Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-04
TECHNICAL SCHOOL.
CLAIMS or RICHMOND COLLEGE AND
VIRGINIA ME- HANIcs' INSTITUTE
pv. nyisnd,s Views on the Questions ~
Issue Between DR.. Curry ana
Colonel Jone@

The letter OF Rev. DR.. j. L. "a. Su,iy'
pyesideut CT Richmond College, regarding
The establishment III this city OF an insti-
st;tute of technology, and the reply OF Col
orsl Henry @. Jones, president OF the VIZ
cinia Mechanics Institute, thereto havins
attracted a good deal OF attention ano
having assumed in the public mind the
form Of an incipient controversy between
picbmond College and the Virginia Me-
chanics' Institute, DR.. Charles n. hyianu,
Snnncj,l secretary of the college, mas come
forward and given the Dispotca ms 'ie"S
on the questions at issue as follo"s'
AN IDEA WHOLLY NEW.
ST u;sh 10 say that that portion OF
pras;denf Jones's article headed a fIo-
,,os;tion from the College conyey - the
pnblic an idea wholly new to tho eonege'
Who those intimately interested IN RICH
,nnnd ColIere, are who placed sich pro-
,los;t;on even BY suggestion, before .ne
board Of the Mechanics Institute tooe as
cnssed and rejected. have no means Oh
Snowing. but have no idea that they unoel-
took 70 speak for the college trustees OF any
NJ their committees. Certainly those g4ou
friends could hardly have supposed Una.
what they said or did, whatever ~ wa hs
would be published by the f fsem me col
iepe. / am the secretary OF the coiIeg9g
hoard and of all the committees. anu 4
therefore saw that nothing has ever peen =
said or done that could be construed int9
evon a sncgestion that the institute anu
college should be in anvwise connecteu'
OUT OF THE QUESTION.
at belieye that our board would most
rrohablv unanimously coincide WIN inc
views of Mr.. Jones upon this suolect n
n,ebt-school at the college would be out
~ would saw. therefore, that the trus-
tees of Richmond College in their late aG-
ton. which you kindly published IN Iuil'
Offering foundation for school OF tecn-
nology, did not intend in the most reLnoto
way TO reflect upon the Mechanics ihs.,-
tute or propose TO antsgonize IT IN any
,vav There is not member OF the col
leee board. go far as ] know and De,
lieye. that does not rejoice IN whaI
the Institute has done and Is dong. i
know these are the sentiments OF Hon. DE-
T. NJ Curry. our president, who IN his ar
ticie defining schools Of this DESCRIPTION
nv classes. clearly stated that the Me
cbanics' Institute ought to be made per
manent.' As there seems to De room ipl
different opinions, it cannot, am sure, De
regarded as very preposterous Una. son OH
among our citizens should hold that col
lecs of the standing, equipment, and re.
mute of Richmond College affords faI
better foundation for q great scnool Oh
technology than mechanics institute
however successful its WORK
UPON IT'S MERITS.
"Weare willing" continued DR.. Ryland
"for our proposition to stand upon It's
merits. 1t was born Of q desire to help our
CITY and State and, as veintimated, wa'
NOT designed to provoke feeling or antago
nisms of any kind. All the trustees OF
Richmond College desire TO say Is that ia
their judgment we have no great schooi OF
technology-we ought TO have one-anu II
Richmond College with its position, pres
tige. accommodations, facilities, ana en-
dowments, all Immediately avallabie' car
aid in establishing such school she vii
Gladly do so. That's the question. and
that's all the trustees have said or wish e
cav. The thing that this community L
now most interested in is who Will make
better proposition.
TRYING TO BUILD UP.
I've are not trying to pull down, bu
to build up, and if any man or corporation
will make better offer than the colleg'
has done let it appear and no people oil
earth will more heartily rejoice than tn
managers of Richmond College. The, oh
lection made to the Richmond Colleg'
proposition are not calculated. as might b
assumed, to prompt its withdrawal. 1t i
bona-fde offer from q strong and indie
pendent corporation. II is the first tina
has been made in Virginia Let i
be honestly and fairly consider hssts
ed, and, as 1 said; II a o,o 3e''e
think the common feeling should be on
of appreciation of our offer. But we ar
not specially concerned abOutthat., Right
thinking men will know good; th = n!
this is not good, we do not wish it TO b
accepted. We may be pardoned for think
ing the college has made very creditabl
offer to our city and State and to tn
friends of thorough Psychological tralnlnyI
everywhere. 1t really means one-haif mil
lion dollars or more as permanent foot
ing for thing that everybody wants. bu
nobody has before offered to provide for.