Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-06-24
TROUBLE AT CORNELL.
secret of the Resia nation OF Presi6en.
Adams.

secret of the Resignation OF Presiden.
Adams.
1THICA, N. Y, june 22.-The last re-
| port of President Adams, of Cornell uni
versity. has been presented TO the trustees
| Inasmuch as Mr. Adams recently resigned
under circumstances somewhat mysterious
10 the public, this report is of more than
average interest, for near the conclusion
the retiring president discusses certain
causes of friction which the public may
reasonably inter led TO his resignation.
| During the seven years of Mr..
Adams administration the number of
students has increased from SIS to 1,53S;
The number of graduate students from 81
to III; the number of the teaching corps
from So to 1872. Barnes ball, Lincoln hall,
Morse hall, the new library building and
the law building have been erected and
equipped; Sibley college and the gymna-
SUM baye been greatly enlarged During
this period the income-bearing funds of
the university have been increased by 81
1888, l12. The increase of buildings and
equipments from gifts to the university
has amounted to s465, 215. The total in
crt ase in productive funds, buildings and
material equipment amounts to S., 154,-
O37.
Under the heading, appointment of
Professors" President Adams discusses
the subject which evidently led to his res
ignation. When he entered office it was
the rule for the president to recommend to
the board of trustees the appointments of
Professors for confirmation or rejection.
In the autumn of 1889 the board of trus-
tees passed a resolution declaring that
thereafter no appointments to full
professoTships should be made except
on the nomination of the president
and all the full professors of the univer-
slty. This action was taken without the
president approval. The nominating
function of the president was thus trans
ferred to body made up of the president
and about 40 professors. This new BODY
versity senate, had not little difficulty in
defining the sphere of its own authority,
and the methods by which it was expected
to perform its duties
After nearly two years experience the
trustees repealed the creating act, and
provided that thereafter appointments to
full professorships should consist of three
distinct acts: First, nomination by the
president to the the senate; secondly,
confl nation or rejection of the senate;
and, thirdly, final action by the board of
trustees. 1.-The method is less objection
able than that which preceded it;
but as a working method it is still nm
wieldiy and unsatisfactory The obi ction
to it is two-told. In the first place it is
often a very delicate and difficult matter
to persuade the man most desirable for 81
good position to abandon place in which
he is highly successful; and the difficulty
is greatly increased if the administrative
officer is unable to do more than extend n
provisional invitation to the new pos ition.
contingent upon the uncertainties of con
frmation by the senate as well as
by tue board of trustees. The
very principle, moreover, vitiates
the idea of unity and responsibility.
"The second objection to the method is
the opportunity it offers for the play of
personal sefshness and jealousies on Che
pant of the various professors already in
stalled. No man likes to see himself
eclipsed or overshadowed. and it is at
least worth while to consider whether, in
case a man of exceptional ability and pre-
eminenCe is proposed, the nomination is
likely to be favored by those with whom
| he is most intimately associated in his
work
Some months ago the senate appointed
| d COHlHltlee 10 ASK lne trustees 10 auOpG
statute to the effect that no action to con-
solidate or modify the conditions Of any
department of the university should be
taken until the question had been consid-
cred by by the university senate Fortu-
nate!y this petition was not granted, for
it can hardly be doubted that the intro
ductlon OF this class of questions into the
senate would result in heart burnings and
animosllies quite inimical to harmony
and efficiency. believe" says
Mr. Adams, ''either that there should be
no university senate at all, or, that, like
similar bodies in the German universities,
1t should be made up of small number Of
appointed or elected men. This last plan
would secure all the benefits without any
of the embarIassments that come from
the larger body; and, until change is
made, fear there will be tendency to
wards differences of opinion in matters of
vital Importance that will imperil the
harmonious working of the different parts
of the university"