Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-03-01
THE STATE UNIVERSITY
An Abstract of Valuable Views Ex-
pressed by Prof. L. c. White Upon
the Administration of the school

pressed by Prof. L. c. White Upon
the Administration of the school
in the Past.
The Fairmont Times of a recent date
contained a long article recommending
DR.. l. c. White, of Morgantown, as a fit
ting man for the presidency OF the
university to succeed DR.. j. H. Ray
mond. whose connection with the in
stitution must soon cease under the
amendment placed on the University
appropriation bill by the Legislature
providing that no part of the money
thus set aside shall be used until the
resignation of DR.. Raymond shall have
been rendered and accepted. The Reg
lister correspondent at Morgantown
called on DR.. White in reference to this
matter and obtained a signed state
ment in which he declines to allow the
use Of his name in this connection, ard
takes the opportunity to point OUT
some of the mistakes which have been
made in this direction in the past.
Coming as it does from the most emf
nent graduate of the University, and
a man who has been in close touch
with it from its establishment, the ad
WIZ 5ANOh 10 Oi FO1y 6lCoI 'oiuC. M
Inc statement given by Mr.. WhiTe
is, in part, as follows:
I'm a recent issue of the Fairmont
Zines, Hon. o. S. Mckinney has, with
out my conselt or knowledge, made
use of my name for the presidency OF
the University.
Lest any Of my good friends should
regard the matter seriously, l have con-
cluded to give you an open letter on
the subject of University presidents,
the troubles they have encountered, the
E~'causes and the remedy.
Let me say in the beginning that
any consideration of my W name for
the presidency of the University, or
any other position in connection there
with, is a waste of time. Many years
ago this presidency was rendered me
by the late Col. Robinson, then presl-
lent of the Board of Regents, and after
mature consideration, not only for my
own peace and comfort, but also for
the good of my alma mater, l had wis
dom enough to decline the proffer. [
trust that nearly twenty years of sub
sequent experience has neither weak
ened my love for the University nor
blinded my judgment as to my own I'M
fitness for this exalted position, the
highest and most influential in the
gift of our beloved commonwealth.
Having thus dealt frankly with my
self, and having no enemies in the
University whom / wish to have pun
| ished, or friends whom I wish reward
ed beyond their merits, I feel free to
| review in a frank way the history of
the several administrations, since it is
| possible that future errors of the same
kind may thereby be at least partially
| prevented.
81 have known all of the six presi-
| dents of the University in the thirty
four years of its history, from Martin
to Raymond, and only n Ghe gifted
Wilson, was successful, the right man
in the right place, the few short months
of whose administration stand out
with both students and teachers of that
time like an oasis in a desert. Why
| did he succeed and the other fail? All
of them with Il notable exception)
have been able, scholarly, culture |
men, each earnest in his work, and
trying as best he knew how to build
up the University. Why did five OF
them fail and only one succeed? The
answer to this question ought to give
valuable pointers to any future Board
of Regents, and aid in keeping them
off the shoals in which their prede-
cessors have so hopelessly foundered.
Starting from this point with the
statement that college presidents are