Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-21
APPEAL 70 ALUMNI
Ames College Students Think
Curtiss Would Not Be Wis
est Presidential Choice
TWO SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED
Altho Neither Professor curtiss Nor
Acting President Stanton Is an Ac-
tive Candidate, the Contest For Pres
ident of the College Will Likely Come
Down to a Choice Between These Two

Special to I1meS-Republlcan.
Des Moines, March 21.-!The meeting
of the board of trustees of Iowa state
college on Thursday of next week
promises an interesting time in the Sc
lection of college president. The
mittee on the selection of a president
is called to meet the day before. This
committee will not make any definite
recommendations of a suitable person
for president of the state college. The
committee Will report that the names
of many different persons have been
canvassed, that evidence as to the COM
potency of these candidates has been
secured from many sources, recon-
mendations and endorsements have
been considered and the whole matter
has been thoroughly canvassed but
that all the committee can do is to re-
port progress and ask for further time
for consideration of the matter. There
is a disposition to insist upon some ac-
tion being taken and it is probable that
q motion will be entertained in the
board meeting to take up the matter of
selection of a president without waiting
for q committee report If this is done
1t is possible that a president Will be
selected. 1t is known positively that
last week, after the matter had been
canvassed thoroughly, it was found
that a certain one of the candidates had
;<,,,; ~ f,,1I
him. and if meeting could have been
arranged then and a vote taken he
would have been elected. But one
who was for him then has since weak
ened. This again leaves it in the air.
1t is now regarded as likely that the
contest will come down to a choice be-
tween two members of the faculty -
Acting President Stanton, and Profess
sor c. F.. Curtiss. Neither is in any
seEse IN active candidate. but both
are being urged. Professor Stanton is
busy with the present management of
the college along the lines mapped out
by the late president Beardshear. He
is very popular with the older members
of the board of trustees and with .nern-
bers of the alumni and students, be-
cause of his long Identification with the
college. Professor Curtiss is a newer
man in the college and is identified
chiefly with the strictly agricultural
interests. He has been endorsed by the
agricultural ASSOCIATIONS and farmers
institutes. Either one is quite colnpe-
tent, but the board of trustees is en-
barrassed by the fact that both are of
the faculty. 1t was reported some time
ago that the students had held a meet
ing and endorsed a candidate. But this
was denied. No meeting was held.
But few days ago a member of the
Chicago alumni association received a
letter from Ames as follows:
Dear Sir: On the Goth of this month
the board of directors of the l. S. c.
you are already doubtless aware. great
pressure is being brought to bear in fa-
vor of the selection of Professor C. F.
Curtiss. He has the earnest support
of most of the farmers ins stitutes and
other organizations, including the State
Agricultural Association and the mem
bers of the state board of control. The
Des NIoines Register and Leader has
been overflowing with articles in his
behalf. In an effort to combat the pos.
sibility thus made apparent, firmly be-
lieving that such a selection would not
be for the best interests of the school,
a committee has been appointed by the
student body representing the different
classes and courses As a member of
this committee it has fallen to my lot
to extend, through you, an appeal to
the Chicago Alumni Association for
such assistance as you may Jointly and
severally see fit to extend. The power
of the alumni is well known in the con-
duct of college affairs. Should you
wish to communicate with the members
of the board, append their names and
addresses
This is signed by Forrest e. Overhol-
ser, and indicates conclusively the ac-
tivity of the college students and the
intention to interest the alumni lnem-
bers in the fight for the presidency.
The fact that the students at AmeS
have actively entered the contest and
will take a hand in the matter, still
further complicates the case, and under
the circumstances it is freely predicted
that no president will be selected until
after the close of the present college
year.
Fred Russell. the newly appointed
member of the state pharmacy board,
is native of Calhoun county, and was
born on a farm in that county in 1858.
There was not Il very large population
to the county at that time as 1T was
regarded as mostly swamp land and tine
hunting ground at certain seasons of
the year. He was educated in the COM
mon schools and afterwards taught
school few terms. Then he studied
pharmacy and engaged in the drug bus
mess. He was elected county clerk in
1896 and served six years, having just
retired from the position.
The democracy is picking up. The
Atlantic Democrat is to become daily
paper, but not of the Bryan kind. April
/ is the day set for launching the Ven
ture.
A determined effort has been made
here TO arrange the visit of President
Roosevelt as to leave no glory in it for
the friends of Governor Cummins and
to make it appear that the president Is