Board of Trustees minutes, Ohio University

32

to the motion as being out of order, which objection was held by the Chair to be well taken and sustained, said objection. Mr Bundy thereupon appealed to the Board from the decision of the Chair, and a vote was taken sustaining the ruling of the Chair. [inserted] Approval of Auditors Bond [end inserted] Mr [crossed out] Bu [end crossed out] [inserted] Lowry [end inserted] moved that the bond of the Auditor in the sum of $1.000. and the surety thereas be approved and accepted by the Board, which motion was duly seconded and adopted. Mr Jewett offered the following resolution to wit: [inserted] Resolution as to Prof. Sylvester [end inserted] "Resolved that We hereby express our appreciation of the worth and excellence of Prof J.P. Sylvester as a teacher, and regret that he has severed his connection with the Ohio University, and commend him to other Universities as a teacher" and moved its adoption, which motion was duly seconded, and said resolution was unanimously adopted. [inserted] Approval of Aud and Treas's Report. [end inserted] Mr Jones moved that the report of the Committee to examine the report of th Auditor and Treasurer be received and accepted, which motion was duly seconded and adopted. [inserted] Resolution as to Prof. Clyde Brown [end inserted] Mr Jewett offered the following resolution to wit "Resolved, that we hereby recognize the excellence "and worth of Prof. Clyde Brown during his long service "as a teacher of this University, and we recommend him "to the public in the new field of labor in which he is "about to enter" and moved its adoption which motion was duly seconded and said resolution was unanimously adopted by the Board. On motion duly seconded Hon Albert Douglas was excused for now attendance.

33

Statement of Treasurer [inserted] Treasurers annual Statement [end inserted] To the Honorable Board of Trustees Ohio University Athens Ohio. Gentlemen I beg leave to submit the following statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Ohio University for the year from june 15th 1899 to June 15. 1900 A. J. Frame Treasurer Amount of balance in Treasury June 15, 1899 $1285.86 Received from State appropriation 25.809.28 " " Contingent fees 2325.50. " " vocal music fees 395.50 " " Instrumental music fees 686.25 " " Chemical fees 53.00 " " Electrical fees 34.00. " " Book Keeping fees 267 00 " " Stenographic fees 329 00 " " Printing fees 15.00 " " Private Examinations 1.00 " " Diplomas + Certificates 133.00. " " Use of pianos 47.50. " " Rent school [?Examines?] 13.00 " " Sale of old boiler 27.50. " " " old [?stone?] 150. " " Taxes refunded athletic grounds. 4.68. " " Village Construction of sewer. 118.72 " " Interest on Prize poem fund 70.00 " " Sale of [?Alfalfa?] clover 125.00. " " Rent of Auditorium 25.00 " " Rardin lease 100.00. " " Heat College Place 50.00 = 4.822.05 " " State sinking fund July 1899 420.01 " " " " " [?Jary?] 1900 421.17 = 841.17

34 Received from Athens County Treasury Aug. 1899. 1763.72 " " " " [?Feby?] 1900 1992.96=$3756.68. " " Manager Ladies Hall 903.47 " " Sale of O.U Certificates 10.829 75 " " Rent duplicate June 15/99 to Nov.15/99 339.16 " " Nov 15/99 to June 15/1900 2717.13= 3056.29 " " order 7901 Unpaid 1200.00 Total Receipts 52.505.65 Amount of Orders redeemed from June 15/99 to June 15 1900. 51.783.84 Bal in Treasury June 15 1900 - $721.81

[inserted] Same Subject Continued [end inserted] Orders Redeemed from june 15 1899 to June 15. 1900. Orders redeemed and current expense accrued 2827.60 " " on Faculty account 20.950.50 " " " Aud. Secy + Treas Account 999.97. " " " Janitor and Asst " 985.00 " " " Trustee Expense " 199.85. " " " College Place " 2.296_98 " " " Library and Reading room 134.35 " " " Natural Science Account 49.07. " " " Physical Dept " 2539.21 " " " Chemical " " 398.64 " " " Improvement " 4.930.40 " " " Commercial " " 714.44 " " " Redemption of bonds + interest. 12.750.00 " " " Stenographic fees account- 329.00 " " " Athletic grounds accounts 261.28 " " " Prize poem fund " 120.00 " " " Advertising account 322.98. " " " Gas and fixtures account 974.57. 51.783.84. Report of Committee To the Hon Board of Trustees of the Ohio University Gentlemen Your Committee appointed to audit the Books of the Treasurer and Auditor of the Ohio University beg leave to report as follow -

35 Total receipts June 15 1899 - June 15.1900 $52.505.65 " Expenditures 51.783.84 Balance $721.81 C C. Davidson J.M Foster - Committee

Report of Ladies Hall. Athens O June 15 1900 To the Board of Trustees of the Ohio University Gentlemens

