The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-07-25
A. AND M. INVESTIGATION.
Trustees Sustain President Hardy's
Administration.
Starkville, Miss, July 10.

College issued the following statement
today:
"To the People of Mississippi:
"The board of trustees of the Missis.
sippi A. and NJ. College, realizing the
great injustice done to the institution and
President Hardy, through the fight upon
him, both from within and without the
college, feel that some statement from
them is pertinent at this time, that the
great institution and its president may
be set right in the estimation of the peo-
pie.
although at the last meeting of the
board suspension of judgment was asked
from the people until the findings in the
Wellborn charges against the president
could be made and the faculty investiga-
ton completed, certain papers in the
state did not respect that request, and
the president, board of trustees and the
institution were subjected to constant
and malicious attack. The result has
been that only one side of the college
trouble has been presented, and 1T has
| been SO grossly misrepresented and mag
| nifed that the board feels that the peo-
| pie of the state should have the facts OF
| the case.
"To begin with, let it be understood
That the board of trustees is composed OF
fourteen representative citizens from
| every section of the state. In their ap-
pointment they represent both the adj
ministration of Gov. Vardaman and Gov.
| Noel, and represent various professions
and ayocations.
Four Days Session.
I'm response to the request of Pres
ident Hardy and the request as was made
in the faculty resolutions, they assem-
bled at the college on Wednesday, July
Is, and remained in session until the
following Sunday, being at their post
working from s o'clock in the morning
until - at night. Every department OF
the institution and every faculty mem
Der and attache, numbering sixty-odd,
were carefully examined with a view of
detecting any friction or disaffection
within the departments of the college
and with establishing exact relations that
the members of the faculty and those
connected with the college bore toward
the president. After a full and abso'
lutely fair and impartial investigation
toward all concerned, the board, by a
vote of 10 to 4. voted to retain MIR
Hardy as president of the institution
every member of the board being pres
ent and voting, and the four members
whose votes were recorded against him
| pledged him their loyal support in his
future administration.
''The investigation developed that
there had been serious friction and trou-
BILE in the agricultural department and
| the trustees located the cause of the
| trouble and will take the necessary steps
| to secure harmony and the best possible
res.lts in this and all other departments,
Good Results Will Follow.
The investigation was attended by
| the best results from every standpoint,
1t gave the trustees a larger grasp on
the institution in all its departments,
and gave them Il familiarity of details
which will enable them more successfully
| than ever to administer the affairs OF
| the institution and bring it nearer than
ever to a realization of the great pur-
poses for which it was established. 1t
| served to clear up, in a large measure
the disaffection and strife within the
| college. and to establish relations of sup
port and sympathy with the president
and faculty and teaching force, and an
| opportunity to reconcile all of those re-
| ports and rumOrs and differences and
misa pp~rehensiOns which resulted in the
| unfortunate conditions which caused
this investigation. For the number of
faithful men who serve the college as
members of its faculty and teaching
force for so many years whose relations
with the president were strained, the
trustees preferred to take no radical ac-
ton. believing that their confidence in
the president had been and would be
| speedily restored, and that all would
| work in absolute harmony and sympa-
thy in the future for the good OF the
school.
designations Advised.
''The trustees further believe that II
there were among these gentlemen any
| whose loss of confidence in the president
| had reached the point where they could
| not support his policy and work in sym
| pathv with his administration, realizing
| the sense of the situation. would prompt
| them to speedily resign. 1t is gratifying
to report already expressions of fealty
| from the best and strongest men IN the
| college, whose support and cooperation
| will be extended to President Hardy to
the fullest and freest measure.
'With this statement of the facts as
ihev existed at the beginning of the in
| v~estigation. and with the results which
| have already attended the outcome OF
our labors. the trustees believe that the
| troubles have been finally and amicably
| settled. and that the great college viii
| no longer be subjected to criticism on
the part of the state. but will resume
without interruption its great work in
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