The Lexington advertiser., 1908-07-24

given out Dy the OOaTu OF TRUSTEES
the Mississippi A. & NJ College Nor
day: -,
ITO the People of Mississippi Th
hoard of trustees of the Mississippi A
& M. College, realizing the great in
Justice done to the institution an
President Hardy, through the fgh
upon him, both from within and with
out the College, feel that some state
ment from them is pertinent at thl
time, that the great institution and it
president may be set right in the esti
nation of the people. Although a
the last meeting suspension OF judg
ment was asked from the people unit
the findings in the Welb0rn charge:
against the president could be made
and the faculty investigation complet
ed, certain papers in the state did not
respect that request. and the present
board of trustees and the institution
were subjected to constant and mali
cious attacks. The results had been
that only one side of the College trou-
BILE has been presented, and it has been
so grossly misreDresented and magnih'
ed that the board feels that the people
of the state sholld have the facts of
the case. To begin with, let it be un-
derstood that the board of trustees is
composed of fourteen representative
citizens from every section of the state.
In their appointment they represent
both the administrations Of Governor
Vardaman and Governor Noel and re-
present various professions and voca-
tions In response to the request of
President Hardy, and the request as
made in the faculty resolutions, they
assembled at the College on Wednes
day July Is, and remained in ses-
sion until the following Sunday, be.
ing at their post working from 8
O'Clock in the morning until IL at
night, every department of the Col
lege and every faculty member and
sttache, numbering sixty odd, were
carefully examined with view of
detecting any friction or disatfection
within the departments of the Colleges
and with exact relations that the mem.
bers of the faculty and those connected
with the College bore towards the
president
After full and absolutely fair
and impartial investigation toward all
concerned, the board, by vote of 10 |
to voted to retain Mr.. Hardy as
president of the institution. Every
member of the board being present
and voting and the four members |
whose votes we're recorded against |
him pledged him their loyal support |
in his future administration.
The investigation developed that |
there had been serious friction and /
trouble IN the agricultural department, |
and the trustees located the cause Of
the trouble and will take the necessa-
ry steps tC secure harmony and the
best possible results in this and all
other departments.
The Investigation was attended by
the best results from every standpoint.
1t gave the trustees larger grasp on
the institution in all OK its depart
ments and gave them familiarity
with details which will enable them
mere successfully than ever to admin
lister the affairs of the institution and
bring it nearer than ever to realiza-
ton of the great purposes fol which
it was establ ished. 1t served to clear
up in large measure the disatfectoIn
and strife within the College, and to
establish relations of support and sym
pathy with the president and faculty
and teaching force, and an opportuni-
ty to reconcile all of those reports and
rumors and inferences and misappre
tensions which resulted In the unfor-
sunate conditions which caused this
investigation. For the number of
faithful men who serve the College as
of its faculty and teaching
force for so many years whose rela-
tions with the president were strained
the trustees preferred to take no radi
cal action, believing that their conf
dence i'll the president had been and
would be speedily restored, and that
all would work in absolute harmony
and sympathy in the future for the
good of the school, The trustees fur
ther believe that if there were among
these gentlemen any whose loss of con.
fdence in the president had reached
the point where they could not support
his policy and work in sympathy 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 co.opera-
tion will be extended to PresidentHar-
dy to the fullest and fretst measure.
with this statement of the facts
as they existed at the beginning of the
investigation, and with the results
which have already attended the out
come of our labors, the trustees believe
that the troubles have been finally and
amicahly settled, and that the great
College will no longer be subjected to
criticism by the people of the state
but will resume without interruption
its great work in behalf of the boys and
Young men of Mississippi. "
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
Details of the Votes.