The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-28
BOARD SITS. LATE AT NIGHT University Trustees in
 Session. PERSONS GIVEN HEARING Abercrombie Files His Annual
 Report. Head of State Institution shows Its Fine Condition and Trustees Stay in Session Behfna
 Closed Doors.
BY FRANK P. GLASS, JR.

IT
 Tuscaloosa May 27.--(Special. )- The Board of Trustees of thhe Univer- sity met in executive session at o'clock this afternoon and at late hour tonight the Board is still behind locked doors.
 Nothing that is being talked of can be learned with the exception that parts of President Abercrombie's re- port submitted this afternoon were given a committee that the discussion of the reports might be facilitated.
 Professor Persons, of the Chemistry Department, who was recommended for dismissal, obtained a hearing be- fore the board at 5 o'clock Professor Persons could not be seen up to this time.
 Governor Conner was not present at the meeting of the Board today, hay ing confused his dates. He will be present in the morning.
 It is probable that the board will not finish its business until late tomor- row morning or early in the after, noon. It is stated that nothing will be given out tonight although the board held It's session until midnight.
 pr. AbererombIe's Report.
 Department expansion Is one of the most important suggestions made by pr. Abercrombie in his annual report to the Board of Trustees.
 IT. tablishment of high schools in the va- rious counties of Alabama will increase the demand for teachers and that 1t becomes incumbent upon the University tot provide means for turning out trained educators. On this subject Dr. Abercrombie said in his reportt, which was submitted to the trustees at their annual meeting Wednesday morning:
 "The establishment of the County High Schools, for which the last Leg islature made provisions, will increase immediately the demand for the spe- cially trained high school teachers and principals, and it becomes incumbent upon the University, for the purpose of supplying such principals and teach CTS, to enter upon an expansion of the departnent of philosophy and educa- ton. The normal schools are unable to supply the demand for teachers for the elementaary schools, and 1t is un- reasonable to expect them to meet the additional demand for high school teachers.
 College Training for Teachers.
 ssNo institution in this State is mak- ing special provisions for the training of teachers for the high schools. It is coaesded generally that those teach- CTS should receive college training eNecessarily and logically their training should be undertaken by the Univer- nity, and to that end. recommend that you authorize the development of the department mentioned into a quasi-professiona1 school, to be known as the Department of Education.
 "Tt is estimated that with one more instructor the suggested work could be started If the undertaking should succeed, other teachers could be added as the department develops. It is thought that such development would not only meet an imperative demand A,,f would also result in a largely increased enrolment of the students at the Uni versitY.
 If this expansion should be author ized. the plan in mind would call for the organization of a special faculty of the Department of Education, to be conn posed of the teachers In that depart rnent and the teachers in related de- partments and schools.
 The courses would be So arranged as to permit students. at the beginning of the junior year, to begin to special ize in education. with the view of ob- taining at the close of the senior year the degree of Batchelor of Arts in edu- cation, or Batchelor of Science in edu- cation, and after an additional year of study, Master of Arts in education.
 This work in modified form is being undertaken by a number of institu- tions. notably the Universities of Mis- 8OQT1 ana NlTBinla. knOW OL no more important new service upon which the University could enter at this time"
 Financial Report.
 The financial sheet of the report shows that the total receipts of ths University during the past year amount ed to $190,703; the expenditures were S129,S70 This is considered a splendid showing as compared with six years ago when Dr Abercrombie became the head of the University. At that time the receipts, including coal land royal ties. amounted to something like $49, 900 Since that time the royalties have been transferred to the endowment fund and the receipts for the year just ended speak for themselves.
 The report of Dr. Abercrombis wal interesting throughout Ii covered many typewritten pages and gave a complete review of what the University has ac- cornplished during the term of 1907 1908 It sh LOWS al the outset that the enrollment Is the largest in the history of the institution. and excepting tho summer school. the same is true ir each of the departments and schools Not counting the summer school stu. dents. and emitting the medical and pharmaceutical departments, the aver. age attendance for the year was 355 Ii the department at Mobile be included, tAo average for the year is b39
 The total enrolment for the year was s9s. These were decided in the differ ent depa rtments as follows: Academic