[inserted] Report of Ladies Hall.] I submit herewith a detailed report of the receipts and expenditures of the Ladies Hall of the Ohio University from June 15th 1899 to June 15th 1900. It will be observed that the receipts for the fiscal year are $903.47- and the expenditures $2286.98-leaving and excess of expenditures over receipts $1383.51-It will be observed from the record that a large amount of this expenditure was for the $1700.00 rent due the owners of the Ladies Hall from the Ohio University under the leave heretofore granted the Ohio University by the College Place Improvement Company. Very Respectfully Yours. L.M. Jewett Manager Ladies Hall Ohio University Approved. F.C. Whiley J.P. Wood DH. Moore Committee E.J. Jones. C.W. Super

Report of the Auditor of the Ohio University To the Board of Trustees of the Ohio University Gentlemen I submit herewith my

36 annual report of the total expenditures of the Ohio University for the fiscal year from June 15. 1899 to June 15. 1900. An enumeration of the various matters for which expenditures were made will be found in the detailed statement of the Treasurer. In my opinion the year has been a success financially. We have paid off all of the current indebtedness of the Ohio University (except outstanding O.U. Certificates) with the exception of the $1200.00 note maturing in February next given for a [?dynam.?] for the electrical department. Very Respectfully Yours. L.M Jewett. Auditor of Ohio University. [inserted] President Annual Report. [end inserted] Gentlemen of the Board. The total attendance during the past year was the largest in the history of the college. There is however a qualification to this general statement that should not be overlooked. In 95 there were 15 graduates, in 96 19- in 97 - 19 - in 98 - 13 in 99-11, this year 10. The tendency is however upward again and the close next year promises to be larger. Yet the competition among the colleges becomes harder, and harder each successive year, and more effort is required to get students. It is important that we have something going on all the time, lectures, concerts and the like. When we remember tht the presidency carries with it the professorship of Greek the cost of administration is probably less here that anywhere else in the state. There is thus the more money left to be expended indirectly for the building up of the institution numerically. For several years [crossed out] past [end crossed out] [inserted] a few [end inserted] members of the faculty have conducted a summer term for what they could make out of it. This work has supplied an actual want and I believe ought to be put on a permanent footing. I believe that not less than $300.00 should be devoted to this purpose in 1901-. We can get students in the summer who can not come at any other time, chiefly teachers, but when they find

37 what we are doing they send others - I believe that full half the colleges, in the land carry on such a term, the best evidence that they fill a want. Last year the Board allowed me $75. for use during the months of July and August. The large attendance at the opening of the year may be taken as evidence that it was judiciously expended. This year I should like to have this amount increased to at least $125.00. I feel the less hesitation in asking for the same as I have promised to give six weeks instruction without other compensation[?1-2?] I have promised to turn over all the receipts to my three colleagues who intend to assist me. [inserted] Presidents Annual Report [end inserted] Janitor service has cost a little more than was contemplated last summer, but as part of the outlay was paid to a student who could probably not have remained here without this assistance, it was not unwisely expended. I have so many inquiries from young men as to whether we can give them something to do to enable them to pay their way in part or in whole that it is worth while to consider these pleas - At most college more or less, at some places a great deal is done to aid young people in this way - I am strongly inclined to think that with one compentent man to oversee, we could distribute the rest of the work entirely among students, and be the [?garrier?] financially in the end. It looks to me as if about $800.00 ought to cover the entire expense practically if we continue to burn natural gas. To judge from this number of applicants for the vacant janitorship it would be generally regarded as a desirable position. Unless we decide to employ a mechanic we cannot do better than to keep Mr Bean until in the fall at least that is the opinion of the faculty. I am the last man to recommend paying a laborer the least possible wages, but out first obligation is to the young men and women who come here and endure privations to get an

38 education. Besides $800. looks like a good deal of money for taking care of the buildings and grounds. It may be too that the Board will not consider this a matter of sufficient importance to take final action. I ask also for some latitude in the employment of additional teachers if necessary. If the attendance is as large, as it is the present term we cannot get along with one. We have a teacher in penmanship who cost us $35.00. The student paying $105.. I further arranged for three extra classes that cost the college nothing. We have to take all grades of students which make nearly twice as many teachers necessary as would suffice if they were properly distributed - Some classes are so large that it is necessary to divide them. This must often be done also to avoid conflicts. Our program provides for about 75 classes a day, besides which there is a great deal of laboratory [inserted] Presidents Annual Report [end inserted] work in several departments that must be supervised by the instructor. If the faculty is raised to the number recommended in this report we shall still fall one or two short of the number of four or five years ago - It is well to keep in mind also that we must have the instructors before we can expect to get the students. We could get along very well with fewer teacher if we were to cut off a year from our preparatory department - I should have been glad to do this years ago, but it would considerably reduce an attendance, and I have not yet seen my way clear to recommend it, so long as so many of our students are from small towns and villages, we shall probably for a long time to come find it advisable to give all who [?precent?] themselves a trial - Our music department has been somewhat overcrowded for the reason that it has been difficult to distribute the pupils properly between the two teachers - I have stated in the catalogue that the fees for music will hereafter range from 8 to 15$ per term - I could not be more definite without the authority of the Board.

