The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-06
Get Young Man For \ School, Says Dr. Massey.

the college. The right man, who could ana would do this, could do more than any other single agency for the well fare of the new institution.
 I'm past TO-" continued Dr. Massey. reiectively. Could I. at my age, move to Montgomery and undertake the great work of founding and es- tablfshing such an institution? I doubt it, sometimes. But if the call had come to me at 40. if 1t had come to me at the age when I took up my work here at Tuskegee. then I could have put my whole life and my whole energy into the new college.
 v"But there will be at least two years more for the Alabama Conference Col lege here at Tuskegee. as it has been In the past. I was elected by the Board of Trustees for a term of five years. Of the term have only served one year. When the last contract was made between myself and the Board I insisted on the insertion of two clauses which were not in the original con- tract. The first provides that in case of dissatisfaction. the Board could ab- rogate the contract with me on three months notice, and that I could with draw from the Presidency by giving the Board three months notice. The second clause in this last contract em- powers me to withdraw from the Pres- idency in case of the failure of my health or the health Of my wife.
 Chain of Preparatory Schools.
 T am of the opinion that a strong chain of schools with one great cen- tral college could be built up In Ala bama like the Randolph Macon system in Virginia. The Randolph Macon col lege at Lynchburg is really the only great woman's college we nave in the South. the only one to rank with the hfOhnof rnllaOac nf nbJo college is the center of a system of schools which are feeders to it.
 Tt would seem to me that the Meth odists of Alabama could establish in Montgomery great central college which could have feeders. or smaller colleges contributing to Its greatness. There would be no necessity of closing entirely the college here. or the one at Athens. The plan of having these col leges as preparatory schools contribu- ting to the greatness of the central col lege at Montgomery seems to me a great one. But this is a question which the future will adjust
 You ask about my future. Why my work will go right on at Tuskegee. l do not believe that the Montgomery college can be prepared for its open ing within three years. Until it is ready for opening there will be no change whatever in conduct ot the college at Tuskegee. Our enrollment each year is as large as the college can accommodate. We would have many more pupils If we had the fa- cilities for them Our income Is larg- CT. It Is large enough for us to main- tain a strong and eI..cfent faculty. and we are doing that"
 He Originated Idea.
 It is not generally known, but 1t is nevertheless fact, that the first deft- nite movement inaugurated for a con solidation of the educational interests of the two Alabama conferences was started by Dr. Massey 1t has been for several years and of those who dis eussed 1t Dr. Massey had the strong est. most definite idea.
 lie was face to face with qn em- barassing situation at Tuskegee. It was situation for which neither he nor the college. nor the Methodists of Alabama were responsible. The limits of the colleges growth had been reached It could not. increase it's en- rollment without increasing it's facili- ties The facilities Of the college could not be increased. They could not be increased because the leading Methodists of the State were ,unwill- ing to Invest any more money In Tus- kegee. They were unwilling to invest InOie hohey ut ushcsee pecausc VI the wid6 publicity given the negro normal school at that place. By that publicity. unfortunately, tho name of the town had become associated with the negro school Neither the town nor" the college was to blame, either for this condition, or for the senti ment that restrained Alabama Metho- dists from increasing their college in- vestment at Tuskegee.
 IntereHted Mir. Flowers.
 ImpI essed with great possibilities ot Q combination between the educational forces of the two Alabama Conferences. eDr. Massey personally interested the late John J. FiTwers, of Montgomery. in the movement. MT Flowers who was one of the wealthy men of the State. was one of the Ii.~-- prominent