The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-07-15
LETTER FROM PROF. ELLIOTT.
Missoula, Mont, July 10, 1915.
noor Mr. T0hrSou.


In as much as there have been
many distorted reports concerning
the condition of affairs at the Uni
versity of Montana published in the
big allies of the state during the
last month, it is my desire to place
the matter fairly before the citizens
of Montana, who have access to the
columns of The Enterprise. In
making the statements it is my pur-
/ pose to be absolutely fair to all con-
cerned. There has been plenty OF
opportunity to learn conditions at
first hand and the report will be
rather accurate.
The purpose of the university is
twofold. First it is to give an OPP
portunity to the young men and
women of the state the chance to
secure some sort of education above
the high school. Second, it is to
make investigations in all lines OF
thought, such as economics, poll
tics, history, literature, science and
education, and apply the findings to
the needs of the state. These are
the purposes of the several educa-
tional institutions which the state
of Montana has founded in Miss
oula, Bozeman, Butte and Dillon.
They are managed by the board
which is appointed by the Governor.
who is also a member of the board.
Heretofore the four institutions
have had president at the head of
each institution. We have all heard
of the rivalry, or, better, the enmity
that has existed between the diff
ferent schools. We are aware OF
the fact that such spirit is ;.jnri-
Gus to the educational status of the
state. Because of the control which
the politicians of Montana have en-
joyed over the four bodied universi-
ty; because of the rivalry; because
of the waste of funds in supporting
separate schools the movement for
consolidation was inaugurated and
carried on.
It is not my purpose to review
the consolidation fight, nor to dis
cuss the pros and cons of such an
action on the part of the state as
the consolidating of the university
would require. 1t is fact, that the
prime moving spirit was DR.. E. B.
Craighead, who for the last three
years has been at the head of the
division of the university, which
is located in Missoula, and which Is
known as the University of Montana
The labors of DR.. Craigheal were
with the twofold purpose of state
university in mind. It seems that
in trying to bring about CONSOLE
dation he incurred the enmity of
certain forces in the state.
Also in administering the affairs
of the University he made the
awful error of submitting the job
of printing certain University circu-
lars to bid. The work had been
done previously by The Muscular.
AS a result of the bid the work
went to another Missoula printing
establishment This did not please
the editor of the Missoulian, who is
no less a man than Ex-senator JOS
gentleman is closely relate in bus
mess way with one J. H. T. Ryman,
member of the local board Of the
state university. According to his
own statement Mr.. Dixon is an in
innate friend of the men who ap-
pear to control ,destinies of
Montana through the greatest COR
poration of which we may boast.
I1c lS dlSO d 1Ilcllu VI O1H v, 0LcW"
art. It may be possible that these
relations had no ehect upon the &C
ton which the state board took at
Helena during the early part of
June. 1t may be possible that the
above named gentlemen were sim
cere in their actions if they were
instrumental in removing DR..
Craighead without previous notice.
The fact remains that he was sum-
marily dismissed along with three
other faculty members, who also
had received no warning of the i'm
pending disaster.
This dismissal was unfair. It did
not show to the parties dismissed
as much courtesy as the school
boards of the state must show to
teachers in the elementary schools.
1t left some of them in an embar-
RAISING position as the manner of
discharge prevents them from Sc
curing positions in other schools. In
one case, that of DR.. Craighead, The
victim is left almost penniless, be-
cause he sacrificed his own resour-
ces for the sake of what he thought
the best thing for Montana. He
sold property to help to carry on the
fight for consolidation. It may be
that he was confident of success and
expected to be at the head of the
consolidated school, but it does not
look possible. And if he did 1t