The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-29

of Utah: Ladies and gentlemen--I
hereby tender my resignation as president
OF the Agricultural college OF Utah, TO
take effect at the end of the present
submitted, W J. KERR.
Upon motion, the resignation was ac~
cepted unanimously. Then President
Kerr appeared in person before the
trustees and made brief talk, in which
he expressed his friendship for the in
stitution OF which he has been presi
dent for seven years, and his willing
ness to cooperate in any plan for the
upbuilding and development of The in
stltution.
Professor Widtsoe was then chosen
president of the college by unanimous
vote. 1t is stated authoritatively that
no other names were suggested for the
place by any of the trustees.
Faculty Members Resign.
The following letters of resignation
from members of the faculty were then
read:
Logan Utah. March 2S. 19nT.
To the President and Board Of Trustees
OF the Agricultural College Of Utah,
Gentlemen and ladies': Just forty years
ago the Massachusetts Agricultural coll
Iege, one OF the first colleges established
under the Federal land grant, opened Its
doors for admission 10 students to
time about sixty other land grant col
leges including the Agricultural college
OF Utah, have been established. without
exception all have recognized the close
relationship between agricultural and en-
gineering science by making studies in
these sciences coordinate parts or their
schedule OF course, Ola ID conseSystlae ,rs waive
chusetts Agricultural college stood aioof
and alone on purely agricultural cur
ricuum withstandins this 90 TO ra-
l. l( rtstt1 1ft1rd n nd
ing against purely agriculture. and not
withstandne the almost diametrically op-
posed conditions Of the two states agri-
culturally, the Massachusetts schooi Two
wears ago became the ideal for the Utah
school As a result a law was passed
eliminating engineering in every form
! from the Utah Agricultural college. SIN
| gularly enough just about the same Tune
! the Massachusetts school recognized the
spirit Of the lond grant schools. and to-
! dav a number Of engineering subjects.
! such as Surveying roofs and bridges. hy-
! draulic and sanitary engineering, strength
! Of materials foundations and masonry.
construction. Topographic surveying. high
way construction. railroad construction,
i earth work payements, etc. besides the
! advanced courses in drawing 'hema-
tics and physics leading up i" 5nese sc
/ courses. are found upon It's schedule oi
| required studies
Back to the Rear.
The Massachusetts school, after lag
!
/ by the work Of the land grant colleges
! throughout the country for forty years,
without any irrigation problems 10 sclye,
finds il necessary TO join the procession
by introducing engineering. Almost ST.
! simultaneously, Utah. after period OF
! progress eliminating with position In
! the front rank OF rhc procession. With
her vast number of unsolVed problems In
/ Irriga;lon steps back 10 take her place In
the rear The folly OF this @tcp has been
plainly pointed out to the legislative and
! executive departments OF our state, but
/ without remedy.
The conclusion is inevitable. the Agri-
/ cultural college Of Utah took It's first
backward step TWO years ago when the
law above referred to was allowed to go
OH the statute books. More recent de-
vclopments Indicate that the movement
in that direction is not Yet ended.
For the reason that the removal OF tine
engineering work would relieve me OF
half the work which ! have, for several
wears had immediate charge and Tor the
further reason that I cannot consistently
work under policy which is In my Judg-
mcnt rctrogression IN its tendency, !
most respectfully tender my resignation
as director OF manual training In mechan
| lc arts and professor OF mechanical engi-
nccring in the Agricultural college 81
J-taff 10 take effect at the end OF my
present period OF employment.
Respectfully yours.
los JENSEN