39 , but the purpose I had in view was to regulate the price according to the length of the term and the teacher. Most of the students in music would be willing to pay a little more for lessons from Professor McVey, and I respectfully ask that the registrar be authorised to [?fix?] a slightly higher rate for his instruction and to put the price to correspond with the length of te term. I cannot now make a very definite recommen-dation for the whole of next year as our experience with the fall term may make some modification necessary or at least advisable. It will also be well to look toward the purchase of a pipe organ for the auditorium in the near future. I believe that 2500$ or $3.000- could be wisely invested in this way even if we have to borrow the man at 5%, a large organ on the platform might also improve the acoustic properties of the room - I wish to make an earnest plea for at [inserted] Presidents Annual Report [end inserted] least $500 for the library next year. We need a few more periodicals, and not less than one from each of our new possessions. For three year our library has been increased [?scarcely?] at all except by [illegible] periodicals. Last year the amount expended was less than $150. So urgent are the needs of certain new books, that I paid nearly $100.00 out of personal funds for such as were most in demand, or that we have long been wanting and which could be bought at special rates. I did not ask the Finance Committee to buy books, because there was some doubt as to their authority. I called the attention of the Board to the matter last summer, but no action was taken, and as this [inserted] in [end inserted]action might be interpreted either affirmatively or negatively I preferred to let the matter run on to the end of the year. It is well to keep in mind [?too?] that most of the departments need about nothing but books, and as the others are now fairly well equipped this condition of affairs leaves the way clear for books. Three months ago we began again the publication of the O.U Mirror. It is not an entire success. The fact is

40 our location is peculiar. No college in the state is so [illegible] situated as we are for getting first class printing done at home. If we publish away from home it is both more costly and more inconvenient. If a paper is edited by members of the faculty it is not strictly a college paper; If done by the students it is rarely well done. They are inexperienced in proof reading and so many errors creep in. Besides our alumni have give very little support, and the students on the ground are in more desposed to subscribe- my proposal is that we do the best that we can for another year with such facilities as we have and that the students be informed that it depends on them whether we lave a paper or not - If they are not interested [inserted] Enough [end inserted] to give financial support so as to bring the cost to about twenty dollars a month [inserted] Presidents Annual Report [end inserted] ,we had better discontinue. If we do not have a sufficiently large subscription list to permit us to send out the issues at the [?pound?] rate, the cost [inserted] will [end inserted] I fear [crossed out] will I fear, [end crossed out] overrun the profit. For a number of years there have been attempts made to establish a department of Forestry and Forest Botany. Such departments have recently been put in operation at several institutions, the work done counting toward a degree just as in the other courses. In order that those who are interested should know where we stand our Board should put itself upon the record. We are not at present able to expend any money, but I believe the establishment of a Chair would aid the cause and help us. Every new departement increases the attendance and unless it possible for the legislators to vote money for some definite object I should like permission to fit up a few rooms in the West Wing - It is not wise to leave an unoccupied building on the campus, as we have found by experience. The Y. M-C-A boys need a room or two, and a few more might be occupied by those who take care of them. Besides we should then get an additional recitation room. During the past year I have been obliged to hear my classes in four different places; this I should like to avoid if possible.

41 There are several young men who would gladly pay a small rental, enough to provide a few needed repairs. I am certain we shall then get some students who cannot come otherwise - No doubt we shall be ready to tear down the wing in a few years, for I believe we shall get a new building, and it would be be unwise to pay much for repairs, but we shall lose nothing ,and are certain to gain something by the plan I have proposed. The members of the Y.M. C.A- are willing to make themselves responsible for occupants, and they would likewise provide a little additional protection against fire. The Y.MCA- have fitted up a room for themselves in the Center Building at a cost of some Fifty or Sixty dollars, nearly all of which they raised themselves in one way and another[inserted] Presidents Annual Report [end inserted] As you may remember our fuel last year cost us $800. to which $225. were added for [illegible] - In all respects gas is a great convenience. But there is one rather serious draw back. A good deal of the work [crossed out] is [end crossed out] done in electrical plants is the [?firing?], and to know how to do this is important - I question whether all things considered, it would be advisable to pay much more for gas than we are at present paying, even if we should have to return to coal. Our contract does not expire until the first of October, but it is important that the Board take some action at this meeting. The recommendation for degrees are as follows: M. ADr. J C. Bishop Grace Beah. Ph. D Willis Brighton. [inserted] in course [end inserted] M. Ped. F. E. C. Kirkendall. B. A. H. R [?Balinvaw?]