Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-05-14
DELAWARE oo1lEas.


A special dispatch from Newark says, it |
is understood here that President William |
H. Purnell OF Delaware College, has ten
dered his resignation.
In reply to Inquiries by telephone from
this Office President Purnell of Delaware
College, said at noon Friday:
mo member of the faculty has re-
signed as yet, except myself. All the
others are ready to resign if the trustees
so desire. Some of them or all of them
may resign before the meeting of the
board (at Newark on Tuesday afternoon
next), but, as yet, think they have not
decided to do so. One of them, Prof.
Mackey, is in Baltimore.
"The statement that it was condition
of the passage of the appropriation bill
that should resign, is not true. Repre-
sentative Armstrong, who had the bill in
charge, says that he never heard one word
said against me by any member of the
legislature.
"The other statement-that all the
students, with the exception of my own
children, were of the opinion that
should step down and out lis not true.
Numbers of the students have been to me
this morning and expressed their indig-
nation at any such report.
mo one of the trustees has expressed
TO me any disapprobation of my course;
am very friendly with them all. II is
thought here that this all grows out of
the report of the meeting made by the
district committee to the legislature l
| do not know have not seen any trustee
who did know the object of that meeting.
81 resigned for the purpose of relieving
| the trustees of any embarrassment, If
| they wish TO reconstruct the faculty. l
| have always told them was always ready
| to resign. Professor Webb and Chester,
as reported to the trustees last March,
| do not wish to stay on half-professorships,
and they expect TO go out anyway. 1t is
my strongest desire not to injure the col
lege in any way whatever"
Referring to the notoriety that has been
given to Delaware College by the recently
published statements in relation to the
expected dissolution of the faculty, Presi-
dent w. II. Purnell told u GAZETTE
representative that he really preferred
to say little or nothing more about the
affair, particularly in view of the fact that
IL special meeting of the trustees was to
be held in Newark to take action in the
premises.
President Purnell said he had rendered
his resignation to the trustees and handed
it in person to DIR. L. p. Bush. This
action, however, did not grow out of any
personal differences with his colleagues,
us the utmost harmony had prevailed be
tween the members of the faculty
throughout. He had long entertained al
intention of resigning, and was one,
about to tender his resignation when thu
. | lnta rn1 II Monnp,h uoa a tnatnhar a
the board of trustees, but refrainet
, Mt that gentleman's earnest solicitation
, He did not care to stay longer, however
as the salary WINS far from being common
surate with the duties he had to perform
and the financial condition of the institu
I ton was not such as to warrant II materin
increase. He was elected at salary o
$4,000, but the college was never able T.
pay this sum and he voluntarily con
scented TO accept s 800.
As to the charge that his course in re
: | gard TO co-education had raised som
feeling against him, President Purnel
Il said he was no more responsible for thu
action than any member of III
y board of trustees. In regard to til
assertion that he had not maintaine
+, proper discipline, he said the discipliI
! HOW WIS us Rubll uN ever anu NlltAN tilNi
had not been n single case of rowdyis
D. during the past year and no suspension
or explosions since 1873. He reyertt
u with some pride to the fact that durir
q, his past Is years of service the number
students in the college had increased fro
% to So.
T. Most of the unjust rumors TINT ha'
recently been circulated, President Pu
I Al. Ia
by the legislative committee that visit
II the college in March last. That this col
10 mittee should have found the building
u miserable condition he did not thil
n surprising, when the age of the buildi
is considered, and the fact that no II
terial repairs have been made for yea
nj Each sleeping heated bya stove, al
mt MS but one janitor was employed, the rooi
he naturally suffered, particularly duri
Dl- the close of the term. Its general &C
to dition, however, was as good as that
ct, any college of the same ~
~, and DIR. Ruffner of Virginia, dl
he ing recent visit, expressed surpr
err that il looked MS well as it did, and 81
", it was the best kept of III old colleges
had Just visited. The improvemcl
err contemplated out of the appropriate
St4 ny lut 6tbHlbI VI
he lature include mn extension of the oratt
)se for distance Of 30 feet heating app
he atus to supplement tho dust raising sto
nd new front steps and IN iron rail
set around the grounds,
an President Purnell spoke with gr
m kindness of the other members of
the faculty, and paid high compliment
ge. Professor Chester, of the geological
rrla l AZ, ~,
adj logical researches, he said, had been /.
,ph lished in the scientific publications, t
of been highly cumplimcnted. Prof. Ches
r of has also rendered his resignation, not Fl
ent personal feelings, but because he desi
ngs TO seek larger and more remuuerai
tier field of labor.
INK In conclusion President Purncll 5
lin, his determination to resign had b
uet reached some time ago, and that under
ne circumstances would he have consen
to remain longer thln the end of
on, present year. He has received vnri
nus offers, but has made no definite arrnI
'od. inents yet. II is his desire to continu,
use the educational work.
A general conversation with reside
,um of the town revealed feeling of co
but dence in President Purnell of satisfact
l
and regret ut the recent complications
who have arisen, which are attributed in
Fell main to the promptings of petty iealol
per- Before leaving the town the GAzET
lkes representative took brief glance
over the college building. Internally il is
and n handsome concern, but its appenrD
is not mt all discreditable when Its
Mr.. years of existence and poverty-stric
ex- condition are considered. With the
the penditure of large sum of none
and could be put in u very comfortable
the presentable condition. A few V
am ago the roof leaked terribly,
1t of the trustees We're in despair,
'ited ing no funds out of which
oun- provide new roof, when it was luc
As II discovered TINT there was n Legacy
good $500, left by n Philadelphia lady, nv
d MS ing the command of the trustees. 1t
nsel quickly awaited of and the roof prop
his repaired. For the college ground tt
y to by the Baltimore X Philadelphia rail-
il by 81 400 was paid, which sum was tul
him over as credit on the sum of -
lied loaned the college by Col. II. $. McCu
eem several years ugo, The balance of
Icter debt, 5000, is the only encounters
'und against the institution, as the expense
May the college have been carefully hmite
lany the actual income for number of v,
was
In NEWARK, May IA special meetil
oVeu the trustees of Delaware college was
lean here to-day. Twenty trustees were
rider Nearly all the trnstees ipclnJ;nn r.,
l he nor StockIev, were in nttenJonce a
10 be nificant fact indicating thot the h
,aves wns awake 10 tine necessity of oniatin,