The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-07
THE REPORT
Z ON MT. HOPE.
Findings of Commissioner Day
In the Somewhat Famous
COLUMBIANA COUNTY CASE.

Reasons for Revoking the Charter Of the
Institution - How the Business of Sci.
iingDiplomas and Degrees
Was Carried On.
Columbus, Aug. 3.-The report of
Robert H. Day, prosecutor of Stark
county, who was appointed master
commissioner by the supreme court to
take testimony in the case of the state
in custer proceedings against the Mt.
Hope College company, of Rogers,
Columbiana county, covers many pages.
and as in these dispatches, Wednesday,
finds that the allegations in the petit
tion are true and recommends that the
charter of the college be revoked. A
copy Of the report was at once for
warded to Messrs. Tayler. Billingsley
&c Clark, of Lisbon, attorneys for the
defendant. The report contains some
damaging testimony and 1t would seem
the outlook for the college Is anything
but bright.
Subjoined is Commissioner Days re-
port: 1.-THE college was incorporated
January 20, 1898, and has assumed all
the rights and privileges ordinarily
possessed by colleges, such as the
employment Of teachers, receiving of
students, granting Of diplomas and
comforting of degrees. On December II,
1897, the Mt. Hope College company
entered into a contract with A. A.
Galbreath, Of Rogers, by which 1t
was provided that the college should
be leased from April /, 1898, for term
of five years for an annual rental of
$3.50.
GALBREATH WAS TO TEACH
in the college and was constituted its
president during the term of such
lease. The college was to be run under
the control of the Mt. Hope College
company, but Galbreath was to receive
all the fees, income, ETC., from tuition
and diplomas and fix the charges for the
same.
"He was to pay the teachers salaries
and other expenses, but no regular
teacher was to be permitted to teach in
the college unless selected by the board
of trustees.
"Galbreath took possession and, by
virtue Of the contract, dictated the
policy Of the institution and assumed
full control. He instituted a number
of departments, among them a prepar-
. atory, collegiate, normal, musical,
elocutionary, are, postgraduate, and
home study department. Not all of
these were in full operation. there not
always being students taking such
courses.
"a large number of diplomas were
granted through the home study de-
partment. Pupils were invited to
matriculate at the institution, and send
by letter a statement of studies they
had pursued and the degree they de-
sired.
THE WAY 1T WAS RUN.
The student was tken given grade
and informed regarding the amount Of
dsork necessary to secure his degree and
the fees he must pay before his de-
gree would be conferred.
The postgraduate course was con-
Quoted largely in the same way. If the
applicant had attended school whose
standard warranted 1t, a degree would
be conferred without further require
ments by the Mt. Hope college, except
sometimes, by writing Of a thesis or
making a digest Of some book. At
times the applicant came to Rogers to
receive his degree; more often he did
not. The looseness with which the af-
fairs of the college were run Is shown
during Galbreath's term as president,
except the private ledger account, kept
with each student by President Gal
breath and some private memoranda
of grades by certain teachers. There
was no classification of the students nor
of degrees conferred or work done
other than In Galbreath's private ac-
count.
I,ak k,,,,, 4
authorize or institute the home study
department, but they did sign diplomas
with full knowledge that they were to
be used in such department and knew Of
its existence. The records Of the board
of trustees show
NO CURRICULUM OF STUDY
to have been adopted, but the catalogue
for 1899 and 1900 shows courses lead
ing to various degrees, also a list of
the names of students in the different
departments. No entrance examin-
alton was ever required for admission
to the college,. The diplomas were
granted in the home study department
upon examination of the applicant by
examiners appointed at or near the
home Of the applicant, by President
Galbreath. In both the home study! and
some instances, were granted upon the
payment of fees and promise to do
work In the future leading to such de-
gree. The diplomas were signed and
degrees conferred by the board OF trus-
tees solely upon the verbal request of
A. A. Galbreath.
Sometimes diplomas were signed in
blank to be afterward filled out. Ex-
planation was made that lack Of time
before commencement required this
course. No grades nor statements Of
the standing Of the student were sub
mitted to the trustees and there was
mo record Of any faculty proceedings
communicated to the board.
JUST TWO YEARS.
'The faculty was composed of Pres-
dent Galbreath and six or seven per-
sons who taught for different periods