1878 | contents | 1880
Centre College Board of Trustees Minutes (Vol. 4 - 1879)

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Danville June 17, 1879. 8 o'clock p.m.

Pursuant to adjournment, the Board of Trustees met in the Basement of the 2nd Presbyterian Church, and, in the absence of the permanent Chairman, the Rev. John S. Hays, D.D., was elected temporary Chairman. The meeting of the Board was then opened with prayer by the Rev. Stephen Yerkes, D.D. Members present: Rev. Stephen Yerkes, D.D., Rev. John S. Hays, D.D., Rev. THomas H. Cleland, D.D., Rev. Robert Christie, Hon. Tyler T. Alexander, William H. Kinnaird, Robert Rodes, Levi L. Warren, Dr. John W. Scott, George W. Welsh, Thomas Barbee

Letters assigning reasons for absence were received from Revs. James P. Hendrick & Heman H. Allen, and William Ernst.

The oath of office was administered to those members who had not hitherto taken it.

The minutes of the last regular meeting in June were read and approved, and also the minutes of the called meeting December 10, 1878. The action of the Board in the sale of the Walnut Hill property was approved & ratified. The Secretary reported that the Chairman of the Board had made the deed authorized, & that there had been paid into the Treasury the sum of $1,065 less expense of $11.40 - or $1,053.60 in full of all claim upon the Walnut Hill property.

The Financial Report was read and referred to a Committee - Messers William H. Kinnaird & Dr. John W. Scott.

The Faculty Report was read and with accompanying papers, was referred to a Committee - Drs. Yerkes & Cleland. It is as follows:

The Faculty of Centre College beg leave to present the following report of the internal condition of the College for the academical year ending June 19, 1879.

1) Faculty - Since the last annual report there has occurred no change in the Faculty. All the members have, with slight interruptions, been at their usual

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work during the year.

2) The Triennial & Annual Catalogue, the usual Financial Report, and the reports on the Scientific Fund, the Museum & the Library, all of which are herewith submitted to the Board, will furnish detailed information on these various subjects, to all of which we respectfully refer.

3) Degrees - The Faculty recommend for the degree of A.B. the following young gentlemen of the senior Class, viz.

Thomas Botts Andrews Flemingsburg, [Ky.]
William Kavanaugh Argo Lowell, [Ky.]
Seth Botts Flemingsburg, [Ky.]
John Henry Clagett Caneyville, [Ky.]
Andrew Payne Darnall Flemingsburg, [Ky.]
Henry Palmer Dudley Larned, Kansas
Woodford Gaines Dunlap Lancaster, [Ky.]
Charles Eugene Edwards Danville, [Ky.]
Chauncey Caldwell Edwards Danville, [Ky.]
William Simpson Elkin Lancaster, [Ky.]
Arthur Henley Keller Paris, [Ky.]
James West Kennedy McAfee, [Ky.]
James Brown Kinnaird Lancaster, [Ky.]
Jacob Guest Owsley Crab Orchard, [Ky.]
Hugh Reid Stanford, [Ky.]
James Albert Vansant Flemingsburg, [Ky.]
William Raymond Worrall Chicago, Ill.
 
and for a certificate
James Parla Brubaker Ashland, [Ky.]

4) College Home - The College Home has been kept open during the year. In the earlier part of the term, fourteen or fifteen students entered the Home. A number of these afterwards left & entered private boarding houses. This was due, we believe, less to dissatisfaction with the Home, than to the cheapness of board furnished in private families. The lowering of the rates of board through

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the town has been effected, in part, we think, by the rate of board in the Home.

The Preparatory has been conducted successfully under the same arrangement that existed last year. We think the prospects are flattering for still greater success next year.

In answer to an inquiry made by the Board at its last meeting, the Faculty have had under consideration the subject of the religious instruction of the students. It is their purpose next year to give to each class an hour's recitation in the Bible, one day every week. They do not see how it will be in their power, without a change in the curriculum, to add more time to the direct instruction in the scriptures. Dr. McKee will continue his usual lectures, and the ordinary religious worship in the Chapel during the week, and in the churches on the Sabbath day, will of course remain unaltered.

A Young Men's Christian Association has maintained its organization and its activity during the year. A room has been rented in the town which has been devoted exclusively to the work of this Association. It is supplied with a number of papers & periodicals, and a small number of religious books, for the use of the students.

Nothing deserving special note in regard either to a religious awakening among the students, or to their general habits of study, or to necessary discipline has occurred, during the year.

