The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1919-05-29


investigate the tangle surrounding the
Idaho state university, and the state
educational system, In 1917, recently
was made public In Boise. The report
praises Hon Evan Evans of Grange
vile, chairman of the state board of
education, for his integrity and dis
interested service to the state as chair
man of the board.
The report follows:
Early in the year of 1917, trouble,
which had been brewing in the educa-
tional system Of the state, but especial
ly at the state university of Idaho,
eliminated in the acceptance of the res
ignations of DR.. Brannon, the president
of the university, the Deans OF Law
and Forestry departments, and finally
of DR.. Sisson, the commissioner of edu-
cation together with the contemporary
eOus withdrawal of Walter S. Bruce
one of the Oldest members of the board
There was q good deal of feeling on
the part of many citizens that some
thing within the administration was
radically wrong. There had been
charges and counter charges Of the use
of the education institutions of the
state for political purposes
Desiring to get light on the subject
from an unbiased source, the Congress
of Mothers of the State of Idaho asked
"A group of citizens to serve as an in
vestigation committee and If possible
ascertain what the real facts were.
Those who served on this committee
were Mrs. l.. b. Greene, of Mountain
Home; i. II. Rockwell of Bellevue
i. w. Ensign, Allen b. Eaton and Geo
III. Curtis, all of Boise. The committee
as 1t could, devoting much time and
careful study to the matter. The is
sues We're found to be rather complex
and 1t was by no means easy to get a
true and fair understanding Of them.
The President of the State University
The committee found that there had
been considerable local trouble for
some time at the State university, two
opposing factions having been set in
motion, the one strongly supporting the
President, the other in opposition to
him. The president felt that undue
effort was being made by certain groups
and influences to control the policies for
which he was personally responsible
He refused TO accept dictation. and ap-
parently was inclined at times to be
impatient of criticisms and suggestions
We found the situation. at Moscow to
he a trying one and believed that the
difficulties were not all localized there
Straightforward, hard-hitting and
forceful by nature, the president was
annoyed and disturbed and indignant
at what he thought to he lack of
sympathy with the higher educational
work of the state on the part of the
Governor, who, he thought was DELHI
erately causing annoyances and oh.
AAsa rIA -. h. ....f To. y II
work. There was good deal of evil
dence that the president had reason
for this feeling although il proved diff
ficult to determine just how overt
this opposition and antagonsm had
been and to what length it had gone
There did seem to be however, very
clear evidence that the governor had
made no secret of his antagonism to-
ward the Agricultural Extension work
and Its director, thus impairing what
the president regarded as n most i'm
poitant part of his own work for the
state; in consequence the director re-
signed about this time to accept sim
liar position with the State of Oregon
Whatever the provocations might have
been, 1t appears the president Brannon
made some mistakes. among them was
that of expressing sentiments which
could easily be interpreted as showing
his sympathy with, and wish for the
election in November. 1916 of the op-
posing party candidates Taken all In
all the situation became such that Il
seemed the part of wisdom to accent
the resignation of the president in
which action DIR. SESSION. the commits.
sioner Of Education, definitely concurr
ed.
The Commissioner of Education. !.
The commissioner of EDUCATION under
our new educational system was the
expert and the advisor of lay board
OF education. Much valuable work had
been done in the way of unifying and
90 ordinating the work of the various
institutions. and in blocking out a large
ana constructive plan for future devel-
opment. aud there seems to have been
large measure of effective harmony
between the board and the commission
or. Later. however. the commissioner
was put In a difficult position ON ac-
count of trouble at the state university
where he had given his full support
TO the president and his policies In
this connection some Misunderstanding
inevitably had arisen between the com
missioner and the hoard. Also at this
time the commissioner had decided up-
on change Of policy with relation to
sDecial committees of the board for
the several state institutions. The
bcf'''i did not look with favor upon
this change. and the commissioner felt