Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-27
PRINCETON SPLIT
IN HOT ROW OVER
new BUILDING SITE
Controversy Is Started Over
Proper Disposition of Gifts of
$l,275,0OO for School.

PRINCETON, Jan. 27.-With a strong
BODY OF the alumni of Princeton Uni
. versity on one side and the president
or the institution, DR.. Woodrow Wilson,
on the other. the question of the dispo-
sition OF gifts aggregating more than
sLzfo,oU0 for the graduate school has
aroused a controversy. Though almost
smoothed out by William Cooper Proc
tor, 1t is said hat some of the alumni
are still dissatisfied because the presi-
; dents home. Prospect, may be demol-
ished to Make room for a new building.
Mr.. Proctor, who CAV $500, 900 on the
condition that an equal amount be
raised by the alumni, has withdrawn
his complaint in the matter, which cen
tres around a bequest of more thai
$4,000, the %residuary estate of Mrs.
Josephine Thomson Swami, and the
placing of the buildings of the graduate
school provided for in these gifts.
Mrs. wann died in 1906 and when her
Will was probated the r~esiduary estate
was given to Princeton on the condition
that it be used for a building for the
graduate school. from which there
might be derived a revenue for the
foundation of fellowships. The other
condition in the benuest was that the
building, which MAS to be called the
John X. Thomson Graduates College,"
in memeroy of her first husband, be
erected on the campus
When the university received the be-
quest it was decided that the best loca-
ton for the new building would be the
present site of the house occupied by
the president. This project would prob
ably have been carried out had it not
been for the subsequent action of Mr..
Proctor and the alumni
Mr.. Proctor gave $500. 600 to the grad
uate schools for a building and endow-
nlent found, on condition that the
alumni raise another $780, 900. This
amount was to be raised by May, 1910,
n already pledges to that amount
have been =iven.
Alter a careful inspection of possible
sites for the building to be erected with
Mr.. Proctor's money he decided that d
remote part of the university grounds
used as a golf course would be suitable.
The situation is summed up in an ex-
tract from DIR. Wilson's report to the
trustees, which says in part:
THE acceptance of this generous gift
was embarrassed by obligations which
the board had Undertaken in accepting
the recent bequest OF Mrs. Josephine
Thomson Swami.
M Dwells on Legal Point.
The difficulties are these; Mrs.
Swann's win directs that the building
for which her bequest was meant to
provide shall be erected upon the
grounds of the said university and
I IL ,,n l.. nA,,f "a orn 11a a ffo,,.,,aD ~ a.,ifa-
ion among the legal advisers of the
board as TO the legality of placing it up
on a site SO distinctly separated from
the grounds upon which the present
buildings of the university stand as the
present golf links are, the site selected
By Mr.. Proctor as the site of his prefer
enCe.
@Mr. Proctor contributes his great
gift for the purpose of promoting a
plan for providing a place of graduate
residence which shall be set apart ex-
tlusively for graduate students, while
Mrs. Swann's will explicitly directs that
the rooms in the John r. Thomson Col
lege are to be rented at the best price
they will command, to graduate. senior
ant junior students of the university.
Mrs. SWann's gift is made for the pur-
pose Oh pIouuCllS IL Su1ilCltHl icNtilut
from the rental Of rooms to provide for
the maintenance of a number of fell
luwships, and it is very doubtful
whether an building set apart for the
exclusive occupancy of graduate stu
dents could be administered upen an
income bearing basis"
A legal point is involved in the ques-
ton Of what constitutes the campus"
and in the issue of the Princeton
Alumni Weekly, which appears today,
there are several opinions of lawyers,
the consensus being that any part of
the land owned by a university for edu-
cational purposes is the campus.
Now that Mr.. Proctor has withdrawn
his objections and it has been decided
that Mrs. SWANS memorial building
could be placed on the Prospect site,
the desire on the part of the alumni to
have things just as they were in the
good cd days has given the matter a
new aspect.
The entire undergraduate body, as
well as the alumni, especially those in
New York, is deeply interested in the
next ,move in the dispute, and feeling
among the alumni has been worked
10 a high pitch by the attitude which
DIR. Wilson has taken.
1.-THE matter Is now up to the people
who want to put a new building on
Prospect" said n IF they in-I