Year: 1879

A Very Wise Board Which Was Bound tC
Defeat Prof. Phelps.


Hon. Thomas Simpson, president of the
Normal Board, was interviewed by repor
ter of the Winona Republican on his return
home and gives the following inside view OF
| the action of the board:


Reporter-There are many who had un.
derstood that you were going to vote fol
Prof. Phelps, and were consequently sur.
prlsed at the result, which showed not sin
gle vote for him.


Mr.. Simpson-The friends of Prof. Phelps
can have no ground of complaint that I did
not cast my vote for him, when they know
all the circumstances of the case-which
they have right to know-and from which
it will appear that my vote would have
done no good, and yet might place me in
such an attitude with my associates
in the board as to embarrass me in securing
for the position the next best candidate.
While I have from the first conceded that it
was my duty to defer to the almost unani-
nous wish of this city to place Prof. Phelps
again at the head of an institution which be
had created and made second to none in the
country in power and reputation, still, when
[ saw that this project was hopeless had a
responsibility to the institution to meet
which was mora than casting an empty vote
for Prof. Phelps, however unsatisfactory it
might have been to myself, or to Prof.
Phelps, or his friends, to have done SO.


Reporter you any objections to
stating some of the facts and circumstances
which you allude to? -


Mr.. Simpson-Not the least. The law
makes it the duty of the Normal board to
elect the principals and teachers of the
schools. However, the practice has been in
the electlo i of principal to defer almost en-
tirely to the wishes of the resident director,
uuless he presented a candidate obnoxious
to the rest of the board. This has been the
rule. Soon after the annual meeting, at
which Prof. NJ -rey resigned, believing Prof.
Phelps was the choice of the community
for the vacancy in the State institution
here, and knowing how dependent for
its very life and success such an insti-
tion is upon the local moral sup
port and sympathy, I wrote to each member
Of the board with the exception OF Super
intendent Burt-as supposed understood
his views) placing Prof. Phelps as the only
candidate before them for the position, and
asking reply. received from each mem
Der so written to, firm, decided and
courteous refusal to support Prof. Phelps
for the position under any circumstances
and urging me to seek out other candidates
and go abroad for that purpose. Soon after
this I received 3 number of letters from
distinguished gentlemen in various portions
of the State, urging the election
of Prof Phelps. l also received
petitions from Minneapolis, st. Paul ana
Winona, numerously signed by the best of
persons in our State, asking his election
and I again submitted to each member of the
board his name as the only candidate for the
position, backed up with the letters and Pc
litions had received, and the comments of
the press all over the State urging his ap.
pointment. To this second request I re-
ceived the same answer as before, in firm
but courteous language, however. child
ing and blaming me for not look
ing up other candidates and for trying
to place but one man before the board.


Reporter-Are you willing to tell what eff
feet, if any. the advocacy of Prof. Phelps
by this delegation had upon the board as
shown in what was said in executive ses-
sion ?


Mr. SimPson-No, viii not state what
was said, but will state that the first thing
determined in that session was that there
were six members of that board who we're
determined, for reasons satisfactory to their
own own views of public duty, not to vote
for Prof. Phelps for princioal of the normal
school at Winona. Having learned this fact
beyond question. deemed my duty to the
Institution to be something more than to
cast merely complimentary votes for Prof.
Phelps or any one else. 1t could have done
him no good, and, from the temper of the
board on this matter, could have had no
other effect than to embarrass my position
before the board in selecting the next best
candidate.