The log cabin Democrat., 1911-03-20
RIVERS OF
 CENTRAL RESIGNS
DECLINES HIS REFLECTION
HEAD OF BAPTIST COLLEGE TO RETIRE AFTER TEN YEARS
 CONTINUOUS SERVICE.

y ident of Central Baptist college, Pres ident w. w. Rivers announced today that he would not accept the re-elec- tion to that position recently tender ed him by the board of trustees and | would retire at the end of the pres ent session. President Rivers de clines to make public his reasons for his resignation, which he states are of private nature, further than to state that he feels that he cannot CO., operate with the board in certain pol icies they have outlined. President Rivers says he expects to continue in educational work, but that he will probably not make Conway his home after this year, his departure from the city being, he states, one of the keenest regrets he feels in resigning the presidency.
 J. Frank Jones of this city, secre- tary of the board of trustees, said this afternoon that President Rivers resignation would not be acted upon by the board for some time, as no meeting for the purpose has been call ed. The Central college executive committee of the Ouachita- Central board. which is composed of Rev. J. ]. Hurt, Col. G. w. Bruce and J. Frank Jones of Conway, Rev. F. F. Gibson and John Ayres of Fort Smith, was empowered by the full board sev- eral weeks ago to select a successor 10 President Rivers, whose second five-year term expires in June. It was this committee that reelected President Rivers, and Mr. Jones states that the selection of success sor will probably be in the hands of the same committee, should President Rivers resignation be accepted.
 President Rivers announces his re- tirement from Central in the follow ing communication to the Log Cabin Democrat:
 Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 May I have just a word to explain to my friends and the friends of Cen tral college my action in regard to leaving the school?
 At the meeting of the board in Lit tie Rock last January l presented the following facts to them which may be of interest to the public:
 "The present session closes my tenth year as president of Central college and it also closes my contract with you.
 "I desire at this time to review briefly the history of the work and to call your attention to few facts con nected with the school.
 ATTENDANCE.
 "The past ten years the growth in enrolment has been slow, but regu- lN,f I hn rollment was l06. Each year, with possibly one exception, has seen an increase of from three to four over the preceding year. The last year saw al increase of ten over the pre- vious year. The enrolment for the present year is 134 (now has reach ed 145) against a total of 149 for the whole of last year. This would indi cate a slight increase over last year.
 Our trouble has been an inability to reach the people. We tried joint advertising with Ouachita, which was disastrous to Central. The school still suffers from the effects of that eXpe- riment. Being a school for girls oniy, our student body cannot be drawn up- on for summer canvassers. The same difficulty is experienced in regard to the faculty, which has for the most part teen necessarily composed Of women. These two sources are prac- tically the only two from which to draw efficient canvassers for school. The next best medium through which to reach the people is the ministry. The young ministers, who are most active in this work, naturally lean dc tbai alma 1afap of competition between Central and Ouachita-and unfortunately that condition prevails.
 "On account of our limited means have not always spent as much money in advertising as some others. I may have been too conservative, but oovo~ felt like going in debt on this account.
 STANDARD OF WORK.
 "I believe that the greatest work college like our has to do cannot be expressed in Carnegie units Char acter is above every curriculum. However, we have striven to raise our course of study year by year as de mands were made upon us by the pro- gress of the times as far as our equip ment and limited means would allow. While we do not claim to have reach ed the fourteen-unit~s standard, we are doing the work done by the better class of schools for women and CO., educational colleges in the south.
 "In the conservatory work we have raised our standards till 1 am sure no school in the state surpasses us. l have felt that this is pre-eminently the work expected of Central. My first year three teachers cared for the students in the entire music depart ment, and it now requires four. The art required half the time of teach CT it now keeps busy. The expression is in the same condition. All the de- partments are in good condition.
 IMPROVEMENTS.
 "When we came to Central we