Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-16
STORNS HAS CAUSTlC WORDS
Former Head of Ames Agricultural
School Writes Letter.
EDUCATIONAL BOARD INTERPRETERS
President of school was Not Real
Head aud Members Had Faculty
Continually 60 over
His Head.
storms writes sharp Letter.

DkS MONIES, Ia, Sept. 15.-(Speclal.) |
President A, b. Storms of the state col !
lege, who resigned some time ago, has
departed for indianapolis, where he will
re-enter the ministry. Before going he
wrote sharp letter, copy Of which he
mailed to each of the members Of Governor
Carrolls new Board of Education which
letter will arouse considerable discussion
as to the new policies which have been
adopted. In this he said:
Upon retirement from the presidency of
the Iowa state college, after seven years
service in that position, 1 owe II to myself
and to the interests that have been in my
charge TO make brief statement to your
body.
For twenty-five years | have been a
close observer of higher educational work
and especially in institutions under state
support and control. l have been a col
lege trustee and a college executive and
have had good opportunity to judge con-
corning educational policies that have APP
proved themselves as sounul and what con-
stitutes efficiency Of administration.
So far as my observation has gone II
has been considered essential that thel
college executive should have opportunity
for full and frank understanding at all
now closing the fourteenth month Of at
tempted administration under the present
educational board. As you are, Of course
fully aware, l have had no opportunity to
meet the board in conference upon college
interests This fact scarcely needs COM
mentary and l shall not undertake to,
make any. When l had supposed and
hoped opportunity was to be given me to
me ct the board and strenuousy urged upon
its president that at least the faculty
committee OF the board meet at the college
with myself and the finance committee in
preliminary consideration of the annual
budget | was Informed that IL was the
policy of the board that the finance com
mittee should bring to the board whatever
required board action and that this method
was considered almost ideal. IL the aim
J lie N nlot thA Of COLL
from the board and to belttle his executive
function think the method almost
ideal"
/ do not intend in these observations to
cast unfavorable reflections upon 81. the
finance committee or to discuss the merit
of that committee, further than to note
that they are employees of the board and
that whatever goes through the commit
tee to the board of necessity reaches the
board secondhand unless the finance COM
mittee itself is to be considered as the eX-
ecutive representatives of the college.
Assuming that the finance committee is
composed Of men thoroughly experienced
I'm college administration and sufficiently
acquainted with the personnel and meth
DDS and needs of the more than thirty de-
partments of the college to represent their
interests adequately to the board, yet this
representation has heretofore and uni
fornly elsewhere does belong to the col
| lege executive,
who is the Executive.
| The dismissal and election of members
of the instruction staff without the knowl-
edge of the executive has seemed to me
remarkable.
The finance committee has with perfect
! frankness in my presence asked heads of
departments and instructors and employees
! to confer directly with the committee ABOUT
any and all interests. That the embar-
/ rassment resulting has not been more seri-
Gus than u has Is due to the good disci-
pine established, the personal good Will
| prevailing and to the fact that heretofore
| 1t has been customary to consider the pres
ident as the executive head o 1.-THE institu-
! / have in particular assumed without
| anxiety that when matters were before the
| board affecting the credit of the president
! of the college as an executive and espe-
| cially II reaching back to acts or policies
| preceding the time when the present board
/ came into power, opportunity would be
| given me for defense and explanation. In
! this seem to have been mistaken.
! While II is easy to leave the college with
whose interests / have been so closely con-
nected for seven years and whose growth
1 have watched with the greatest solcitude
ana qualification and most OF all, dirtcult
| to leave a faculty whose loyalty and spirit
of cooperation will always be a grateful
memory, am yet exceedingly glad TO be
relieved from a situation which has be-
come intolerable to m self respect.
I Standards Raised,
1t would be absurd to assume or claim
| that all had been accomplished that would
| have been desirable or that has been at
! iege Of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts may
not fear comparison with any similar insu-
| tuLOn IN the country IN ltS development.
Its standards have been raised and the
| scientific character of its work established
with thOroughness The college and the
stations at Ames command the respect OF
the world. Its equipment, especially in
buildings. has been greatly increased and
its annual support brought to point more
| nearly adequate for growing technical
and scientific institution.
| While all due credit should be given to
it is Of curse well understood that iegis-
latuTes are not usually anxious to Increase
appropriations. Such increased support has
been secured by most conscientious and per-
sistent advocacy before the legislative COM
mittees. We have Always dealt frankly
with the legislature. not exaggeratlnG the
asserted, but presenting them as they really
we're. In all these campaigns In the inter-
executive have frequently been outspoken
before legislative committees, back of them
has always been the board ,; OF trustees t
ination nothing has been attempted.
The Teaching staff.
| The teaching force has been very greatly
i strengthened. It has been the aim and
ambition OF my administrator In which
operation of deans and trustees, to secure
thoroughly competent instructors. Num-
bers OF students have been for the time
much less a matter of concern than quality
| OF work done by those who We're enrolled.
While the enrolment has shown gratifying
and nearly uniform increase from year to
year, we have been well aware that great
| temporary increase in attendance might
readily be secured by cheapening the quail
lily of work done and by lowering the en-
trance requirements instead OF raising them.
| came to this position at the call of the
state, through unanimous vote of the board
Of trustees The position was unsought by
me but accepted In good faith as an honor
and a high responsiDi lity. Entering upon
my work here with no obligations TO any
, person or party | have found IL possible
and altogether desirable to remainun-
trammeled IL has not been any part OF
my ambition TO build a personal constitu-
ency within or without the college but to
serve solely the interests of higher educa-
ton in the state.
Z / close my administration, notwithstand-
ing the unfaVorable estimate put upon II
BY some OF the board with a nigh degree
OF satisfaction. ] would not care to have
}! anything essential "eXpunged from the rec
ord +" Ii is written where all can read and
= II IeaTe IL without misgtving to the Judg-
ment OF those who are thoroughly ac-
quainted with 1t.
y er- Life Insurance Men Meet.
Fifty life insurance companies OF the
United States we're represented at meet
ing Of the American Life Insurance con
ventlon, which opened here today. Frank
Jackson of the Royal Union Life welcomed
the convention. W. l.. Moore OF Atlanta,
= Ga, responded
Death of W. E. Hamilton,