1864 | contents | 1866
Centre College Board of Trustees Minutes (Vol. 3 - 1865)

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June 27, 1865

Board of Trustees of Centre College met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Chairman.

Members present Rev. Edward P. Humphrey, Chairman, George F. Lee, Esq., Rev. Robert A. Johnstone, Rev. John L. McKee, Sidney S. McRoberts, Stephen Yerkes, Robert F. Caldwell, Glass Marshall, Esq., Thomas Barbee

Messrs. Caldwell, Humphrey, Marshall and Barbee were duly qualified on taking their seats.

The minutes of the regular annual meeting held in June last were read, and the minutes of the meeting in October last were read and approved.

On motion, the report of the Financial Agent was committed to Messrs. McRoberts and Marshall.

Board then adjourned to meet in the lecture room of Theological Seminary at 8 1/2 o'clock a.m. tomorrow.

Wednesday 8 1/2 o'clock a.m.

Board reassembled. Mr. William Ernst and Rev. Aaron A. Hogue appeared and took their seats as members of the Board.

Ordered that a committee be appointed to effect an arrangement by which the commencement exercises in the Caldwell Institute and the College shall occur in successive weeks. Messrs. Yerkes and Barbee were appointed on this committee.

The committee appointed at the meeting of the Board in June last to compare the statements of deposit in the banks with the report of the Financial Agent reported that they had attended to this duty, and found the statements to correspond accurately with the bank accounts. The report was

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received and adopted.

The committee appointed at the same time to examine the bonds, certificates of stock, etc., in the College box now in special deposit with the Northern Bank of Kentucky at Covington reported that they had performed their duty and found these certificates, etc., to correspond with the report of the Financial Agent.

The report of the Financial Agent for the present year was read, and the Committee to whom this paper had been referred reported in part. The subject was recommitted for a full and complete report.

The report of the Faculty was then read and is as follows:

The Faculty of the College, in presenting its annual report to the Board of Trustees, has no very material change in the general state of the institution for the last year to make known.

The whole number of students has not been so large - the average actual attendance nearly the same. There have been eighty seven in all during the session - about seventy usually present.

While there has been some disorder among the students, the prompt and firm use of discipline has suppressed it, and we suppose there has been no more than was reasonably to be expected in such times as have been passing over us.

The general habits of study have not been altogether such as we could desire, but we judge not more discouraging than the condition of the public mind, in which the youth of the country share with older persons, seems to have made inevit-

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able. We indulge the hope that the next session will show all things returning to their old channels, here, as elsewhere.

We have great pleasure in saying that not less than one third of the whole number are reputable professors of religion in three denominations beside our own.

We recommend the following named thirteen young gentlemen for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, the prescribed course of study having been completed by them:

Henry Anthony Bell
Alexander Greer Drury
Harvey Glass
William Martha Huston
Clement Jeremiah Moody
Alfred Burton Robertson		 Victor Moreau Brown
Joseph Hamilton Forsythe
Ben Helm
James Joseph Lucas
Legh Walker Robertson
Eugene Clinton Warren
George Winston Welch

We have further to report that Professor Matthews, who had been nearly three years absent - by leave of the Board - returned to his work at the beginning of the session. Also that Mr. Alfred B. Nelson, whom the Board at its last annual meeting appointed tutor in the College for one year, accepted the place, and has discharged its duties during the entire session acceptably to Faculty, and as far as we know, to the students also.

The degree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred on the recommendation of the Faculty upon the thirteen young gentlemen whose names are given above in Faculty Report.

The degree of A.M. in course on Robert Miller of the graduating class of 1860 and James H. Lapsley of 1861. The honorary degree of A.M. on Honorable L. H. Noble of Lebanon. The degree of D.D. on the Rev. H. H. Hopkins of Owensboro,

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and Rev. James Hawthorne of Princeton, Kentucky.

Mr. Alfred B. Nelson was reappointed tutor for one year, viz from September 1865 to September 1866 with a salary of $800.00.

Ordered that a committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of filling at this time the Chair of Belles Lettres, now vacant. Messrs. Ernst, Caldwell and Yerkes shall constitute this committee.

Messrs. Johnstone and Lee were appointed a Committee to draft a minute in relation to ministers' sons. The following minute was offered and adopted:

Resolved that the order of the Board of June 30, 1864, touching the instruction without charge of the sons of Presbyterian ministers be so far modified as to authorize the Faculty to allow this exemption to the sons of any minister of the gospel, living or dead, subject to the revision of the Board.

