Board of Trustees Minutes, 1834-1871

9

B. The committee on the farm respectfully report, That they deem it unnecessary to advance any arguments to prove the decided & great advantage the manual labour department gives to our institution over any other in the State, there can be no doubt in the mind of the man of common observation, that it is in a considerable degree owing to this distinguishing & valuable feature in the plan, that so many of the principal men of our State are anxious to have their sons educated at the Wake Forest Institute.

If this view of the committee be correct, it must be admitted by all, that a failure on the farm would produce a reaction in publick sentiment quite prejudicial to the Institute, and an abandonment of the farm would prove the abandonment of the school. The committee however do not intend by these remarks to insinunate that our brethren Wait & Merriam have not done their duty, when we take into consideration the many unconveniences & difficulties which attend the commencing of a farm, that there were but 25 or 30 Students at the time of preparation & planting and above all the very unfavourable season, particularly the want of rain at the proper time, which greatly injured not only the crop at the Institute, but all in that section of Country. The crop is fully as good as the friends had any right to expect. The committee however greatly regret that arrangements had not been made to employ the whole of the students full three hours every day. It is understood that particularly for the last ten weeks, the Students have not worked more than an average of one hour per day which the Committee consider an inovation upon one of the best features of the concern, a deviation from what they considered an important and an established regulation which has disappointed the parents & Guardians of the Students, not so much on account of the paltry sum which has been lost, as on account of their wish to have them taught to work on the farm as well as to read.

With a view to guard against future disappointments of the above character, the Committee submit the following ideas. The committee suppose there will be at the commencement of next session one hundred Students & that the labour of five Students 3 hours in fully equal to one hand, consequently the hundred Students will be equal to an effective force of twenty constant hands. Twenty hands should cultivate at least 250 acres exclusive the crop of wheat & oats. 150 of the quantity should be [planted??] [page torn] in corn, 75 in cotton & 25 in potatoes peas and vegetables. The cultivation of cotton should be pursued from two considerations. In the first place picking the cotton will furnish work for the Students during the fall season [page torn] the second place the product of one Acre of cotton is worth the product [page torn] Acres in corn. The cultivation of the above proposed crop will require [page torn] horses & the constant employment of an industrious practicable farm [page torn]

10

The committee therefore recommend the employment fourthwith of some person of correct deportment, acquainted with the various branches of farming as practised in North Carolina to take charge of the farm as it is understood, the present tutor of husbandry intends to resign at the close of the year. The committee are further of opinion that from the exhausted condition & the general [illegible] of the land which subjects it to still greater exhaustion every year. That it may be safely said that the farm is insufficent for more than one hundred Students & that arrangements for the prosecution of the Mechanic Arts should be made for the employment of whatever number may be received over one hundred. The committee particularly recommend the building of two work shops by the Students as soon as practicable. One of them to be used by a Tanner, the other by a Joiner. In shops of this description a number of Students may be employed in the manufactory of bed framings, tables, writing desks, chairs &c. &c. for the accomodation & furnishing of all the school rooms, the Professors houses &c. This plan possesses the additional advantage of enabling the Students to a greater exstent of pursuing their favourite occupation which is by no means a small consideration. The committee is aware that to carry the forgoing recommendations into effect there must be an additional expenditure, not however without a fair prospect of a corresponding income. The cotton crop for instance in all probability will amount to 35 or 40.000 lbs of seed cotton, which at the present price is worth $1000, but the main consideration with the Committee is, that ours is intended to be a manual labour & literary school and nothing short of the above arrangement will in the opinion of the Committee furnish business for the Students 3 hours per day, which they consider indispensable.

The committee further recommend the appointment of a Committee consisting of five of farmers whose duty it shall be to examine the farm, the fences, and every thing thereunto pertaining & suggest such improvements as may be deemed necessary either in shortening the fences by turning out land that is from its exhausted State unfit for cultivation or otherwise. All of which is respectfully submitted.

Alfred Dockery Chairman.

This page is blank

12

Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Wake Forest Institute, convened at the Institute on the 22nd, 23, 24, & 25 days of December 1834.

The committee appointed to address Profs. Hooper, to know, if he will accept the appointment of President of the Board of Trustees for W. F. I. reported, that they had received information, that he declined the appointment, because of his indisposition, which made it impossible for him to attend the meetings of the Board.

On motion Dr. Joseph B. Outlaw was appointed President of the Board of Trustees.

On motion resolved that the Executive Committee be instructed to discontinue the erection of Wooden buildings except those already contracted for, untill further orders from the Board.

On motion resolved that the payments of the brick buildings be in three annual installments, the first to be paid in January 1836. The second in January 1837, and the third in January 1838.

On motion resolved that the Colledge Buildings be completed at the time the second installment becomes due.

The following committees been appointed. Armstrong, Bowden & Jeffreys a committee to locate the colledge Building.

Roles, Wynne & Purify a committee on the report of the Treasurer.

Armstrong, Thompson and Culpeper a committee on the report of the Principal.

Skinner, Crenshaw and Roles a committee on the report of the Steward.

Outlaw, Skinner & Battle on the agency, Purify, Battle & Thompson to adopt measures to fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees.

Armstrong, Jeffreys & Outlaw on additional Instructors.

Skinner, Roles & Wynne on the terms of admission [page torn] ensuing year.

13

Culpeper, Outlaw & Skinner on a prepatory department.

Battle, Skinner & Bowden on the propriety of building a Hotel.

Outlaw, Crenshaw & Roles a committee on the case of John Pritchard.

Resolved that the report of the Committee on a preparatory department be laid on the table untill next meeting of the Board. see letter A.

Resolved that a committee of three be appointed to bring the contractors of the present buildings before the Board of Trustees and that Committee consist of Skinner, Bowden & Armstrong. And that the same committee be instructed to examine the large wooden building and say what alterations are necessary to be made to secure the strength of the Building.

The committee on the Hotel reported, the report received & adopted. see letter B.

Resolved that the Interest of the Institute require an additional chair, the Chair of moral Philosophy.

Resolved further tht the Rev. William Hooper SSD be appointed to the chair of moral Philosophy.

Resolved that a committee of 5 be appointed to open an immediate correspondence with Prof. Hooper on the subject of accepting the chair of Moral Philosophy in W. F. I. & to ascertain whether he will accept of the same: and that committee be Wait, Armstrong, C. W. Skinner, Joseph B. Outlaw & Amos J Battle.

Resolved that the male children of the Principal & Professors of the Institute be educated in the Institute free of cost.

On motion resolved that the committee to correspond with Profs. Hooper, communicate the above resolution and to offer him $1000. for his salary & a house as soon as can be erected.

Resolved that a committee of three be appointed on the establishment of Scholarships in the Institute and that Armstrong, Skinner, & Battle be that Committee.