1882 | contents | 1884
Centre College Board of Trustees Minutes (Vol. 4 - 1883)

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Danville, Ky., June 19, 1883

The Board of Trustees met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Dr. Yerkes. Dr. John W. Scott was elected temporary Chairman and then, on motion, Dr. Edward P. Humphrey was chosen permanent Chairman. The following members were present: Rev. Edward. Humphrey, D.D., Rev. Stephen Yerkes, D.D., John W. Scott, M.D., George Nicholas, Esq., George W. Welsh, James Barbour, Robert P. Jacobs

The oath of office was administered to the newly elected members, viz. Messrs. Edward P. Humphrey, George W. Welsh, James Barbour, Robert P. Jacobs and George Nicholas.

The minutes of the last meeting of the Board were read and approved.

The Financial Report, and in connection with it the Report of the Auditing Committee, were read and approved, and are as follows:

(For the Financial Report see book containing Financial Reports.)

Report of Committee on Financial Statement from April 1, 1882, to April 1, 1883.

As members of the Committee appointed by the Board of Trustees of Centre College to examine and report as to the annual financial statement of Ormond Beatty, L.L.D., Secretary of said Board, we state each for himself that we have carefully looked into the statement, together with accompanying documents, consisting of financial statement of last year to April 1, bank book settlements, and list assets furnished by Edward W. C. Humphrey, custodian of assets, and vouchers for the expenditures on account of the College.

We find the additions & footings correct except in one instance. Paper B, being a list of subscription

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notes to the endorsement of the College, shows too much by $100, an error in addition, and consequently an error of like amount wherever this item appears in the report.*

Voucher No. 44, J. C. Nichols, is accompanied by an account against the College for a much larger amount, and the check is for a balance due, $44.40, but it nowhere appears how the remainder has been paid, which should be somewhere explained. Doubtless the Secretary can make such explanation orally.

The various statements and summaries show the condition of the College finances so fully that we deem it needless to add anything in explanation.

Respectfully submitted, (Signed) John B. Temple

A letter was read from Mr. John B. Temple asking to be excused from serving longer on the auditing committee.

*Proper corrections have been entered upon the report.

Dr. John L. McKee read a report on his Evangelistic and Agency work, which was read and referred to a committee consisting of Messrs. Barbour & Jacobs, and is as follows:

Danville, Ky., June 13, 1883

I beg leave to report to the Board of Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky. The report covers nine and one-half months from June 13, 1882, to April 1, 1883. This change is made that my reports hereafter may correspond in time with the financial reports. I have done what I could to collect what is due from subscribers to the Endowment Fund. Have applied in person to those within reach. The subscribers who live at a distance seldom now reply to my letters. They live in New York, Salt Lake, Texas, Kansas, and in this state at Ashland, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, etc. Since the last report Mrs. Elizabeth Spalding of Lebanon, Ky., has given a legacy bond of $500 to the

*proper corrections, have been entered upon the report.

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Board of Trustees. Mr. George Denny, Sr., renews his application for a commutation of his note. I hope the Board may see its way clear to comply with this request. His letter is herewith submitted. I think it would be well for the Board to require the Financial Agent to insist upon settlements, or the renewal of the notes of subscribers, so as to include the interest due, in order that this interest may hereafter be productive.

I have preached during the nine & one-half months as follows:

In Lebanon as stated supply
As Evangelist at Paint Lick, [Ky.]
Stevenson Camp Meeting
Greensburg, Ky.
New Market, [Ky.]
Hustonville, [Ky.]
Harrodsburg, [Ky.]
Williamstown, [Ky.]
Franklin, Ind.
Lexington, Ky.
Lancaster, [Ky.]
 
 
Salary at Lebanon, [Ky.]
 
Free Will Offerings:
Greensburg, [Ky.]
New Market, [Ky.]
Franklin, Ind.
Lexington, [Ky.]
Lancaster, [Ky.]
Williamstown, [Ky.]
For Collecting
 
 
Expenses to be thru supplying my pulpit while evangelizing
Traveling, room rent, etc.
 
Total
74 times
1
2
14
10
1
2
7
36
29
29
$205
 
$950.00
 
$5.00
$5.00
$100.00
$125.00
$54.50
$10.00
$52.75
$1,301.25
 
$90.00
$58.30
$148.30
$1,152.35

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In order to be with my class on Mondays, I changed my preaching place on the 1st of April from Lebanon to Harrodsburg. This arrangement allows me to be out of my pulpit one Sabbath each month, or its equivalent, for evangelistic work or College work - provided I supply the pulpit at my own expense with some acceptable preacher.

