Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11
A PROPOSED MERGER
Union of Massachusetts
"Tech" and Harvard.
MR.. M'KAY'S REQUEST
MILLIONS LEFT FOR SCIENTIFIC
INSTRUCTION.
Disposition Of the Funds Left to Judg-
ment Of His Executors and the
University Trustees.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology will
be greatly interested in the progress of
negotiations for an amalgamation of those
corporations The late Gordon Mckay. an
inventor and manufacturer of great wealth,
died few years ago, leaving the buik
of his fortune for scientific education IN
connection with Harvard. The terms of the
will were broad and generous and the dis
position of the funds was left to the 1udg-
ment Of the trustees Of the university ana
his executors J. ]. Myers. late speaker OF
the house of representatives of the state OF
Massachusetts,. who was Mr.. Mckay's at
torney, and Messrs. F. j. Stanley ana
George E. Gilbert, who were the managers
of his business interests. The estate no"
amounts to about 100000 at low estl-
mate; but it cannot be accurately appraised.
| 1t consists of Industrial stocks ana ponas'
mineral and farming lands and other prop
| erty which is rapidly increasing In value,
but nobody can tell what it Is worth at
present. Some estimate the property as
| high as $1O.OOO.O00. 1t is probably som =
where between that figure and five millions
and Is increasing rapidly every year.
The trustees Of the university are pledgeo
by the trust to use the interest upon thls
enormous fund for the education of young
men in the applied sciences, and 1t Is the
purpose to devote three-ffths of 1t 10 de-
partments of engineering, chemistry, elec-
tricity mining and other practical Sciences
and the remaining two-f1fths Will be invest,
ed in such a way as to produce liberal
income for scholarships and research WORK
The will has been probated, and the estate
is now in the hands of the Harvard cor
poration, which is negotiating win me
trustees of the Massachusetts Institute or
Technology for the purpose of arranging an
alliance between the two in such way as
will not conflict with the terms of Mr.
McKays will and still preserve the lden-
md ind n the institute.
The Proposition.
The resolution under which the repre-
sentatives of the latter entered into the
negotiati lions reads follows:
Voted, that the executive committee be
requested to ascertain whether any ar
rangement can be had with Harvard Uni
yersity for a combination of effort in tech
meal education such will substantially
preserve the organization, control trad1-
tons and the name OF the MASSACHUSETTS,
Institute of Technology.
The income from the Mckay estate is
about $25o,00O a year, and 1t is proposed to
allow 1t to accumulate until 1t has reached
81, 0OO0 That will be about the LIST OF
January, 1907. In the meantime the trus-
tees will determine what use shall be made
of it. There is already scientific school
at Harvard University, with 54S students
last year, Of whom the larger part were en-
gagged in the study of the general sciences.
AS the catalogue explains, 1T Is school
of general training and a school for profess
sional training. In it's first capacity 1t re-
uuires a fair knowledge of at least three
languages and requires all Of its students
to take elementary courses in considerable
variety of subjects In its second capacity
it undertakes to prepare engineers, chem
lists, architects, naturalistS, foresterS, ETC.,
who will be capable of earning something
in their respective occupations Immediately
upon leaving the school,"
Some of it's features have considerable
hut T Of iAa
does not rank with other technical institu-
tions which might be mentioned, and is
perhaps the weakest department OF. Har-
ward University. Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. on the other hand, has the
highest reputation of any technical school
In the world, and merger with Harvard
would add much to the prestige of the
university and at the same time give it the
benefit of the generous funds which have
been placed at the disposal of the Harvard
trustees for scientific education. The propo-
sition now under consideration is to ANAL
gamate Lawrence Scientific School with
the Boston 'Teck'' under a separate and
distinct faculty, but at the same time to
make the joint school a part of Harvard
University
Interest of the Graduates.
The alumni of both institutions, who
aware of the negotiations, are taking de-
cided interest in them. Many are in favor
of the merger, but various objections have
been raised. The present situation may be
called at statu quo. tentative plan has
been submitted to certain learned lawyers
to determine whether it can be carried out
without violating the terms of the will of
Gordon Mckay and the conditions of GER
tain endowments of the "Teck.' If they
decide that the merger would be lawful the
proposition will be submitted to a vote of
the trustees, the faculties and the alumni
of the two institutions. Both boards have
sufficient power to act, but neither of them
is disposed to take such an important step
without consulting their faculties and
alumni. 1t is believed that both boards are
unanimously in favor of the merger-at
least no objection has been raised on either
side thus far. A report from the attorneys
is expected within a month and if it is
favorable it will be submitted for confirma-
ton to the faculties and alumni before next
commencement.
been decided upon, but, generally speaking,
it is proposed to amalgamate the depart
ments of Lawrence Scientific School with
similar departments in the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and preserve under
the care of the latter such departments
as do not exist in both. The income of the
Lawrence school will be added to that of
the treasury of the institute, and thus en-
able the salaries of the faculties to be in
creased and command the services of the
best men.
g The present corporation OF the insti-
tute Is to have minority representation on
the board of trustees and the executive |
committee of the university.
3. The institute shall sell it's present |
buildings and property in the city of Bos-
ton and remove to a site across the river |
from Harvard Square. thus making CO. |
operation in work more convenient. 1t Is |
a s,sumed that limited number of students |
will work at the same time in both insti- |
buttons.
Advantage and Disadvantage.
The property Of the 'Teok" on Boylston |
street and Trinity place in the city of Bos. |
ton is worth at least $1,000. 900, and If sold |
will enable the trustees to purchase |
proper site and erect suitable buildings. |
The income of the institution now is about |
SAFE, coo a year, almost wholly from tuition
fees, which are $3.50 per year from every |
student and are larger than those paid in
any other institution. It has now an en-
dowment of 100000 invested in stocks,
bonds and productive real estate. The addi-
tional income to be derived by a merger
would be about $1s0,000 year, so that the
trustees of the institute would bring into
the combination nearly twice much
money as Harvard.
The great advantages of the combination.
would, of course. be economy-both educa- |