Respectfully submitted

Report on the Museum

Number of specimens reported last year   2301
Added this year, Fossils 41 Species 70 specimens

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Minerals 8 species 9 specimens  
Articulates 1 species 1 specimens
Archaeology 2 species 2 specimens
Total 52 82 Whole number 2,383

Report in Library (condensed)

Number of volumes last year   4,296
Added bound volumes   80
Total   4,376
Pamphlets added   11

Report on Scientific Fund (condensed)

June 1, 1878 Balance on hand $74.76
July 1, 1878 Annual Appropriation $50.00
$124.76
By expenses $80.08
Balance on hand $44.68

Report on Preparatory (condensed)

Receipts $750.00
Uncollected Accounts $225.00

An application was made to the Board for an appropriation of not less than $50 to aid them in paying the expenses connected with commencement exercises.

The Board directed the President to say to them in reply that for want of funds (there being now a large sum due the Professors, which the Board has no means of paying at the present time) & for the purpose of discovering the growing tendency to increase the expenses connected with the Commencement exercises, they are compelled respectfully to decline making the appropriations.

The Board then adjourned to meet tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock.

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8 o'clock Wednesday, June 18, 1879

Board reassembled, & was opened with prayer by the Hon. Tyler T. Alexander.

Dr. John L. McKee made a report in regard to his work as Financial Agent & Evangelist. It was referred to a committee - Messers Rodes & Warren. The report is as follows:

Danville, Ky., June 17, 1879

I beg leave to submit the following report of my Evangelistic & Agency work since the last meeting of the Board. An earnest appeal for settlement has been made to all those in debt to the College, except those who uniformly pay promptly without any solicitation. This appeal has been made almost entirely through the mail. The Financial report will show the result. Mr. J. S. Crowell of Springfield, Ohio, gave his note for $250 to run from July 1st 1879 in lieu of his subscription made in 1873. The number steadily increases of those who do not answer my letters at all, and of those who beg to be released from their obligations to the College. I have preached, during the year, three hundred & fifty-four sermons, as follows:

Ebenezer Church, Lewis County, Ky. 31 sermons
Marion Church, Crittendon County, [Ky.] 22
Princeton, Caldwell County, [Ky.] 41
Lexington, [Ky.] 2
Lebanon, [Ky.] 58
Springfield, [Ky.] 43
Central Church, Louisville, [Ky.] 3
Frankfort, [Ky.] 57
Springfield, Ohio 42
Perryville, [Ky.] 2
Ashland, [Ky.] 47
Walnut Hills, Cincinnati 3
Danville, [Ky.] 3

Free will offerings from the churches:

Ebenezer $27.70
Marion, [Ky.] $37.75
Princeton, [Ky.] $55.00
1st Church Lebanon, [Ky.] $50.00
2nd Church Lebanon, [Ky.] $50.00
forward $220.45

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Brought forward $220.45
M.E.S. Church $20.50
Baptist Church, Lebanon, [Ky.] $9.75
Springfield Church, [Ky.] $60.00
Central Presbyterian Church, Louisville, [Ky.] #20.00
Frankfort Church, [Ky.] $155.00
Springfield, Ohio $261.50
Perryville, [Ky.] $10.00
Ashland, [Ky.] $108.00
Walnut Hills $30.00
$895.20
Mrs. R. J. Brown as a supplement to my salary $50.00
J. P. McMillan paid on his note for the same purpose $50.00
$995.20
Expenses
Repairs of buggy $46.25
Travelling expenses $95.40 $141.65
$853.55

(Signed) John L. McKee

The permanent Committees were reappointed and are the same as last year (see pagfe 384 of this book).

It was ordered that the management of the College Home for the ensuing year be committed to the Faculty with instructions to make such arrangements for its conduct as, in their judgment, might be necessary & proper.

The degree of

L.L.D. was conferred upon Hon. James B. McCreary of Class of 1857
D.D. on the Rev. John Armstrong, Fairfield, Iowa
A.M. Honorary on Rev. D. L. Landen of Missouri
A.M Honorary on Rev. James L. Allen of Danville, [Ky.]

A.M. in course on

Adam W. Ringland, Class of 1872
William H. Shaw, Class of 1874
John T. Vansant, Class of 1875

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Samuel R. Cheek, Class of 1875
Frank J. Cheek, Class of 1876
Joseph H. Skinner, Class of 1876

A.B. upon 17 young men of the Senior Class, and a certificate on one, viz.

