The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-24
1T NEEDS A STRONG HAND.
HON. f. C. DUBIGNON's VIEWS ON
THE UNIVERSITY CHANCEL-
L0RSHIP.

Addition TO Scholarship, the AbiI-
ity to Manage Men and Affairs
Election VIII De Held in Atlanta
on July 13-Trustees Desired to
Consider the Matter Further-Nr.
Wants the Best Man to Win-COI.
z. W. MeIdrim Favors the Select
ion of DIR. White, Professor of
Chemistry.
Hon.. F. G. duBignon, member-at-large
Of the board of trustees of the university,
returned yesterday morning from Athens
where he had been attending the meeting
of the board, at which so much affecting
the prosperity and general good Of the
university was done. and so much of
vital interest TO its future welfare was
considered.
The selection of a chancellor to fill the
Once made vacant by The resignation of
DR.. William e. Boggs is the question that
is now agitadng the body of the univer-
slty alumni, and which, with them. is par
amount to all others. Without exception
they feel The keenest desire that the era
OF prosperity upon which the institution
| has entered should not lapse but that
under a management at once more vigor-
| Gus ana well directed and in more com
| plete accord with the wishes of the people
| and their conception of educational right
| Il should advance to a pos ton in the
| front rank of educational centers in the
| South. This desire Mr.. duBignon very
| heartily echoes.
| I'VE were not able at the last session of
the board to EJECT a chancellor" said Mr..
| duBignon, and for one, 1 consider thar
| this was very fortunate. The chancel-
Tor of the university is made by law the
head of all the institutions that receive
cid from the state and the position is for
| this reason one of very great dignity and
| equally great responsibility. 1t should
| be filled by man in every way suited
by nature and training for the fitting ac-
| complishment of its arduous duties and
| by one moreover who can command the
united support of the board of trustees
! Without such support he can accomplish
| little or nothing, and | would consider II
| very improper for any one to accept the
office who was elected to 1t by bare ma
| jority.
"There must be and are men in the
state who can command such united sup
port and it is one of these men whom
| hope and expect to see elected. For my
self l have no candidate and in this re-
| speet am in the position of the majority
| of the members of the board l intro
! dueed the resolution to defer the election
| until July 10, and the fact that it was
| passed indicates with a fair degree of GER
tainty that the board as a whole has not
| selected any one man to fl the position
| but That It's members are awaiting the OUT
come OF more mature deliberation upon
the conflicting claims OF the various as
pirants who have ON ambition TO be chan
| cellor."
Mr.. ~duBignon said he did not know
| whether Mr. Wilson of Virginia, whose
name had been mentioned, could be elected
or whether he would accept if elected
! Some members of the board had comnuni-
Gated with him during commencement
| week, and they were inclined to think
mat he might be Induced to accept The
! truth Is, SAID Mr.. duBignon, that Col
| Hammonds sickness and death made il
| necessary that the board should have ad-
| ditional time to consider the matter He
| was chairman Of the board and many OF
! the members were relying upon his inves-
! tganon and upon his opinion as to what
! should be done
The chancellor we elect" said Mr.. du-
| Bignon, must be man of decided execu-
| tive ability His duties as head OF the
| university and of the extensive and COM
plicated educational system OF the state
require that he should be a man of af-
| fairs, as well as a scholar, and while not
depreciatng the necessity of having a
! scholar as chancellor l consider his nos
session of those attributes that make him
| a leader of men and a skilled and success
| ful manager Of large interests equally es-
sential and important. A scholarly re-
! cluse IS not ftted to be the head of the
university, and a man of this very ex-
cellent stamp, though he be thrice the
! selected" ~
Mr.. duBignon was asked if he thought
! Il Important that the chancellor should
| ne a minister of the Gospel ana If mis-
| idea prevailed TO any extent among the
| members of the board. He replied that
| MS own views are while Il is nor pre-
requisite, and while not so imnortant as
scholarship and executive ability. vet he
| thought thai if these could be combined
| 1t would be better that the Chancellor
| should be a minister and he thought that
| such Is the opinion of several members
o the board, although how many he did
| not pretend 10 say He said that n DR.
Boggs Is not retained. and if he is not
succeeded by minister, chat there would
| ne no minister connected with the faculty
| after DR.. Rileys resignation went into
| effect, and that while, 10 some this might
| appear unlmportant, yet il should be re-
! nemhered that there are certain religions
| exercises connected with the university
! winch cannot and should not be dis
} pensed with
| Mr.. dubignon said he hopes when the
| board meets in July it can, with prac-
| tical upanimlty, agree upon some man.
for, said he It would be most unfortun
! ate to have any serious division In the
selection. Il cannot conceive" he said.
| that any man competent and suitable for
! the position Would either desire or ac-
| cept Il over the decided and pronounced
| opposition of considerable number OF
| the trustees"
| Mr.. duBignon said the commencement
| exercises were extremely interesting ana
| he thought the outlook for the UNIVERSITY
! oisht and encouraging. BY no means
least among the interesting features Of
the commencement, he said, was the short
address by Mr. Charlton Of this CITY in
| presenting the medals to the siiceaser,'
contestants in defamation. His sneech
| attracted no little attention and was nos,
| favorably received ''
ZION. +. W. Meldrim, another OF the
trustees and president Of the Trntyers ~
alumni Association. believes thai Dr ~
g. White, now professor Of chemiatr, =,
me university and president of The CO. ~
ga State College Of Agriculture IA ~