The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-07-02
POWERS ISSUES
CARD TO PUBLIC
Chancellor Thankful for Conf
dence Of FeIIOwmen as Ex-
pressed in Investigation.


State University was unanimously
reelected by the State College board
of trustees on Monday, week after
they exonerated him from all blame
in connection with charges Of inn
morality brought against him by
Professor r. w. Rogers.
The following letter has been is
sued by the Chancellor
To the People of Mississippi
When the papers carried the news
that charges rejecting upon my char
acter were to be made by Universi-
ty Professor, promised to answer
every charge that might be made. l
have kept this promise in letter and
in spirit.
went into the school-room when
lad of eighteen years and walked
among children, seeking to teach and
inspire them to become high-minded,
Christian men and women. At the
age of thirty-eight years, after TWEEN
ty years of service as teacher in
the public schools, / was promo ted
to the office of State Superintendent
of Public Education, where I had the
honor and privilege Of administering
the educational affairs of the State
over period Of nearly eight years.
Seven years ago came to the exalt d
position now occupy. If there had
been, through all these years, thirty
four in number, breath of suspici'
against my character as a man,
would never have been called to the
responsible positions I have filed.
am fifty-two years of age. My
life has been an open book to my
fellow-citizens. After l had rea he'd
this ripe age, University Professor,
R. w. Rogers, sought as you have
seen, to ruin my career and blast my
reputation. On more than one occa-
sion, compromise was attempted to
keep any charges against me from
being made public and to hush them
up. scorned these efforts. The
venerable University of Mississippi,
seeker after the highest ideals, ex-
ponent of all that is clean and noble,
was being slandered through it's
head. Its good name, linked with my
own, was at stake. There was only
one way to answer this slander and
remove this stain, and that was to
submit to the ordeal through which
I have passed.
In the Hall of Representatives, in
the Capital City, before the full
membership of the Board of Trustees
of the University and Colleges and
any citizens who might care to hear
the evidence, with full opportunity
given this Professor to press his
charges, answered fully and COM
pletely every charge made. At no
time during the trying ordeal was l
cast down. Cheerfully I submitted
to this test Of my character. Con-
scious Of the rectitude of my conduct
through the many years of my SER
vice to you, I had from the begin
ming not the slightest doubt Of the
result. / knew just God would not
permit the efforts to ruin me to sue
ceed. The stain has been removed
from the proud escutcheon of the
University. My name is as free from
taint as it was before the foul cal
umny was heaped upon it. Gods
hand has guided, sustained, and com
forted me through it all.
have an abiding faith in all fair
minded, justice-loving Mississippians
that my work in the future will not
be impeded or circumscribed because,
willingly and even cheerfully in the
sight of God and man, 1 met the SUI
preme test of my fitness for the high
position / hold.
To the scores of friends who at
tended the hearing and to those who
have sent me messages of comfort
and good cheer, I tender the pro-
found gratitude of my family and
myself.
shall continue in the future as
in the past to walk among you, seek
ing to do my full part to promote,
through my work as an educator,
the welfare of our great state.
Very respectfully and gratefully
yours,
]. N. POWERS.
University, Miss, June 2S, 1921.