BDMIN09191949.Pdf

fri MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SOUTHWESTERN AT MEMPHIS HELD IN THE DIRECTORS ROOM PALMER HALL SEPTEMBER 19, 1949 The annual meeting of the Board of Directors of Southwestern at Memphis was held n the Directors' Room, Palmer Hall, on Monday, September 19, 1949, at 9:00 A.M. (See minutes of meeting of board of Directors held on September 13, 1949). The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Sidney W. Farnsworth, arid was opened with prayer by the Reverend W,H McAtee. Miss Erma Reese, Secretary t. the President, was invited to sit in the meeting as assistant to the Secretary. The roll cafl showed that the following members were present: Peyton N. Rhodes, ex officio ALABAMA: LOUISIANA: MISSISSIPPI: TENNESSEE: D,C.MacGuire B.B.Taylor, cJr. Frank A.England 1.S. Beasley J.S. Land i.H. McAtee William Hume A.C. Glassell W.J Millard S.W, Farnsworth .Stennis Johnson Moore Moore George Lang The Secretary presented excuses for the absence of Judge D.H. Edington, of Mobile, Alabama, and Mr. A.K. J3urroi, of Memphis, a member of the Board representing the Synod of Alabama, both of whom were unable to be present because of illness. Mr. B.B. Taylor, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who has rendered such splendid service as a member of the Board of Directors since 1937, found it necessary to resign because of his physical condition, much to the regret of the entire Board. Mr. B,B, Taylor, Jr., who had received an ad interim appointment to membership on the Board, expressed his pleasure at this appointment, and brought greetings and best wishes from his father. The members of the Board of Directors extended a hearty welcome to Mr. Taylor, Jr. Dr. Millard extended a word of welcome to President Peyton N. Rhodes, which was seconded by Dr. MacGuire. At this time Dr. MacGuire, who has rendered valuable service as a member of the Board of Directors since 1931, stated that, because of the Standing Rule of the Synod of Alabama, his term as a member of the Board would expire at the 1949 meeting of the Synod, and that this would be his last i3oard meeting, but he offered his services to President Rhodes and Southwestern at any time he could be of assistance. The minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held February 14, April 15, May 26, June 15, and September 15, 1949, copies of which had been received by the members of the Board, were approved, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Southwestern at Memphis September 19, 1949 Page 2 I The Chairman appointed the following Nominating Committee: Frank A, England, Chairman; Moore Moore, George Lang, and T.WG Lewis. The Chairman announced the following Committees which were appointed at the close of the 1948 annual meeting of the Board to serve through the 1949 annual meeting: HOUSE - J,S. Land, Chairman; George Lang, Frank A. England, T.i. Lewis. Upon motion, duly seconded and carried, B.B. Taylor, Jr., was added to the House Committee. FINANCE - A.C, Glassell, Chairman; A.K. Burrow, William Huine, S. Farnsworth. Upon motion, duly seconded and carried, W,S. Beasley was asked to serve on the finance Committee in the absence of A.K. Burrow. The report of President Emeritus Chas. E. Diehi for the 1948-49 session, which was printed as the Extra July Bulletin, copies of which had been received by each member of the Board, was presented, and is appended to these minutes. Those sections of the report pertaining to the House and Finance Committees were referred to these respective President Rhodes made a brief report for the period July ]. to SeptemberCommittees. 15, 1949, which is as follows: To the Board of Directors. of Southwestern at Memphis: It seems fitting to provide for the members of the Board a brief report f or the period July 1-September 15, 1949. 1. On June 30, 1949, Dr.. Diehl retired after thirty- to years of distinguished service to Southwestern. The cordial note of welcome and good wisheO from him which the incoming president found beside a vase of flowers on his desk when he entered his new quarters on July 1 served as a heartening encouragement to this neophyte. Throughout a difficult and intensely busy summer, Dr. Diehi has shown an unobtrusive but kindly and sympathetic interest in the problems which have faced his successor. 