Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-07
CRITICS CRITICIZED.
Chancellor Holland Comes Back
Sharply at Those Who
DECLARED HE WAS IN ERROR
Concerning the Amount Donated the West
ern University.
FACTS AND FIGURES OF INTEREST

a lively interest has been aroused lately
in educational circles and among the public
generally by severe criticisms upon recent
statement of Chancellor Holland, of the
Western University, that during the 72
years of that institutions life the donations
for 'buildnCs and endowments" have not,
exclusive of those of the late William Thaw,
aggregated much more than SS0,00 Ex-
Chancellor Wood and others have been
Quoted rs contradicting Chancellor Holland,
and saving that 500, 200 would have been
nearer the figures during DIR. Woods chan
cellorship alone. Or. Holland now comes
back sharply upon this statement with de-
tails and figures to support hiseassertion.
Following is his statement, which will re-
pay perusal:
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
I had resolved to pa no attention to the
somewhat hostile criticisms of my inaugural
address made in Carnegie Hall Thu sday a
week ago by unknown and irresponsible
people. but the recent accession to the ranks
OF many critics OF no less parsonage than
nv hOnored predecessor. Dr. Wood, seems
to call for brief statement from me. The
critics declare that i was in error when L
said that during the - years in which the
Western University has existed, II are except
he magnificent gifts Cj that prince'y adn, WIZ
Ip.2 Thar our Institution has received from
the citizens Of this county for buildings and
cfid0,rneu not much more than SSO,OOO, or on
an average. 4 little more than 81, 100 Il year.
This statement WAS made guardedly. lou
viii observe that l speak solely OF "build-
iugs and endowment i. e., of what in manu-
featuring uurlance would be called the
! " Il inplndn m u
estimate gifts of books, and museum speci-
mems. and pieces of apparatus which the in
sritution has always with profound gra I'll
tude received, but which have come to us
Tor the most part with no statement of their
monetary value, and the actual worth of
which could be approNimated by laborious
llroceSs Tor which have had neither the
time nor the facilities, during my connection
with the institution. Ny statement you will
further observe was only intended to be an
approximation to the correct amount. /
recognized at the time that it was made that
there were possibilities of error against
which desired to guard.
Substance of the Criticisms
Since the substance of my remarks has
been published my critics have asserted that
during the chancellorship of Prof Wood
fully 100000 was given to the institution,
and that therefore either L was in error in
my statement or that there has been NAL
administration of the finances. In support
Of these assertions the public is informed
that during the period indicated Chair of
Astronomy and Chair of Chemistry were
endowed, the observatory property was ac-
Quired. 500 000 was raised as an endowment
fund, Mr.. NatSon'S library was beQueathed
20 the institution and Mr.. Carnegie gave to
the museum a valuable set of casts, and we
are told to look at these facts and behold
Il
new chancellor, who seems to be ignorant
OF them.
Before we 90 a step further let me call the
attention of my critics to the fact that, even
ii all they allege to have been done had been
actually accomplished, and the fictitious
values, which in some cases they have named,
were allowed to stand, the sum total would
still be far below the amount of S5OO,OOO which
they state. Suppose we assume, merely for
the sake of argument, that the preposterous
valuation they put upon the land acquired
value, and that it was worth at the time it
was given 1900 (the books show that it was
worth Sll,0O0), and that the whole of the
500 600 subscribed was paid, that the whole
of the endowment of the two chairs at S20,-
600 each was paid, and that the gifts of Mr..
Watson and Mr.. Carnegie amounted in value
TO $4,000 we will still have only $4,000 as
the srlm total. This still leaves difference
OF $3.50, 600 between what DR.. Wood ''thinksn
was given and the amount of the items
named. This Sl60, 900 1t can be demonstrated
was never turned over to the institution, If
received by anyone. 1t is altogether more
charita Bile, and prefer to suppose, that DIR.
Woods memory is at fault, and that he is
suffering slightly from the tendency which
have often observed in those of advancing
years to magnify the exploits of their
younger days.
The Facts Soberly Investigated.
But TO return to the sober investigation of
She facts before us: OF the II acres of land
owned by the observatory upon the hill,
g bout four acres, valued at 81 600, were a
gift to the institution, the remaining seven
acres being purchased at the rate of s, 600
per acre. Upon this site the Allegheny As
trono mical Society proceeded to erect an
observatory. The original cost of the first
sl0O09. Subsequently the property passed
into the possession of the University. A
debt, considerable part of which was in
CURED in running expenses, was PAID, and
an endowment of Chair of Astronomy in
the sum of $4,000 was raised. Of this
amount Mr.. Thaw gave to the payment of
the debt s. 500, and to the endowment of the
chair SIP 500 From that time forward,
Prof Langley, the observatory was main
tanned by its own earnings, derived from the
time service and through the generous but
uuODtruSive gifts of Mr.. Thaw. A very large
part of the equipment found there to-day is
held in trust by his executors. Thirty-six
thousand dollars covers everything that the
OllSeTNdlOTN TCCGlNeu 1TOn OUIlSTs LUdu MI.
Thaw, and of this amount not more than
half l. properly credited to permanent in
Testment. in the light of this statement the
claim that the sum Of $4,000 represents the
value Of the gifts of the citizens in this di-
rCctiOn, apart from Mr.. Thaw, is seen to be
untenable.
The history of the endowment of the
Chair of Chemistry is the repetition of the
history Of the endowment of the Chair of
Astronomy. Mr.. Thaw was again the lead
Ing donor 50. too, with the endowment
fund fun OF S2OOOOO: Mr.. Thaw paid to this
100000. Some Of those who originally SUBJ
Bcribed met with reverses in the panic of
1873 and were unable to fulfill their gener-
Gus purposes. But by careful Investments,
which yielded Il profit to capital, the full
sum was finally made up. But surely profits
made upon investments are not to be reck-
oned as gifts from the public. They repre-
sent good management.
Some Very Frigid Figures.
Subsequently to the sale of the old build
ings at the corner of Ross and Diamond
streets to the county of Allegheny DIR. Nc
Cracken, Chancellor Woods immediate sue
cessor, prepared a careful financial state
ment of the condition of the institution,
which is before me, and which shows that
the Trustees at that time had in good assets
the sum OF 1921, ,232 II. Ofthis amount nearly
S55, 600 represented the profit derived from
the sale of the old buildings to the county.
At the time that Chancellor Wood resigned
his position at the head of the institution,
the total book value of its assets could not
have exceeded this sum. OF this amount
over $4,000 represented the actual gifts in
cash Of Mr. Thaw, and 100 the enhance
ment in price of real estate and the profits
upon fortunate investments. This leaves
about 100000 to be attributed to the gifts of
the citizens at large. am willing to modify
my statement if it will placate my critics,
and say that the general public has given as
much as 100000 to the endowment of the
n. i further
will say that taking into account everything
that has been given to the institution of any