Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-28

HOW THE FIGHT WAS STARTED
Failure of One or Two Professors to
Get Placed at Head Of Departments
and Defeat of Others for Presidency
Main Cause Back of the Trouble
Viewpoint of MacLean's Friends.
Special to Tlmes-Republlcan.

| the State University of Iowa are re-
sponsible for the adoption of the Dav-
export, Des Moines and other alumni
meetings resolutions against Presiden,
! G.. E. MacLean of the State Univer-
sity of Iowa. A carefully prepared
campaign has been made for the adop-
| ton of the resolutions. 1t has been di-
rected by an alumnus who is close
friend of a disatfected professor.
Not wanting just investigation. in
which President MacLean must have
the campaign against the president, af-
ter three hour investigation. consult
/ ing but four or five professors and
avoiding Professor MacLean, brought
out such an attack upon President
| MacLean at Davenport that it was
/ thought he would be forced TO resign.
| The loyal alumni at Iowa City, the
students and the professors, excluding
those disaffected, are strong in disap-
! proyal of the motives and tenor Of the
Davenport resolutions. They say the
resolutions could do no goodand nothing
but harm to the institution; that the
way to have done with any just ground
| of complaint was to lay 1t before the
regents quietly, and 1t could there have
been quietly investigated without pub
| iicity and either DR.. MacLean vindicat-
ed or given a chance to resign; but that
the abuse heaped upon President Mac
Lean by the Davenport meeting is to
be resented by all loyal alumni as only
used to supply the lack of argument for
the presidents dismissal.
OF the fifteen alumni meetings. which
| 1t was predicted in Davenport would
Immediately follow, but three have been
held. at Des Moines at Ft. Dodge. and
at Sioux City. Friends of the univer-
sity have noted with pleasure that
these meetings have been attended by
hardly more than q fourth of the men
who could have attended them. AT
Davenport 1t is said there were five
present; at Sioux City. according to the
reports of the Sioux City Tribune. there
were but seventeen. And the Tribune
further states that on the first ballot
on the resolutions which We're present
ed, the vote stood TO s. one of those
present not voting. On the second bal
lot they were passed by one vote. OF
the men who have been present at these
meetings it has been made evident that
the leading spirits were former stu
dents who were in close touch with
those professors who have personal
grievance and who have been lniiuen-
tial in helping the movement.
The real main spring of the move
ment was made plain in the speech OF
Mr. Vollmer before the Davenport
meeting. Mr.. Vollmer stated that his
attention had been drawn to the con-
dition of affairs by hearing from Mr..
Lowell from Des Moines, who seemed
to be much excited over the matter and
very actively engaged In the dissem-
nation of free information. 1t was also
intimated that on the following night
there would be fifteen alumni meetings
in Iowa to consider the question, and
from the manner in which Mr.. Vollmer
made the statement it can be inferred
that this information was also supplied
by Mr.. Lowell. How accurate such in
formation was can be easily understood
when in place of fifteen meetings there
were three.
MI. Lowell is a graduate of the de-
partment of engineering and is under
the personal influence CT Prof. A. v.
Sims. who Is one of the few members
of the faculty who has been shelterins
a grievance. This grievance arose with
the organization of the School OF APP
plied Science. Professor SIMS was
candidate for the position OF director OF
this school and it was given to l.. q.
Weld by the board of regents. This III
tie matter has been ranking In the
heart of the professor of engineering,
along with the idea that President
MacLean was opposed to the depart
ment of engineering. Nothing could be
more unjust to the president than TO
say that he was hostile to the depart
ment of engineering, when his past rec
ord shows that he favored the depart
ment at a time when the board or re-
gents were half considering the idea of
dropping it altogether. The plan for
the school of applied science, which,
after being outlined by President Mac
Lean. was adopted by the board OF re-
gents, was by providing an opportunity
for the application of pure science in
the university curriculum, provide a
school Of engineering here upon uni
yersity plane, and in that way conflict
as little as possible with the school OF
applied mechanics at Ames.
DIR. A. l.. Hagenboeck, of the Daven-
port committee, who spent three hours
in the city investigating matters upon
which they based the resolutions which
weer adopted by the Davenport meet
ing, is a close personal friend of Dr. L.
w. Andrews, the professor of chemistry
at the state university, and when the
men are in the different cities they visit
at the home of their friend.
Prof. l.. w. Andrews is dissatisfied
because he was not elected to the head
of the school of pharmacy to succeed
e. l.. Boerner Prof. w l.. Teeters be-
ing elected acting dean in his stead.
This left sore spot which. unfortu
nately, he has been too ready to show.
The animuses of the alumni who
have attacked President MacLean can
be traced to the italian hands of Pro-
fessors Sims or Andrews, or to Prof
Ben j. Il. Shambaugh, or Prof. Thos.
H. MacBride. both of whom were cam
didates for the presidency of the insti-
tuition at the time when DR.. MacLean
was elected, or from the alumni, who
have become excited bearers OF tales