Ordered that the tuition of Mr. Moody be returned to him.

The report of the Faculty was then approved.

The report of the Building Committee was read & approved; with a renewal of the former orders of the Board to the Committee to proceed in this matter with the utmost dispatch. The report is as follows:

The Building Committee would beg leave to submit to the Board the following report:

Nothing additional has been done by the Committee during the year. Repeated efforts were made to secure the lumber, especially the heavy timbers, for the new College Edifice upon favorable terms, but without success. The Committee have felt themselves embarrassed by the same difficulties which surrounded them last year, and which were stated in their report to the Board, to which we respectfully refer you. Indeed, the cost of lumber which

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was a main point of difficulty has been rather enhanced than diminished. The Committee tried, but failed to secure any satisfactory arrangement by which they could get the necessary lumber from the lands owned by the College. Things are now looking more favorable, but the Committee would take no action immediately preceding the meeting of the Board.

The question of a building for the Grammar School, which was referred to the Building Committee, is so closely connected with that of a new College Edifice that it cannot be separated from it. Until it shall be determined to what use the present building shall be put, it seems impossible to determine the question of a new Preparatory Building. Such a building is no doubt needed; and if the present College building be fitted up as a dormitory for the students, a new house will be required. If on the other hand the old building be vacated and no other use be found for it, it will answer very well for a Grammar School.

[Signed] Ormond Beatty, Chairman

An application of Mrs. Green to be released from the payment of a subscription of Dr. Green to the College was laid before the Board, and referred to the Financial Committee.

The Board was informed that a large and handsome map of the Roman Empire was donated by Mr. Allen to the College. The Board directed the map to be accepted and the thanks of the Board to be returned to Mr. Allen.

It was ordered that the sum of $75.00 be paid Mr. Allen for his labor in preparing the annual report.

The thanks of the Board were returned to Mrs. Young for the donation of her scholarship to the College, upon the terms specified by herself in her written communi-

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cation to the Board.

A letter was received from the Rev. C. W. Forman of Lahore declining the degree of D. D. conferred on him by the Board at its last annual meeting.

Levi L. Warren appeared and took his seat as a member of the Board.

The Board went into an election of a Financial Agent, whereupon Rev. Robert A. Johnstone was elected. It was understood that the Board of the Theological Seminary would concur in this election, and that the same person would act as the common agent of the two institutions. But as the amount of labor for these institutions will not be equal, the Board expressed by vote its opinion that the College would require two thirds of the time of the Agent and would agree to pay two thirds of his salary. The entire salary was fixed at $1,000.00 per annum, two thirds of which shall be paid by the College, and the remaining third by the Seminary if its Board should agree to this arrangement.

The following resolution in relation to the Building Fund was adopted by the Board, viz

Resolved that the Financial Agent be instructed to collect as speedily as possible the unpaid notes belonging to the Building Fund, and that he in connection with the Financial Committee be authorized to make compromise settlements with any of the debtors to that fund.

The attention of the Board was called to the order of the Synod suggesting to this Board the reconsideration of the matters contained in Sections 12, 13, Chapter 6, College Laws. After deliberation the Board resolved to leave the whole subject to the discretion now vested in the

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Faculty by the terms of the laws.

Resolved that a committee be appointed with instruction to lay before the Presbyteries in Kentucky and before the Synod at the next stated meetings of those judicatories an overture praying them to take into consideration the propriety of establishing English and classical high schools of the first class, with special reference to the preparation of young men for the College; these schools to be owned and controlled by the Presbyteries or by Boards of Trustees appointed by Presbyterian congregations or church courts. The following Committee was appointed: Humphrey, Johnstone and Lee.

The subject of supplying instruction in the Preparatory Department for the ensuing year was committed to the Faculty of the College and the Financial Committee.

Standing Committees for the year:

The report of the Financial Agent was approved and the report of the Committee to whom this paper had been committed was received and adopted and are as follows:

To the Board of Trustees of the Centre College at their annual meeting 27th June 1865.

1. Papers in the usual form exhibiting the amount

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and description of the funds belonging to the College, the receipts and expenditures of the current year, and the balances of cash are herewith presented. Nothing connected with them seems to call for any special remark. It will be observed that this report is closed on the first instead of the tenth day of June.

2. In regard to the income and expenses of the coming year; also in regard to the cash value of the stocks owned by the College, nothing more definite can be offered at this time than was stated in the last annual report to which reference is made.