Respectfully submitted, (Signed) John L. McKee

The Faculty Report and accompanying reports on Library, Museum, Scientific Fund, etc., were read, received, and referred to a committee, Messrs. Scott & Yerkes. The reports are as follows:

Report of the Faculty of Centre College for the year ending June 21, 1883

Faculty

Since our last report there have been no changes in the Faculty; and we are glad to say that all the members have been able to discharge their duties regularly, with scarcely an interruption during the year.

Reports

The accompanying reports and papers, to wit, the Financial Report, reports on the Library and Museum, on the Library & Chemical Funds, copy of catalogue, etc., will furnish the Board full information on the matters to which they relate.

Degree of A.B.

The Faculty recommend that the degree of A. B. be conferred on the following members of the Senior Class: George H. Barbour, Benjamin F. Blakeman, John Burgin, John Cowan, George C. Cowles, Hugh C. Grant, William K. Massie, Clarence McAlister, Leila S. McKee, James L. McKee, Charles W. Metcalfe, Worden P. Nicholas, Robert L. Pulliam, Margaret E. Randolph, Henry C. Read, Peter G. Smoot, Theodore Tunis, Union Worthington.

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The two ladies of the class, who have completed the course with great credit to themselves, are specially and strongly recommended for the degree of A.B., with the conviction that no harm will result to the institution.

Certificate

The Faculty recommended that the Certificate for the completion of the Scientific Course of study be conferred on the two following gentlemen: J. W. Bell, Speed S. Fry

College Home

The College Home is still under the same management, which is entirely satisfactory to the Faculty and to its patrons. It has accommodated twenty-six students during the year.

Students

The Catalogue shows a noteworthy increase of students over the number last year. They have exhibited average diligence in study and an almost exceptional correctness of deportment, so that discipline has had to be exercised very seldom and very lightly.

Preparatory Department

There has been no change in the management of the Preparatory Department. The Principal receives all the proceeds of the school and employs his own assistant, so that the institution entails no expense on the College, while it continues under the general direction of the Faculty.

Religious Instruction

This has been conducted on the same plan as last year. Dr. McKee delivers morning lectures on the Bible at the beginning and end of the session, covering a period of about three months in all. During the remainder of the session each class has a recitation of one hour in the Bible once a week with a member

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of the Faculty. The students are thus held to the same accountability in this as in their other studies, and the result is more thorough preparation of the lesson and a more abiding impression on the mind. Some religious interest was manifested during the year and four students united with the church.

A.M. Honorary

It is recommended that the honorary degree of A.M. be conferred on Prof. John L. Irvine, of Lancaster.

All of which is respectfully submitted, (Signed) Alfred B. Nelson, Secretary Faculty

The report of Prof. John C. Fales on the Scientific Fund for the year ending June 1, 1883, shows

Income
Expenditures
Balance
$110.00
$90.10
$19.90

The report of Prof. Fales on the Museum makes the following exhibit:

Previous entries
Added specimens in zoology
Added specimens of fossils
Added specimens of minerals
Total
2,717
3
10
5
2,735

The report further states that there is on hand a considerable amount of material still unclassified.

The report of the Librarian, Prof. John C. Fales, is summarized as follows:

Number volumes in last report
Added during the year, bound volumes
Added during the year, unbound volumes
Total in Library June 1, 1883
4,710
119
16
4,845

The Librarian states that the card catalogue is in a good state of advancement & will probably be completed in another year. He further reports that a large number of valuable books need rebinding to prevent their injury beyond repair,

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and that the reviews and journals are suffering from want of binding.

Reasons for non-attendance at this meeting of the Board were given by letter and otherwise by Messrs. Temple, Ernst, Hendricks, Allen, Warren, Christie, and Hays, and the Secretary was directed to note the fact.

Dr. Hays also tendered his resignation as a member of the Board. The Board directed the Secretary to make a special report of the resignation to the Synod at its next meeting.

A letter from Rev. Heman H. Allen, D.D., an absent member of the Board, relating to the introduction of one or more of the Christian Classics into the College curriculum was presented, and the letter and the subject were referred to the Faculty of the College, who are directed to report upon the subject to the Board at its next regular meeting.

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

9 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, 1883

The Board reassembled. The minutes of yesterday were read and approved.

