Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-19
TO JOIN POMONA
AND OCCIDENTAL
MAY MERGE TWO COLLEGES
INTO ONE SCHOOL
PRESBYTERIAN INSTITUTION TO
RETAIN NAME
Trustees of Place in Highland Park
Consider Union, but Refuse to
Make Public Their
Decision

That Occidental and Pomona colleges
NAV be merged into one great educa-
tional institution is possible as a re-
suit of the meeting of the trustees OF
Occidental college held yesterday al
ternoon in the directors room of the
German-American Savings Bank build
ing.
The idea was brought up for discus
sion, and although no definite action
was taken in regard to the merger, the
sentiment in favor of such move is
said to have been strong.
Since the recent authentic announce
ment that the trustees of Occidental
college contemplated moving the col
Iege, the future of the institution mas
been a matter of speculation. The suS-
gestion offered by one of the trustees
of the Claremont college that the con-
solidation of both schools be made, with
the understanding that headquarters be
at Pomona, was seriously received and
discussed at the meeting yesterday af-
ternoon.
The idea is to retain the name of Oc-
cidental college, and also the services
of DR. John Willis Baer, now presi-
dent of Occidental.
At the close of yesterdays meeting
the trustees were loath to discuss the
proceedings, other than to state that no
definite decision had been reached.
That the question of consolidating the
two institutions had been seriously and
fayorably considered was admitted. 1t
was also announced that the removal
of Occidental college from its present
site was a certainty.
Several tentative proposals for new
sites were considered after the pro-
posed merger had been thoroughly
thrashed out. Strong arguments have
been advanced that Occidental college
is q Los Angeles institution, and has
been financed principally by Los An
geles citizens, and this argument was
one that caused the trustees to care
fully consider the proposed removal.
To Continue Investigations
That the proposed merger would
mean removal was acknowledged there
fore it was deemed advisable to con-
slider the proffer of various syndicates
for new sites.
The fact that the proposed sites are
located out of Los Angeles, and but
few are on the outskirts of Los Angeles,
was carefully considered. The trustees
did not deem it advisable to name the
sites that had been discussed. A loca-
tion on the Pasadena Short Line and
one within the borders of Highland
Park were those that received the
SI6dltSI dllGHllOlls 1nG I6SluCIllS VI
Highland Park dislike the idea of the
removal of the college, and that some
better offer will be made is regarded as
one reason why no decisive action was
taken at the meeting yesterday after
noon.
The report of the committee appointed
to consider proposals was received, and
the committee was instructed to con-
tinue its work further in order that
every site might receive impartial con-
sideration.
In speaking of the matter last night
one of the trustees said: "This mat
ter of merging and removing to a new
site is so important that we could not
do it justice in one meeting. and there
fore decided to postpone definite and
final action. The question of merging
was commented on both favorably and
otherwise, and the matter of removal
received the same attention. 1t would
be impossible to ascertain every phase
of the matter in a short meeting, and
the decision to allow the special COM
mittee to further investigate was the
one decided upon as fair In fact, any,
thing that transpired at yesterdays
public Importance. AS soon as the COM
mittee reports again we will have some
thing definite to give out"
The above statement was indicative
of the opinion of all members of the
board of trustees, the fact being that
no decisive action was taken, and
would not be until another meeting had
been held.