Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-11-29
WHO'S THE
PRESIDENT
Of N.D.A.C.?
BOARD OF TRUSTEES HOPE
LEsSLY SPLIT UP OVER
QUESTION.
THREE, nov, HAVE RESIGNED
Ladd Elected as Head and Worst
as President Emeritus; Ac-
tion Rescinded

Fargo, Nov 2S.-ls it President
Ladd or President Worst at the Ag
ricultural college
Some Of the parties concerned
think it is a double-header; while 9th.
ers are confident that it is Ladd; still
others maintain that it is Worst.
One thing is certain: Clark Kelley,
G. II. Nugent and George H Hollistel
have resigned, and their resignation
is accompanied by a statement which
sizzles They consider that Mr.. Ladd
is the real president of the institu-
ton. and that the meeting Of four
trustees who rescinded the action Of
the entire board was really Illegal al
though they Say nothing of raising
that issue. They seem to have quit.
Mr.. Nugent has served for six
years, Mr.. Kelly for seven and one
half years, and Mr.. Hollister for the
same length of time, all having been
originally appointed by Governor
Burke. ~
That Professor +. e. Ladd of the
uCpul was CiCSLCu
president of the Agricultural college
by the unanimous choice of the board
of trustees at a meeting held week
ago last Tuesday, was the sensational
revelation made yesterday in state
ment issued by Geo ii. Hollister,
Clark Kelly and G. +. Nugent, mem
bers Of the Board who yesterday filed
their designations with Governor l.. B.
Hanna. President Worst was retired
with the honorary title of president
emeritus. Several days later, four
members Of the board met and re.
scinded their former action in toto.
AS a result it is declared, conditions
at hasfafHtz school are somewhat up
in the air as far as the management
Of the institution. is concerned
Rumors Started Year Ago.
Rumors Of discord and threatened
disruption at the farm school which
eliminated yesterday in the resigna-
tion OF three members Of the board
began to float around the city and
state at the time Of the Grain Grow
ers convention in Fargo last January.
At the closing session of this gather
ing the conyention resolutions were
adopted endorsing President Worst
for United States senator from North
Dakota. 1t was charged at this time
that Big Business was endeavoring
10 get control of the college and that
this endorsement was one Of the at
tempts to get rid of President Worst
and indirectly Professor Ladd.
Article Published.
Later on, in the spring and early
summer, the charges took more def
mite form and it was openly charg-
ed that Worst and Ladd were to be
deposed from the college in order to
give way for men who it was claimed,
would be more amenable to big Bus
iness." Several publications in the
city then began to print sensational
stories about alleged conditions at the
Agricultural college and the expert
ment station, laying special stress on
the merger of the Better Farming as
sociation with the station.
Start Probe.
The publication Of these stories led
to an investigation by committee
appointed by the board to ascertain
the source of them ALL The report
OF this committee is contained in the
statement issued by the members of
the board who resigned yesterday. In
this report President Worst is charg-
ed with being ths instigator of these
newspaper reports. The statement
given by the resigning members yes
terday follows:
The Statement.
I'VE have been for several years
trustees of the a. c., and the enor-
nous amount Of money used there has
always appalled, us, and many times
have we wondered if it was wise; if
the results We're all that could be rea-
sonably expected, and what could be
done to improve things.
Among the hundred and one feat
ures attempted and adopted was this:
About five years ago it was agreed by
all concerned that the offices of pres
ident of the college and director of
the station should be separated, Pres
ident Worst having held both offices
for fifteen years. This was agreed to
by Mr.. Worst, and a Search was be-
gun to find a suitable director of the
station. Many names were under dis.
cussion, among the "A. c. faculty as
well as that Of other similar institu-
tions. Finally attracted by the work
of the Better Farming association, ,un-
der Thomas Cooper, we conceived the
idea of attempting to take over that
work under the experiment station,
and make Mr. Cooper the director.
.rhe idea was submitted to President
Worst, who gave it his unqualified
approval, not only the taking the
work, but the selection of Mr.. Cooper
as director, who he declared was the
best man for the place we could hope
to find, consequently in the summer
of 1913 such action was adopted, and
in October, 1913, Mr.. Cooper was
elected director of the station, and in