The report of the committee on the Faculty Report was received, adopted, and is as follows:

The Committee to whom was referred the report of the Faculty and accompanying documents, beg leave to report that they have examined the same and recommend the acceptance & approval thereof, with the exception that they are not prepared to recommend the granting to the two young ladies, members of the Senior Class, the usual degree of A.B. without expressing an opinion in regard to this matter, the Committee refer this question back to the Board for their action.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

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(Signed) John W. Scott, Stephen Yerkes

In accordance with the recommendation of the Faculty the degree of A.B. was conferred on the sixteen young gentlemen, members of the Senior Class, named in the Faculty Report. The same degree was conferred upon two young ladies, Misses McKee and Randolph, who had completed their course in the regular college classes, with the explanations embodied in the following paper:

The President is to state, at the time of conferring the degree, that the Board regards these cases as altogether special, and that the College is not hereby to be considered as committed to any new line of policy in the work of education.

Certificates were conferred upon Messrs. Bell and Fry.

The Honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on Prof. John L. Irvine, of Lancaster, [Ky.].

The degree of A.M. in course was conferred on the following gentlemen:

Charles S. Douglass
Rev. Edward L. Warren
George C. Cohen
Dr. Archibald O. Burton
Richard P. Ernst
John R. James
Henry T. Lyttleton
James M. B. Birdwhistell
Class of 1860
Class of 1873
Class of 1874
Class of 1876
Class of 1878
Class of 1878
Class of 1880
Class of 1880

The degree of D.D. was conferred upon

Rev. J. B. Hendrick, of Flemingsburg, Ky.
Rev. A. Van Der Lippe, of St. Louis, Mo.
Rev. William H. Cooke, of Wheeling, W. Va.

These degrees were conferred unanimously.

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The salaries of Profs. Cheek and Redd were increased to $1350 each per annum, to begin with September 1, 1883.

The following resolution in regard to the agency work of Dr. McKee was adopted:

Resolved, That the Financial Committee be directed to confer with Dr. McKee and the President & Faculty of the College, and endeavor to make an arrangement with Dr. McKee to devote as much of his time as may be practicable to visiting the churches & people of Kentucky, with a view to procuring students and the enlargement of the Permanent Fund of the College; the question of compensation and all necessary arrangements to be left to the sound discretion of the Financial Committee.

The report of the Committee on Dr. McKee's report was accepted, adopted, and is as follows:

The Committee to whom the report of Vice President McKee has been referred recommend the approval of all of said report except so much thereof as relates to the commutation of Mr. George Denny's note. As to that matter we are not prepared to propose action, and therefore suggest that the same be referred to the Financial Committee in connection with Messrs. Robert P. Jacobs and William H. Kinnaird.

(Signed) James Barbour, Chairman

The following resolution in regard to further endowment of the College was adopted:

Resolved, That in the judgment of this Board the time has come when an effort should be made for the further endowment of the College. The Board therefore earnestly request the Synod of Kentucky to advise and authorize an application to the friends of the College in this state and elsewhere for an additional endowment to be named by the Synod,

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and that the Synod appoint a committee to unite with a committee of this Board in an appeal to the friends of learning & religion to contribute liberally to this object; and that this joint committee shall appoint & commission one or more agents to carry out the purposes of this resolution.

The Secretary is requested to lay this resolution before the Synod.

The Committee on investment was reappointed for the ensuing year.

Messrs. Ormond Beatty, George W. Welsh, and Robert P. Jacobs were appointed the Financial Committee.

The committee on repairs was reappointed for the ensuing year.

Messrs. Robert P. Jacobs and George W. Welsh were appointed the Auditing Committee.

The following resolution in regard to Mrs. Shelby was adopted:

Mrs. Mary Steele Shelby having made application to the Board to release the mortgage on about seventy acres of the land in Lincoln County, Ky., to secure a debt of twelve thousand dollars in case she makes a sale of said land, the matter is referred to the Financial Committee of the Board with power to act as they think prudent under the circumstances; and in case the Financial Committee agree to make said release, Ormond Beatty as attorney in fact of this corporation is authorized to make the release on the margin of the proper record.

It was resolved that when the Board adjourned it shall be to meet in the basement of the 2nd Presbyterian Church in this place at 4 p.m. on Tuesday before the third Thursday in June 1884.

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The Secretary reported that in answer to a telegram sent by him to Dr. Blanton, Chancellor of Central University, informing him that this Board had appointed a committee to confer with a like committee, should one be appointed, by the Board of Control of Central University "in reference to the joint action & control of this College and said University and the general interests of Presbyterian education in Ky.", he had received a telegram from Dr. Blanton informing him that the Board of Trustees of Central University had adjourned and the members scattered before the dispatch from Danville had been received. Since that time the Secretary has received no further communication in relation to the subject.

The minutes of the Board were read and approved, and the Board then adjourned to meet at the call of the Chairman or Secretary during the sessions of the Synod in October next, should a meeting be considered necessary or desirable at that time.

The meeting was closed with prayer by the Chairman.

Ormond Beatty, Secretary