The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-24
BROWN MAY RE NoN.sEcrARIAN.
Committee Reports Corporation in Favor
Of Eliminating UNCONVENTIONAL
Requirements.

Requirements.
Providence. r. l., june 24.-The com
mittee appointed by the trustees and
fellows OF Brown university TO consider
the subject Of changes in tbs university
charter in regard 10 those provisions
which impose denominational require
ments in the election Of trustees, fell
lows, president, professors and tutors
and restrictions in public instruction IN
matters OF sectarian opinions, presented
Its report Monday 70 the corporation
/ favoring the elimination Of the denomi.
national requirements.
While the report states that the
changes are not chiefly recommended
because we desire to secure the benefits
Of the Carnegie foundation for our fac
ulty,p the committee says, I'VE frankly
acknowledge that the Carnegie founda-
ton has brought the issue Of charter
revision again to the front, and that
we 40 desire, not for the corporation,
but for our faculty, the benefits Of that
i foundation. Nevertheless, the reasons
for change existed fifty years ago and
would remain ii the Carnegie foundation
should vanish"
After stating that they have made a
careful investigation into all phases OF
the proposed changes, the committee gives
the following five reasons for which they
/ believe the removal Of denominational
provisions from the charter is desirable.
l. I'm order to preserve the spirit
and fulfll the real purpose Of the found
ers.
/ 2. I'm order to avoid the necessity
Of inquisition into the theological posi-
/ ton and ecclesiastical relation OF every
candidate for the board Of trustees.
3. Tn order to avoid all religious
/ tests for members Of the teaching stan.
4. in order to render eligible 70 the
board Of trustees the large section Of
1 the alumni which is now excluded
5. 'In order 70 remove public miscon-
struclion as 10 the truly liberal and
catholic attitude OF the university and
To secure for the members Of our faculty
both the recognition to which they are
entitled and the support for themselves
/ in their old age and for their families
which such recognition involves"
IN discussing The reasons for the con
illusions the report notes the peculiar and
embarrassing situation which arises when
/ trustees or instructors are 20 he elected
! and IL becomes necessary 70 inquire into
| their religious hnhefs "A dOcumgnt
which was extraordinarily liberal for
1854 is no longer 50 in 1909, the report
reads. '1ntended to secure in the gov
4 erning body comprehensive representa-
/ ton Of the great branches Of the Chris
tian church, It excludes al churches save
those four which were prominent in New
| England in l764" II interpreted literal
Fly, Il surrounds the faculty and corpora
/ tion with restrictions which are anti
lquated and ont Of harmony with the sPir-
| Il Of the present age and the desire Of
the founders. The difficulty Of literal
adherence to the venerable document in
creases with every decade as religious
leonditions change Denomiaationai bar
/ riers are falling and UNCONVENTIONAL lines
arc not as sharp and clear as In the
eighteenth century. If 1t is snid that
actual church membership should be re-
CURED OF every candidate for the board
/ Of trustees. we must remember that
| Nicholas Brown, for whom our university
was named was not q church member
Among the questions Of casuistry
which are constantly arising because Of
| the chatter restrictions, the committee
mentions few;
as a member Of the Christian body
called Disciples eligibleg Is a Baptist
eligible who has been for many years
/ a member Of a Congregational church
Would George T. Littlefeld Of Pawtuek
ct, the largest single beuefactor in the
history of the university, have been eli-
gible as a trutsee2 Tie was immersed
as boy on confession of faith, and
4 attended all his life a Baptist church,
/ but did not become a member Of that
church. Is a Friend eligible who himself
never attends q Quaker meeting, but is
affiliated with the Friends merely rs a
matter Of tradition and ancestryg Is a
i Unitarian eligible as a Congregational
/ ist? Even If these questions could be
answered, the fact would remain that q
! large part Of our graduates arc prohibit
ed from any share in the government
Of the university
The committee says that while every
graduate knows that there is not the
/ slightest attempt at UNCONVENTIONAL
propaganda within the walls Of the uni
versity. it is impossible to persuade the
public of that fact SO long a. they have
charter requirements more specific IN de-
I nominational restrictions than can be
found in the charter Of any other Ameri-
can college.
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