[Note: the "Asylum" or "Institution" for the Deaf and Dumb would later become the Kentucky School for the Deaf. Centre's Trustees administered the school until 1870. In 1826 the federal government granted the Trustees one township of land in Florida. In 1836 the trustees received a second land grant in Arkansas. It was the Trustees responsibility to survey and sell the land to provide funds to help support the institution.]
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Centre College March 29, 1843
The Board met. Present Todd, Hopkins, McDowell, Rice, Montgomery, Ford, Craig. Mr. Alexander Sneed, appointed at the last meeting of Synod, appeared and having presented a certificate of having been duly qualified as a Trustee of Centre College, took his seat.
Colonel McDowell reported that he had handed the account of Harrison, referred to him for settlement, to the financial committee to be settled by note.
Mr. John A. Jacobs, Financial Agent, read a detailed report of his doings as agent for the College, and presented various oral suggestions as to the measures necessary to be adopted by the Board to secure the interests of the College.
Adjourned till the afternoon.
3 o'clock
Board met in Mr. John C. Young's [president, Centre College] study.
Present as in the morning. The Board appointed Messrs. Young and David A. Russel a financial committee with whom Mr. Jacobs might consult in all cases of doubt as to the management of any of the business entrusted to him. They instructed the Financial Agent to collect all the debts due to the College from persons residing beyond the neighborhood of the College, and if their collection cannot be speedily secured, unless by
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process of law, the agent was directed to coerce them.
The Board further instructed the agent to require prompt semi-annual payment of the interest on all debts due in the neighborhood, and to call in twenty per cent, semi-annually from this date, on all such debts, and in all cases, in which these terms are not complied with, to institute suits against the delinquent debtors.
The Financial Agent was directed to invest the amount which may be collected in Kentucky state bonds.
Mr. Young was requested to write to Rev. J. Price to ascertain if he will act as agent for raising the college endowment within the bounds of the Presbyteries of Louisville and Ebenezer, and also to state to Rev. J. J. Bullock the necessity for prompt action in completing the amount to be raised within the bounds of West Lexington Presbytery.
The administrators of Mr. Proctor were authorized to pay the debt due from Mr. Proctor's estate in such notes as the financial committee shall be satisfied to receive.
The Board appointed Mr. Williamson as assistant in the Grammar School at a salary of $125 per session, requiring him to instruct three hours per day.
An application from the Chamberlain Society [Chamberlain Literary Society] for permission to occupy
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for their library the room adjacent to their hall [in Old Centre], and to cut a door and run a partition through the room, was granted.
Messrs. Hopkins, McDowell, and Jacobs were appointed a committee to settle with Major Barbour in relation to the theological funds in his hands, and also in relation to the debt due from him on account of the house purchased of the College.
The committee on the settlement between the College and Asylum were not prepared to report.
The Board directed the Faculty to recommend to all parents and guardians to pay no debts, except for board, contracted in Danville or the vicinity by their sons or wards, unless such as shall be contracted by express permission of the parent or a local guardian resident in Danville. This resolution the Faculty are authorized to publish for the information of the public.
John C. Young, Secretary
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College September 27, 1843
The Board met. Present Todd, McDowell, Ford, Craig, Burch, Montgomery, Hopkins, Sneed.
On recommendation by the Faculty the following young gentlemen, members of the present Senior class, received from the Board the degree of A.B.: Samuel J. Baird, John A. Bogle, Nathaniel S. Brooks, Charles D. Carr, Samuel B. Cheek, Lewis E. Harvie, Llewellyn J. Harvie, William B. Huston, Joseph H. Lewis, Joseph Allen McCharty, William Logan McKnight, Nicholas S. Ray, William W. Rice, Robert Rodes, Solomon L. Sharp, William Short, Thomas H. Taylor, Joseph K. Thompson, Elisha N. Warfield, George R. C. Todd, William H. Woods.
The same degree was conferred on John G. Hickman, a member of the last Senior class till the middle of the second session of the senior year.
The degree of A.M. was conferred in course on the following graduates of 1838 and 1839: Thomas H. Cleland, Wilmington, Joseph Morton, John L. Williamson, Samuel H. Stevenson, Joshua Green, James Lapsley, William Venable, Ormond Beatty.
The honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on the Rev. John Brown of Richmond, Kentucky, on the Rev. Andrew Kerr of Clarksville, Tennessee, and on Mr. John A. Jacobs, Principal of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Danville, Kentucky, and Miller W. Richeson, teacher in Maysville.
The degree of LL.D. was conferred on William Owsley, late judge of the Court of Appeals and on
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Squire Turner of Richmond, Kentucky, and Chief Justice Ewing of Kentucky, as also on Judge Simpson of Clarke County.
