Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-23
DR.. pUR|NTON LIKELY 70
Be THE NEW PRESIDENT.
HE is SAID TO BE THE CHOICE OF
GOVERNOR WHITE AND A
MAJORITY
OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS.
BOARD GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS
AND WILL PROBABLY MAKE
A SELECTION.
Special to the Register.

MORGANTOWN, w. Va, May o.
The Board of Regents is down to hard
work, but they have hardly yet reached
the stage where they car begin to do
things. They have taken up all the
time getting on to the way things
should be run.
Reports have been dumped in on them
by the basket full, and they have been
patiently wading through them and hop
ing for the end, when they can begin TO
take action on the many affairs that de-
mand their attention.
Last night they had a session devoted
to hearing DR.. P. B. Reynolds on the
status of the institution. He presented
an informal report and made several
recommendations of policy. At the
same time he presented several recon-
mendations from the various members
of the faculty. No action was taken on
any of these matters.
This morning the board again began
to grind through reports and at noon
had hardly finished with them. They
are determined to find out everything
that there is to be known before they
take any chances.
". j. w. Cowden, j. r. Trotter, D. c..
Gallaher, C. r. Oldham and e. NJ. Grant
have been appointed as an executive
committee There were but three mem
bers on the old executive committee and
the new one comprises a majority of
the members of the board. No secre-
tary has been named for the board.
Tonight the board was entertained
by Mr.. and Mrs. e. NJ. Grant, at their
home on Front street. A large number
OF guests had been invited to be pres
ent and meet the visitors. The affair
was very pleasant.
Lengthy petitions nave been presented
asking that the regular dances which
were formerly held in the gymnasium
be revived. The regime under Ray
mond killed this part of the student life
and also did away with the commence
meat and military balls which formed
such a large part of the social life of the
State before he came. 1t is thought
that these petitions will be looked on
with favor.
The board will probably partially
solVe the salary deficit by replacing
some of the many professors now en-
gagged in some of the departments by
one man. In the department formerly
under DR.. Hartigan there was one man
receiving $1,000 a year. There are now
three professors in this department and
they receive in the aggregate 81, 500, and
the three do less work thar Or. Harti-
gan dld alone. This will affect a saw
ing of three thousand dollars ii the
change is made. This added to he
three thousand by cutting down the list
OF leiloWs TO do nothing will go a long
way toward meeting the S. 600 deficit.
Yesterday the announcement was
freely made by members of the board
that there would be no election of q
president. Today matters have veered
around considerably and if is now
stated that very likely the election will
take place. In this connection if is in
teresting to note that the men who are
the forma applicants for the place are
not being seriously considered while
the men who have not put in anv an
plicatlons are those who stand the
greatest chance of being chosen.
One OF the members of the board in
formed the Register representative that
1t was very probable that a president
would be chosen. He stated that DR.
T. B. Reynolds and DR.. d. B. Purinton
were the ones being most favorably
mentioned by his conferees and that
one or the other would be chosen.
TIL election of either DIR. REYNOLDS
or DR.. Purinton would be eminently
satisfactory to every one concerned.
Gov. White is said TO favor DIR. Pur-
linton. He has been taking a large
share in the conduct of the board and
his preference for Mr.. Cowden for pres
ident of the board as expressed in hav-
ing him call the members together Is
responsible for his selection.
In case Gov. White has placed HIS
approval on Purinton the latter will be
chosen. The Register correspondent
has 1t on excellent authority that he
has done so.
In the same connection IL is claimed
that a majority of the members of the
board have asked DR.. Purinton to ac-
cept the place having written to him
privately and without consulting each
other.