Certificate - James Parla Brubaker

The Committee to which was referred the Financial Report offered their report which was received, adopted, and is as follows:

The undersigned Committee on the Financial Report have examined said report, comparing carefully the account of notes and expenditures, and find the same correct. We have not the securities before us - they being in Louisville, or most of them, in charge of Levi L. Warren who vouches for the correctness of the list reported in his possession. We desire to call the attention of the Board to the large amount of Jeffersonville & Indianapolis Railroad bonds owned by the College - nearly $50,000 - and most of these 2nd mortgage. We do not think proper to make any special recommendation on the subject, but to suggest the danger of holding so large a part of the funds in a single security. We notice among the securities some Logan County bonds. Our information is to the effect that there is danger of a default in the payment of interest on these bonds, and our judgment is that they had better be sold & the proceeds invested in some more reliable security.

We learn that the bonds belonging to the Boyle Prize Fund, which have paid no interest for some time past, have been sold for $1,500. During the default

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the prizes, and cost of recovering these bonds which were among those stolen, have been paid by borrowing some $300 or more from the general funds of the College. We think that no part of the principal of the bonds sold ($1,500) should be used in the discharge of this debt, but that the interest from the reinvestment and whatever may be realized from the past due coupons of the bonds sold should be appropriated to its payment. We request the Committee on investments to inquire into the probability of realizing anything on the bonds of the Owensboro & Russelville Railroad bonds by the College and report at the next meeting of the Board.

Respectfully submitted.

William H. Kinnaird, John W. Scott

The Committee to which was referred the Faculty report, made their report, which was received, adopted and is as follows:

The Committee to which was referred the report of the Faculty together with the accompanying documents beg leave to report as follows:

1. We find the report of the Faculty full and satisfactory. The detailed reports on the Library, the Museum and Scientific Fund are very complete - all that the Board could desire in such exhibits. The general work of the Institution has been prosecuted with regularity and fidelity, and with a good degree of success. The total number of students during the year, including the Preparatory Department has been 156. The Catalogue shows how they have been distributed among the various classes and departments. In the judgment of your Committee the standard of scholarship has been gradually & steadily rising, and the instruction given is of such a quality when compared with that given

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in the best institutions in the country as to justify us in most cordially commending it to the continued patronage of the public.

2. In accordance with the recommendation of the Faculty, we recommend that the degree of A.B. be conferred on the seventeen young gentlemen of the present senior class.

3. So far as we learn from this report, the College Home and the Preparatory Department have been conducted in such a manner as to gain the approbation of the Faculty.

4. In response to the resolution of the Board (passed at the last annual meeting) touching the religious instruction of the College, your Committee recommend that the Board accept the action of the Faculty, (Contained in the 6th section of their report) as entirely satisfactory.

Stephen Yerkes, Thomas H. Cleland, Committee

The Committee to which was referred Dr. McKee's report, made their report, which was received and adopted and is as follows, viz,

The Committee to whom was referred the report of Rev. John L. McKee, D.D., as to his agency in the collection of funds for the better endowment of Centre College, report,

That, in their judgment, this Board can do nothing more than to re-adopt the action of this Board at its meeting in June 1878, and found on page 39 of its records; and they therefore recommend that all of its proceedings, as found on that page, be re-adopted for one year more from this date.

As to the collection of the funds

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due or to become due by virtue of any note given, or sum subscribed for the endowment of the Vice President's Chair or for the general endowment of the College, this Committee do recommend and advise that the subject be left with, and committed to the Financial Committee for the purpose of adjustment, settlement and collection, on such terms & in such manner as may be just, equitable & proper, leaving the whole matter to their best judgment, and advise as much expedition as possible.

Respectfully, Robert Rodes, Levi L. Warren

It appeared from a statement made by Dr. McKee that over & above sums especially contributed for this object, he had heretofore spent of the free-will offerings of the churches given for his own support the sum of $218.55 in fitting up and furnishing his recitation room in College. It was therefore,

Ordered, That this sum of $218.55 be returned to Dr. Mckee.

To the Faculty was committed for the ensuing year the management of the Preparatory with full power to make such arrangements for conducting it, as their judgment might approve.

The Board then adjourned to meet at the conclusion of Judge Dulaney's address to the Alumni Association.

9 o'clock p.m. Board reassembled.

Resolved, That the name of Mr. Kinnaird be added to the Committee, & that Mr. Welsh, Mr. Barbee, & himself be a Committee to settle with Mr. Ralston, either by agreement or by arbitration.

The Board then adjourned to meet

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on Tuesday before the third Thursday in June 1880, at 4 o'clock p.m.

Closed with prayer.

Ormond Beatty, Secretary