The committee appointed to settle with Major Barbour reported that owing to his sickness and death they had not yet completed the business entrusted to them. Mr. Young reported that he had conversed with Rev. J. Price on the subject of the agency which the Board had desired him to undertake, but that Mr. Price had as yet given no definite and final answer.
In consequence of the death of Major Barbour, late treasurer of the Asylum, the Board appointed Mr. Nicholas Bowman Treasurer of the Asylum. Messrs. Hopkins, McDowell, and Jacobs were appointed a committee to settle with the executors of Major Barbour, all his accounts both with the College and the Asylum.
Dr. Craig was appointed in the room of Major Barbour on the superintending committee of the Asylum, consisting now of Drs. Todd and Craig. He was also appointed, in the room of the same, on the committee to report to the Legislature [Kentucky General Assembly] on the affairs of the Asylum, consisting now of Todd, Craig, and Jacobs.
The Board directed both secretaries to compare their accounts annually with the accounts of the respective treasurers, and lay the compared accounts annually before the Board at its meeting in September.
Messrs. Hopkins, Ford, and Sneed were appointed a committee to
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examine the accounts of the Treasurer of College, whose annual report was laid before the Board.
The Board directed the executors of Major Barbour to pay over the amount of the theological funds that had been in his hands to the present Treasurer of Centre College, David A. Russel, and the executors were authorized to pay over these funds in such notes as the committee appointed to settle with the executors may deem good, with the endorsement of the executor.
A letter was received from David A. Russel, administrator of the estate of Richard D. Crutchfield, asking the Board to cancel a certain note held by them on Richard D. Crutchfield on the ground of Mr. Crutchfield's having paid it. The Board not being satisfied with the proof of payment, declined acceding to the request.
The Board adjourned till 3 o'clock.
3 o'clock p.m.
The Board met in the President's study. Present as in the morning.
Mr. James Barbour appeared and read a report of his agency in relation to the Asylum fund in Florida. At his suggestion, Mr. Charles H. Dupont was appointed agent for the Asylum in Florida, with a power of attorney to sue for and receive all moneys due to Asylum in Florida, and to make deeds (on the payment of the purchase money) for such tracts heretofore sold as may be designated in the power of attorney, he to receive as compensation for his services ten percent on
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all the moneys he collects and pays over. Mr. Dupont is required to make a detailed report of his agency every six months.
The Board authorized the Secretary of the Asylum to employ counsel in prosecuting the suit against the administrators or executors of Romeo Lewis.
The claim of Mr. Barbour for services rendered, as presented in his report, was allowed by the Board, and the Secretary was directed to issue an order in favor of Mr. Barbour for $707, the balance due to him.
The committee appointed to examine the accounts of the Treasurer reported that they had found them correct.
Adjourned till tomorrow at half past 8 o'clock.
College September 28, 1843
Present Todd, Craig, Burch, Hopkins, Preston, Montgomery, Ford, Sneed, McDowell.
The Board directed the stock transferred on the books of the Kentucky banks to the College by David A. Russel, to be retransferred to Mr. Russel, as the transfer was made under a misapprehension, and without any action of the Board.
Resolved that the Board having ascertained by the report of the financial agent, that the present amount of funds of all descriptions is probably about $59,000, (part of which is not at par) appoint the President of the College to present this fact to the
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Synod of Kentucky at its next annual session, and to request the Synod, in behalf of the Board, to adopt some immediate and efficient measures for raising at least $20,000 additional, as the interest of the present funds in conjunction with the tuition receipts is not sufficient to meet the current expenses of the institution, while it is highly desirable that an additional professor should be appointed as speedily as possible.
Resolved further that the Board judge it to be highly expedient that this additional fund be raised by the 1st of January next.
Messrs. Jacobs and Montgomery were directed to secure a debt due from the estate of Samuel Irving, deceased, by obtaining a note with sufficient personal security, the interest to be paid annually and the principal in three years.
The Board took a recess, to attend the exercises of Commencement.
College, 4 o'clock
Present as in the morning.
Mr. Jacobs read a detailed account of his doings as financial agent. The Board directed that his book of memoranda from which the detail was given should be filed with the Secretary, when Mr. Jacobs shall have finished his agency.
The committee appointed at a previous meeting of the Board to arrange with Gabriel Rice, Jr., a note held by the College on him and others referred the matter
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to the Board for advice as to the allowance of a claim for certain credits, which do not appear on the back of the note and for which he has no receipts, the claim being based on entries made in Mr. Rice's own books, without any other proof of the payments. The business was referred back to the same committee with the substitution of Mr. Alexander Sneed in the place of Dr. Craig, before a member of the committee.
The Board then adjourned.
John C. Young, Secretary