The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-07
University. Ala,
 June 2, 1908.

June 2. 1sOS
 Editor Advertiser:
 on several occasions. during ms re- cent visit to Tuscaloosa to report tne commencement exercises of the UniveI- sity, your special eorresponuehs, ode letters to The Advertiser, mas from reference to my recent retlrehtent no the University Faculty. hase h,r fondness for newspaper notoriety. pu'e under the circumstances, l deem It hiy duty to ask your indulgence Wnhe ! give 10 the public prIiS the ta tacss as iI my re- moval," 'discharge," etc,
 First of all desire 1t unaers.Sou that when I went before the poaru, did not apply for reelection 10 tne Professorship of Chemistry in the unl- versity. Under the present plan. Fro fessors in that institution are electeu annually. and only upon tne reSons.S ,,n,ess dation of the President. The trustees, themselves, have no authority or as crefion in the matter, having deiegateu it. at the time of hls election, to the President, the latter expressly demaha- ing that right. Members of the Facui- tv have no voice as to who are 70 pc chosen. and, in some instances, at ieast, minor instructors are assigeo 10 duty in different schools of the University, where the head of the Department has had no voice in the selection, and yet IS, presumably, held responsible TOT work.
 My purpose in seeking hearing be- fore the Board of Trustees was to vin- dfcafe my record as Professor during the ten years 1 have had the honor or occupying a chair in the institution. I distinctly stated to the Board that 1 was not candidate for it's official favors and 1 endeavored to make it plain that my object in desiring to be heard was to secure a vindlcation ana facts in regard to my retirement which felt, that as the States official guardians of the institution, they .had a right to know-and which knew they would not obtain If they relied only on Presidential source of in- formation. The Faculty of the Univer- sity is under rule which prohibits any member from conferrtng with d member of the Board of Trustees on any matter of University business. ex- cept through the President.
 that the President of the University in presenting a courteous application or mine to the Trustees for hearing, sub nitted 1t with "his endorsement or my request was glad to learn that he finally as gracefully deported him. self. for I had previously been assured by him that such hearing would not be accorded me. must be pardoned for expressing the belief that the mag naninaity exhibited by him In the episode evidently grew out of the fact that after close application or his lear to the ground" he had become gardless of his attitude, and so ne gracefully" requested it in order to claim the credit. Now, while express ing the above belief, do nor desire II minimize his autocratic power--a power which great educators like President Elliott of Harvard, ex-President Dwight of Yale, President Van Hise of the University of Wisconsin, and Presi- dent Thwing of the Western Reserve University. have all stated should never gentlemen all stand for democratic methods in University administration. as do nearly all prominent educators.
 That the present President of the University of Alabama duly appreciates his authority is evidenced in very re- cent incident, when two days prior to the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees, and before that tribunal had had submitted to 1t the evidence in the matter involved. he allowed himself to be interviewed by 8 representative of The Age-Herald and gave to that gem uemans for publication, the information that l was not to be renomfnated. To say nothing of the impropriety of such an act one may be permitted to ques- ton the Presidential temperament of an executive who is guilty of such evident indiscretion.
 When invited before the Board, after 2 few preliminary remarks, made sub- stantially the following statement: | told the Trustees that I had been noti- fled by the President that I would not be renominated to my present position after the expiration of my present term. l stated to them that re- quired of him his reasons for his pro- posed action, and his reply was: ''You haven't professorial temperament" said to the Trustees, "Gentlemen. I am not advised as to the charges pre- sented to you and can therefore only reply to those given me under the title or the rather classic phrase" I have Just quoted. I asked the Presiden for
 specifications" under the "Professorial temperament" indictment enouired or him if he had had complaint of my Work from any student? If had ever submitted to him a case of discipline? |? or if he had ever heard of one occurr- ing In the department? He replied that he had not, and that he had heard no complaint of the character of my work or my lack of efficiency I then asked