Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1919-05-29
course in accepting resignation OF ~,
commissioner. Tue
The Two Department Deans

commissioner.
The Two Department Deans
Our investigation showed that il ind
been the feeling Of the ma ority Of tho
board for some time prior to the cnI.
mination OF the troubles above referrod
to. that it might be wise not m 90,
firm the disappointment of the Dean of
! the Law school. 1t seems thar no ~ "
considered by the board as unsatisfac
tory both as teacher and administrot".
Of the department; Furthermore he
was violently antagonistic to tba an
ton of the board in accepting the roe
ignatiOn Of President Brannon and r,'o
so indiscreet and unwise In the tbin"S
which he said and did at this iunctl,ss
that 1t clearly appears that the hoorS
acted wisely in letting him 90.
The Dean of Forestry on the otbos
hand, seems to have been a comnaton.
instructor and administrators, althongh
one or two members of the board hed
been unfavorable toward him for SOM
time. He was a strong supporter ot
President BrannOn, but that in itseIf
should not necessarily have caused bis
dismissal. AS to another matter con
necteds with his scheme for wood die
tillation the committee has had no on
portunity to hear both sides of tbo
question and accordingly cannot nass
Intelligent judgment. Whether II was
necessary or just TO reject his rom
Dointment the committee cannot saw
Summary.
Beyond question in the opinion of tbo
able, harmonious and nm.
selfish service was rendered to Idaho
education by commissioner Sisson and
President Brannon. The plans ~
these men and of the Board of Edu.
rGtion were impeded by the Governors
policy Of reducing educational ammo.
Driations, policy which it is for the
people Of the state, and not for tbis
committee to Judge The resident was
lighter by nature, and engaged in
what amounted to public controversy
With the governor, in which he was
Tot over dignified. Added to this So
allied political activity there develon.
d locally confusion of circumstances
md factions. To untangle this is prob.
ably hopeless certainly so for body
With the limited facilities Of this com.
nittee Opposed to the president were
ther strong personalities. Further
more unnecessary suspicious arose and
pparently indiscretions were commit.
d on both sides. Parties outside of
he university it appears, joined with
heir friends within; this gave rise To
lie theory on the side Of President
'rannon that there existed a quasi.
onspiracy to control the teaching of
he university. The evidence procur.
bic did not bear out this theory. The
lash OF personalities over matters of
I or mi fro
ifferences In points Of view seem suf
cient to account for the rise Of the
ouble
As has been indicated earlier in the
sport, the whole sequence of circum
ances which has been outlined, cul
mated in a situation where the com
issioner, DIR. Sisson and the board
und themselves working at cross DUR
,ses. The commissioner apparently
,lieved that it would be impossible to
rive at common understanding and
effective cooperation with the board
I'd therefore resigned. The board sens
6 the finality Of the commissioners
ewpoint, deemed it best to accept
S resignation.
The committee believes that. taking
nditions as they were at the time
the resignation of DIR. BrannOn and
: Sisson, the board Of education acted
sely in accepting their designations
lie reasonable query arises whether
not review by the board Of the
port by its committee, if one was
lde, of the activities of the opposing
ments involved in the discord should
have been held with a view Of I'M
nding all the snarls developed by
: situation. This question was nev.
discussed by the board so far as the
nmittee can learn.
rs to the board OF education itself
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