Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-22
THE UNIVERSITY OF NASHVILLE.
Interesting Report as to its Condition and
Prospects.

htV'lNNtTs
DR. J. b. Lindsey, Chancellor of the Univer-
sty Of Nashville, has prepared u very interest
ing and important report with regard to the con-
dition and prospects Of the University OF Nash
Vile.
After a brief history of the origin of the Uni
yersity which dates as far back rs 1906, the
Chancellor states that the endowment fund now !
amounts to $4,000, invested in Tennessee bonds, |
the annual income being $500 The Board !
now finds itself with large and valuable college |
buildings most beautifully situated within the !
limits of II wealthy, refined and growing city |
and with an income from its college fund not |
sufficient to pay one-half the salary of the prin
cpal or head of the institution, as such officers !
are now paid While to the popular eye the in |
stitution is wealthy its buildings and grounds |
attracting universal attention. 1t Is really poor, !
very poor. Its endowment is utterly inadequate
even to the keeping in repair its large and costly
buildings, and to the proper caring for its libra
rie,, apparatus, etc. II has always depended,
and must for years continue to depend, upon
tuition fees Tor the payment of its corps of
teachers.
Notwithstanding that the grammar school now
conducted by the board is so completely organ
lied, and has been highly useful, the Chancellor
indicates various reasons why It must tal Tie
saws that ii is already beginning to bring the
University in debt Even if the board had the
legal right to appropriate the income of the Col
lege fund to the support of grammar school,
still the senderness of the foundation would
surely cause a failure in less than five years. He
holds it to be utopian, utterly utopian, to attempt
the maintenance of a school for the hlntGnltteS
without large and productive endowment;
that it cannot be done in the thinly pop lated
Southwest whore the great majority of ne in
habitants early devote themselves 20 the practi-
cal pursuits of life that it is not even attempted
! in the densely populated and very wealthy re-
| gion of the Northeast, where fifty thousand dol
| lars is esteemed but moderate endowment for
I hi ,1,l,a Il
| their pupils handsome tuition fees To make an
| independent permanent, successful college,
upon the English model. the one thing, without
which all else is absolutely vain and trutless, is
an endowment always and truthfully styled the
| foundation.
The above extracts constitute IA suggestive
commentary upon the propositions of certain
feeble wseacres in regard 10 University educa-
ton, to plumber the East Tennessee University
| of its A gricultural College fund, and to divide
the fund among three or more institutions in as
many sections of the State.
1t is the notion of these wise men that Uni
versity differs only in name from good county
academy, and that it can be maintained a.
cheaply. Give them log school house,
black board, and one superannuotcd old tencher
and they will construct you a university at amy
crossroads in the State.
Time was when the world and the United
States were younger that what were called UNI
versties could be maintained upon small CAPT
tai That time Is past rs the experience of tn
last fifty years ought to have taught US. W.
have been maintaining in this State score
more or less, of colleges without endowments
libraries or apparatus, and with each litt
corps of three or four or perhaps half doZel
teachers. These colleges have done Il NOBLE
work for our State but what have we done TO
them? We have suffered them to langulsh anC
dwindle at poor dying rate" without
thought of adding to their means of usefulness
2 Meanwhile private muntcence has gone on
= providing for universities like Yale and Har
ward, and a score Of others magnificent endow
mcut, and appliances, the cost of any one
{ which would sink the aggregate fund of all th
= colleges in this State And we sit still and Won
der that our young men will insist upon goin
to the universities of other States to be educated
Z and with solemn wisdom we propose to take tn
only fund which has ever existed in the State
: aUprONimating to Il reasonable college cndOW
! mcn. and to endoW Herewith three County
a ademy.- Agricultural = College Universite,
D Can anythinglbe more impracticabcf One hun
d ID thousand dollars will endow two profes
'ships and we can have three magnifccn
Universities with two professors each, and !
hrorie-, cabinets and apparatus in the sam
magnificent proportion Then certainly gu
young men need go abroad for their educatio
70 no longer They will rush in crowds to til
c three magnificent universities with the thrt
: | pairs of professors; we will triumphantly con
'te with the Universities Of Virginia, Conne'
tcu', Massachusetts,, New ork and Michigan
c md show those old fogy institutions that We ca
e aat the world in getting up cheap universitie
= Fellow-citizens of Tennessee, and you. o
o University tinkerng politicians, it won't do.
II single hat does very well for one man, but ont
third Of II hat for each of three men is far frol
IT East Tennessee is entitled to no rights in tn
d matter, why take the fund and make good III
l. of it. But don't stultify yourselves and mai
e the State ridiculous, by practiciug long divlsiC
upon it, and setting up three scarecrow uniye
% stiles in our midst to call down derision on the
IA Tapping rags.