2. On September 2, in Madison, vJisconsin, at the first Council meeting of the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa since the beginning of World War II, Southwestern and nine other colleges were voted chapters of Phi Beta Kappa to be installed during the session of 1949-50. As may not be generally known, ecognition by Phi Beta Kappa is based not only on the high academic standards which have characterized an institution, but also on the demonstra- tion of highest efficiency and integrity in the conduct of all phases of its operation, including especially finances, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Southwestern at Memphis Page 3 SeptemberSouthwestern 19, 1949 submitted in February, 1948, at the request of the Committee on Qualifications of Phi Beta Kappa, a comprehensive report on every phase of the institution. This report consisted of some 130 type- written pages, and was supported by, roughly, ten pounds of exhibits containing printed matter and pub- lications, The report, plus a visit from a member of the Committee on Qualifications to personally examine all phases of the operation of the College, formed the bases of the action of the Council. It is of interest that seven of the ten colleges selected were church-owned or church-related. 3. As reported in the Extra Southwestern Bulletin for July, 1949, the enrollment for the first term of the 1949 summer session was 231, of whom 78 were veterans. The enrollment for the second term of the summer session was 170, of whom 70 were veterans. The average enrollment for each of the two terms was 200, as compared with the average enrollment of 285 for each of the tto terms of the 1948 summer eezsion. The marked decrease in the enrollment of the summer session was due largely to the decrease in the number of veterans, Although the summer session has not yet operated with a deficit, the Director and the Faculty Committee for the Summer Session expect to study carefully the factors affecting the advisability of its continued operation under the present accelerated program. 4. The following additions to the faculty and staff have been made since July 1, 1949: Eleanor H. Bosworth, B.A., M.A., Cornell University, Instructor in History Miles D. Markusch, B.M,, University of Wisconsin, Director of Band Robert Bedford Watkins, Jr.,'49, Graduate Assistant in Music Mrs. Hugh Adams, Resident Head of ' Dormitories Parker Hall, Backfield Coach for Football (seasonal basis only) 5. The sum of 10,000 has been received from the estate of Mrs. Lizzie White Hood, of Nashville, for the establishment of a scholarship in memory of her brother, Dr. Gordon White, in whose memory Gordon White Hall (men's doimito) on Southwestern's campus had previous- ly been provided by Mrs. Hood. : 6. During the summer the kitchen of Hugh M. Neely Hall, after twenty-four years of continuous usage without major repairs, has been completely renovated and refur-. nished. It will be remembered that during the sessions of 1943 and 1944 the Air Force Unit stationed at South- Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Southwestern at Memphis September 19, 1949 Page 4 western also used these dining facilities. The approxi- mate cost of this renovation will not be less than I 12, 000. 7, The data available to the Dean and the Registrar as of this date indicate that the enrollment for the session of 1949-50 will be from 640 to 650 full-tine students. This represents a decrease of 110 t0 120 students below last session. The budget submitted by the Treasurer and adopted by the Executive Committee on June 15, 1949, is based on an enrollment of 650 students. Since the tuition is 500.00 per student, it is estimated that even a small decrease in the enrollment below 650 will result in a deficit. At the present time there is not a waiting list for properly qualified students, either men or women. In the case of women students there has been an un- precedented withdrawal of those registered in the spring. This is in line with a similar situation in the better eastern colleges for women. There is no indication either in the ast or at Southwestern that increased tuition costs are related to the withdrawals. It is assumed that the bonds of matrimony are more attractive than those of scholastic attainment. 8. From the surplus buildings purchased in the fall of 1948 from the ar Assets Administration, there has been constructed a wooden structure, which will contain one classroom, several faculty offices, and experimental and practice rooms for certain courses in psychology and music. The north wing of one of the wooden buildings acquired from the Federal Works Agency in 1946 has been converted into dormitory rooms, which will house twenty additional men students. 9. It is hoped that the members of the Board will give serious thought to the adequate interpretation of Southwestern' s program of Christian education to both laymen and ministers within their respective Synods. It was quite apparent during the course of a recent trip into two of our Synods that some of our ablest church people are not entirely aware of the striking differences which necessarily exist between the program that can be carried on by student pastors or other religious education workers for Presbyterian students in a large tax-supported institution and the ogram with which we are concerned at South- western.

Load more