greater than is required in many other colleges and universities. -Although our institution is a small one, I am constrained to believe that the work done by our stud