The age-herald., 1899-06-11
DR, JOHN MASSEY PRESIDENT
 OF MONTEVALLO SCHOOL
DRENNEN OPPOSED ID PAVING
 OF POLITICAL DEBTS BY CITY

splendidly organized, and as the school already has applications from more young ladies who want to attend the college this fall than can be accommodated There are still a number of teachers applying for positions in the college faculty, but there are no vacancies and consequently no elections, no matter who is the next president.
 The executive committee of the board was authorized to proceed as rapidly as possible this summer with the erection of the main building of the college as out lined at a previous meeting of the board. This building, which will cost about S35, 600, has been badly needed ever since the es- tablshment of the college It will stand midway between two large dormitories, one of which has already been built.
 The MontevaIIo Spring
 Among other matters discussed at the meeting was the matter of obtaining from the trustees of the University of Alabama the gift of ten acres of land near the Mon- tevallo school, which contains the famous spring of water, and which by the way, is one of the prettiest spots in Alabama. When Alabama was admitted to the union two townships of land-to be picked out in spots all over the state-were given by the general government to the state for the benefit of it's university. Among other of the valuable lands which the commission CTS picked out for the university under this grant was a tract near Montevallo. all of which, except the ten acres containing the spring, has long since been sold off This is the land that the trustees of the univer- sity will be requested to give to the Girls School
 It is interesting to note in this connection that one of the sections of land which was picked out for the university in those early days of the state was 160 acres within what are the present limits of the city of Bir ningham.
 The meeting yesterday afternoon began about o'clock, and lasted about three hours It is said that there was a great deal of animated discussion over various subjects, though what they were could not be learned. One of the members however, said that the meeting broke up in a regular Hove feast"
 Health of Dr. Massey
 Dr. John Massey, the newly elected pres ident of the Montevallo school, was born in Choctaw county, in this state. He is about sixty years old. He received only the ordi- nary common school education during his boyhood, and afterWard moved to Clarke county, Mississippi where he lived for number of years Through his own efforts he obtained the means to send himself to college at the University of Alabama, where he was graduated with high honors in 1892
 The trustees of the institution wanted hlm to remain as an instructor, but he pre- ferred to enlist in the confederate army He was adjutant of the First battalion in the famous Alabama Legion, which served in Tennessee and was during his term com plimented by general orders from the con- federate government for conspicuous gal lantry on the battlefield.
 In 1864 at the urgent request of the trus- tees or the university he was permitted to resign rom the army to accept the posi- tlon of commandant of cadets and instruc- tor in tactics at the university, which was at that time recognized as "the West Point of the Confederacy." Indeed, the institu- tion was the training school for so many of the officers in the Confederate army that it was one of the chief objects of the federal raiders during the latter part of the war, to destroy the place. This they did on April 3, 1S65
 pr. Massey was then elected president of the Centenary Institute at Summerfield, where he remained for eight years. He next went to Mobile, where he taught for two years, and at that time, about 1875, was elected president of the Alabama Con- ference Female college at Tuskegee, which position he had held continuously since tion of which any man might well be proud, and his friends seem to doubt very seriously whether he will give it up to go to Montevallo.
 In 1869 the degree of ILL. D. was con- ferred on Dr. Massey by the trustees of his alma mater. He has long been consid cred one of the most notable alumni of that institution.