Nichols, Thomas C. Letter to Trustees (1832)

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[To view student petiton, see Student Petition to Remove Teacher]

Gentlemen of the Board of Trustees

You have before you a petition praying for my removal from the Grammar School of Centre College signed by two or three students. Now, Gentlemen, although in my opinion these students have offered you a gross insult by dictating to you in this matter, and although I deny the propriety of these petitioners presenting to you a petition in any form or shape whatever for the removal of any teacher, and far less of myself with whom they have not the slightest connexion - yet conscious as I am of having done nothing that would in the least degree have a tendency to injure my standing as a teacher in your institution, but on the contrary of having given satisfaction to every student who has been under my tuition, I not only solicit but beg of you as guardians of this institution, and as far as I am permitted, would respectfully demand it of you, as a duty you owe to me and yourselves, to examine into this matter as soon as may be practicable - and if it shall be found from any charge that may be brought against me, that

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I have been in any way injurious to Centre College, I will cheerfully resign - but if it shall be found that this petition has been made for the purpose of gratifying personal feeling, I have a right to expect from you, in justice to my character as a man, in justice to your institution and in justice to yourselves, that you will inflict upon these students such censure or punishment as your good sense may dictate.

Yours respectfully
T. Nichols