Respectfully submitted, Heman H. Allen, Acting Financial Agent

3. It will be observed on a comparison of the bank balances with the cash balances on the books that there is a deficit of $30.50 in the balances in bank. This occurred through the absence of the Financial Agent, and will be rectified on his final settlement with the Board.

[pages 71-77 consist of a detailed financial report for 1865. A print version can be viewed at Centre College Financial Reports (PDF, 752 Kb)]

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The Committee on the Report of the Financial Agent of Centre College would report as follows, that without access to all the papers necessary to verify every item of said report, we have examined the vouchers and bank balances of the Financial Agent and find them to correspond with his report, and the whole report correct; and present a safe and healthful condition of the funds belonging to the College.

From this Report it appears:

1. That the receipts from all sources have been sufficient to pay all expenses and leave a small balance. The receipts have been $7,137.40 and the expenses $6,850.91 - leaving a small balance of $286.49.

2. That the income from the funds invested and tuition fees have been $304.62 less than in the preceding year. The income for the year 1864 was $7,442.02 and for this year $7,137.40.

3. That the current expenses of the present year have exceeded those of the year preceding [by] $52.21. The expenses of the year 1864 were $6,798.70 and for this year $6,850.91.

4. The income from the investments have been for this year $188.82 less than in the preceding year. The said income last year was $5,310.22 and for this year $5,121.40.

5. The tuition fees for the present year have been $115.80 less than for the preceding year. For the year 1864, they were $2,131.80 and for the present year $2,016.00.

6. The income from the investments have been a small fraction less than 5 per cent.

7. There has been a small decrease in the amount of the permanent funds of the College, viz $735.71 which is

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satisfactorily explained in the report.

8. There have been no changes in the character of the investments, except that the amount of funds held in individual notes has been decreased $354.30 and $3,500.00 invested in U.S. seven thirty bonds.

9. The statements of the report as to the condition of the Building Fund are satisfactory; also of the Theological Fund. And when this discrepancy in the statement of the cash account shall have been corrected, we recommend that the report be approved by the Board of Trustees.

All which is respectfully submitted.

Board adjourned to meet at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.

June 29th 8 o'clock A.M., Board reassembled

The Committee on the vacant Professorship reported. The report was received and is as follows:

Your Committee to whom was referred the inquiry as to the expediency of filling at this time the vacant chair of Belle Lettres respectfully report that they are deeply impressed with the desirableness and importance in order to the successful working of the College of having all of the Chairs filled - of having the institution fully manned. But in the judgment of your Committee there are considerations which render it inexpedient at this time to fill the vacant Chair. Some of these reasons are as follows:

The present income of the College is insufficient for the additional expense that would be incurred, and the only source from which an increase of the income could be reasonably hoped for is an increase of tuition fees; and whilst the appointment of an additional Professor would, doubtless, render the College more attractive to students and have a tendency to enlarge the

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number, that influence, it is to be feared, would to a great extent be counteracted by the want of proper accommodation for students on terms which are within the means of a majority of those who attend. The two principal difficulties, therefore, in the way of an appointment at this time of an additional Professor are insufficient means and the want of suitable boarding accommodations for students. Your Committee are of the opinion that steps should be taken at once to remove as soon as possible these difficulties and hindrances to the prosperity of the College, and would recommend to the Board the consideration of the propriety of procuring or erecting a suitable building for the boarding and lodging of students as speedily as practicable; also that an effort be made to increase the endowment fund to at least $150,000.

[Signed] William Ernst, Robert F. Caldwell, Stephen Yerkes

As a means of removing the difficulties and hindrances to the prosperity of the College, herein named

Resolved that the President of Centre College and President of this Board of Trustees and Rev. John L. McKee be and are hereby requested to seek and receive contributions for the purpose of augmenting the Permanent Fund, until it shall reach the sum at least of $150,000.00

Ordered that the subject of providing temporary lodgings and accommodations for the students be committed with full powers to act to the Financial Committee.

Ordered that the whole subject of providing arrange-

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ments for the permanent lodging of the students be referred to the Building Committee, with power at their discretion to erect such building or buildings as may be necessary to this end.

The Building Committee is authorized to use for this purpose any portion of the Building Fund not needed for the Public Building.

Adjourned to meet at 6 o'clock on Tuesday before the last Thursday in June next.

Closed with prayer.

Ormond Beatty, Secretary