The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-11
Otherwise Classification to Be Lowered-Had Rather
 Move Or Close
DENNY AND STEVENS
 ARE AGREED ON THIS
Position of President and Trustee Made Clear In Letters-Birming- ham and Mobile to Fight It
 Out In Legislature

The position of the president of the University of Alabama, and that of at least one member of the board of trus- tees of that institution, in regard to the medical department operated in Mobile. is that unless tine medical college has con trol of an adequate hospital 1t cannot be nominated Class A institution, and that rather than conduct medical college of lower classification 1t should be trans ferred to some other city or closed down.
 Excerpts from letters written by Presi- dent Denny to Dean Bondurant, and the copy of letter written by Trustee Thomas M. Stevens of Mobile to the dean, are available. While it has always been believed that in the event ofethe trans ference of the medical department, 1t would be located in Birmingham, it is sig nificant that in one of his letters pr. Denny mentions Tuscaloosa as possibly available place. It is generally believed that irrespective of the action of the municipal authorities of Mobile regarding the contention of the university that it should be given control of the city hos pjtal of that place, it is considered prob able that the battle for the department of medicine will be waged between Bir- bingham and Mobile in the next regular session of the legislature.
 The following excerpt from letter writ ten by Dr. Denny to Dean Bondurant sets out the demands of the university:
 Dr. Denny's Requirements
 ''i The president of the University of Alabama to be empowered to name the visiting staff and assistants, the internes and the pharmacist, and to prescribe their duties.
 '2. The school of medicine to be given the right to use the wards and the facli- ties of the hospital in the teaching of medicine with the exclusive right to place such restrictions upon the the use of theI hospital by the faculty and the students of the school it may deem proper and expedient
 a. All educational work in the hospital to be done in the name of and under the auspices of the University of Alabama, e. g.. instruction in the Nurses Training school shall be given by teachers appoint ed by the president of the University of Alabama-the training school to be con ducted with the cooperation of the Sis ters of Charity.
 A. More money to be allowed the sisters for the operation of the hos
 
 for patients without further delay.
 5. The ultimate and exclusive au- thority of the University of Alabama in the medical service of the hospital to be definitely established and guar anteed--it being clearly evident that the university cannot properly accept any other relationship to the hospital.
 These matters seem to me funda- mental. There can be no compromise in dealing with them. The rights and privileges which l have outlined are essential to the successful conduct of the school of medicine in Mobile.
 The Second Letter
 The following letter from pr. Denny to the dean throws still other light on the situation:
 My position is, as l have stated to you, very clear. I ir favor of re- taining the school of medicine in the city of Mobile so long as it can be. main- tained as Class A school. | do not believe that the standa rdizlns educational agencies will continue to retain .he school of medicine in Class A unless the hos pital is satisfactory.
 When the school of inedicinesis taken out of Class A, and reduced to a lower class, l am in favor of ,lasing the school | of medicpe in Mobile. and offering d 1 two-year course in Tuscaloosa, pending | the time when the University of Alabama | is able to-nlaintain d full four year Class | A school of medicine. am in favor of | such amendment to our present statutes i as will leave the whore matter in the |, hands of the board of trustees of the Uni | Nersity Of Alabama. Concerning this | phase of the matter l wrote you sometime | ago. The present situation shows clearly | that, so long as tie hands of the trus- | tees are tied by existing laws, it is dif- ! fieult to deal with the local authorities | who evidently feel that they are pro- tected by the statutes, md can take such | action as they may desire to take, re- | gardless of the effect upon the school of | medicine This situation makes evident | the wisdom of revising the statutes in | such way as will enable the trustees to | take such action as will guarantee the teaching of medicine in Alabama under the right conditions
 Trustee Stevens Statement
 The following is copy of a letter written Dean Bondurant by Thomas M. Stevens of Mobile. one of the trustees of the university:
 do not hesitate to say that if the school of medicine at Mobile be so ham, pered as to cause it to be removed iron, Class A, l will strongly advocate its'<lis- continuance and re-establishment else where, in the event that it be found that Class A school can be conducted else i where. If no such opportunity offers , then l will urge that Alabama cease all efforts to furnish medical educational fa- cilities.
 While l hold no commission to speak for any other trustee. yet feel morally certain that no member of the board will consent to. or countenance, the oper- l ation of any department of the university as second class school To my mind the issue is whether or not the medical school at Mobile shall be continued and If the commissioners are determined that 1t IS best that the wishes of the sisters be complied with, rather than that the school be retained then there is noth- ing to do but let it go that way-you and ] win know that we have done our best