The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-21

State commissioner of education
and the North Central Association.
The dream of establishing a great
urban university in indianapolis
has been shattered, DR.. Athearn
declares in his report, quoting from
recent description of ancient
Florence.
1T will sire generation after gen.
Grafton of thinkers-leaders who
will lift the masses to the capacity
of constructive participation in that
elevated world order of which our
prophets dream"
Such was my dream for Butler
university and Indianapolis, says
DR.. Athearn in his report, when lhy
administration was abruptly closed
by an edict from the Butler uni
versity board of directors on the
evening OF Oct. 90"
Prefaced by Letter
DR.. Athearn's report is prefaced
by letter addressed to Hilton U.
Brown, president, board of directors,
Butler university.
Herewith 1 am handing you re-
port covering the period of my pres
idency of Butler university" reads
DR.. Athearn's letter, lin harmony
with the provision of the bylaws Of
Il am submitting this report also
to the national educational stand
ardizing agencies"
Because of the wide publicity
given to my dismissal and of the
failure of the board of directors of
Butler university to respond to my
request for a statement of the
reasons for my dismissal and of its
earlier failure to take any action
upon my letter of last August,
which is mentioned in this report,
and, furthermore, because I have
reason to believe that the board
would be disposed to withhold
from the constituency of the uni
versity any report which / might
now present to it, 1 deem it to be
in the interest of Butler university
and the cause of education in gen.
eral that this report should be given
general publicity"
Divided Into Eight Chapters
Dr. Athearns report is divided
into eight chapters in which the
following points regarding the uni
versity are discussed in detail:
l. Building blueprint for an ur-
ban university
. AN ad,oo t;OvooI vDoI;o,, for =
period of depression.
3. Academic pro b lens and
achievements.
4. University administration.
5. Moral and religious problems.
6. The administration Of univer-
sity finances.
7. The crisis of Oct. %. 1888.
8. "A concluding statement"
Traces Every Step
Tracing every step of his activ-
tiles at Butler from the time he re-
ceived a cablegram at Edinburg,
Scotland, on July 9, 1881, notifying
him of his election to the presidency
Of the university, Dr. Athearn, tells,
in detail, of his life at the university
and the problems which ne en-
countered there.
From more than two years Of
intimate contacts with the problems
Of Butler university, 1 am convinced
that there can besno successful edu-
cational administration of this in
StitutiOn until the following steps
are taken" says DR.. Athearn in
conclusion.
81 The charter and bylaws must
be thoroughly revised, modernized
and brought into harmony with
modern educational ideals and prac-
tees.
%. The personnel of the board
Of directors must be changed.
Members of the board must be de-
MED the right to hold full-time
salaried positions, where they define
their duties, fix their salaries and
vote to re-elect themselves. Only
those persons should sit on the
board Of directors who find them
selves in full sympathy with the re-
vised charter and bylaws.
g. The organization and admin
istration Of the finances of the uni
versity must be completely recon-
structed in harmony with sound
business principals and approved
educational policies.
a. The debts of the university
must be refunded. In floating its
athletic program it mortgaged its
educational resources. 1t will be i'm
possible for the institution to meet
its present financial obligations dur
ing the next few years without re-
ducing its interest and extending
the term of payment of principal
unless large and unexpected dona- :.
tons are made in the near future 81