Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-08
EXPLAIN
WITHDRAWAL OF
GIFT TO PRINCETON
W. G. Procter's Action Due to
Fear Good He Desired Would
Not Be Accomplished.

ffSlNCElON Gu. o.-AHe Will
drawal of the half-million dollar gift by
William G.. Proctor. 'Ss, for the Grad
uate College of Princeton University
occasioned the issuance OF a state
ment by Moses Taylor Pyne,
chairman of the graduate school COM
mittee of the board of trustees, and a
letter written by Mr.. Proctor to Thomas
d. Jones, of the board of trustees,
chairman Of the committee which was
to consult with him and report on
Thursday his wishes. Mr.. Procter's let
ter states his reasons for withdrawal
of the gift. A number of disclosures
are made in the statements of both Mr..
Pyne and MI. Proctor.
Mr.. Pyne's statement follows: Seven
years ago a plan for a Graduate Col
lege was proposed and approved by the
trustees committee on the Graduate
School and published under the au-
thority of President Wilson. This state
ment of the plan has been repeatedly
reaffirmed by the president and was
never questioned until Mr.. Procter's
gift mad been accepted last October.
There has been no other plan for a
Graduate College ever brought before
the board and there is none now. Mr..
Proctor, an alumnus of Princeton,
being DESTROYS of assisting in the de-
velopment OF the university. became
interested in this project. On his own
initiative and unsolicited. he made this
magnificent offer of half a million dol
lars to assist in carrying out this
scheme of a Graduate College, so
warmly advocated by President Wilson.
He made only two conditions, one that
the building shall be placed where they
will have room to expand and where
the studious life of the college shall
not be subject to undergraduate dis
| fractions. The other condition was that
ar ,ther half. million dollars shall be
raised for the Graduate College.
1.-THE first of these conditions was
practically accepted by he trustees at
their meeting last October by q con-
| siderable majority. The second con :
dition has been practically complied
with, there remaining less than $4,000
of the remaining 100000 to be raised at
the present time. He has made no
other conditions and no interference or
suggestion of any kind with regard to
the ideals, administration, construc-
ton or personnel of the Graduate Col
lege except that he has asked the priv
ilege OF erecting one building as a
memorial to his parents. Such a
building would cost not over $4,000 at
the most. 1t is safe Il say that at
least s750,oO0 Of this 81, 000,O 900 would
have been devoted to endowment.
When it was proposed to him by the
president that he make certain radical
.I...--- H.. a.. - Ill. .,ff nls1a,tot
against his Judgment, with great gem
erosity and unselfishness he reluctantly
acceded TO this request.
From the start his generosity has
met with such an extraordinary recep-
lion. his, motives have been so miscon-
strued. has. patience has been so sorely
tried, that self-respect has at last de
manded the withdrawal of his princely
gift. Thus at least 5000, 900 has been
lost to Princeton by the treatment he
has received"
The letter written by Mr.. Proctor to
Thomas d. Jones, chairman Of the
trustees committee appointed to re-
port to the committee on Thursday of
this week., what Mr.. Proctor wishes in
the matter were, has been made public.
1t says: = .44..
Il beg to- acknowledge the receipt of
the letter Of the special committee of
five relating to the Graduate School
under date of January rs, asking ms a
number of questions.
Answering the questions as to loca-
tion. the Graduate School should, in
my Judgment, be placed where it will
have room to expand and where its
studious life will not be subject to in
terruptions by undergraduates. AL
though the golf links fit these views,
should an equally good site be sug-
gested l should be willing to con-
slider 1t.
The remaining questions involve
ideals, administration and construc-
ton of the Graduate College, and the
solution of the problems they raise are
so clearly and exclusively in the prov
ince and duty of your board that re-
plies from me might seem like an at
tempt to dictate.
THE ideals expressed in the original
proposal for a graduate college seem
to bear the authority of the university,
and my gift was meant to aid that
proposition. The recent proposal to me
of President. Wilson to use the Swan
bequest in separate construction also
seemed authoritative, and l accepted
that proposition as in aid of the gen.
eral purpose. Your letter indicates to
me. however, that the authorities are
not yet clear as t the ideas of the
college or the use of the Swan be-
quest.
THE reception of my offer by the
president and his associates has not
been such as to promise the usefulness
which I had hoped to cur by my
proposed gift, and / therefore beg
leave to withdraw 1t.
"As | feel that in justice to myself
my position should be known to my
fellow alumni, | am sending a copy Of
this letter to the Princeton Alumni
Weekly, Yours very truly.
civilian COOPER PROCTOR
The Swan bequest mentioned by Mr..
Proctor still stands for the use of the
college. II was $27b, 900 when Mrs.
Swan died, but the securities are of
unusual value, and since that time 1t
has increased to about s3S0,00O.
i ~a1s F.fr