Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 800]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

*943]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

797

the appointment by the University of a five-man Board of Examiners, the appointments being subject to the concurrence of the Department of Registration and Education. T h e Board is empowered to give examinations to holders of unrevoked certificates of "Public Accountant," issued by the Department of Registration and Education, to determine their eligibility to receive the certificate of "Certified Public Accountant" under the new law. This Act provides that a holder of a Public Accountant certificate, as defined in the Act, must: "Make application within ten (10) years following the passage of this Act, pay a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25), and who at the time of such application must have held such certificates of registration as public accountants for at least ten years, have been engaged in the practice of public accounting in this State for at least ten (10) years, and who shall successfully pass a written or oral examination to be given by a special board of five examiners to be appointed by the University with the approval of the Department, two of whom shall have been registered public accountants of this State at the date of passage of this Act, two of whom shall have been registered public accountants and also certified public accountants of this State at the date of passage of this Act, and one of whom shall have been a registered public accountant of this State at the date of passage of this Act who has received or is entitled to receive a certificate as a certified public accountant under subsection (a) (2) of this section. Vacancies in this special board shall be filled by appointment of individuals having the same status and qualifications as specified herein for the original appointees. A majority vote of the full membership of this special board shall be required to approve or reject any applicant." T h e special board provided in this law is to perform important functions. They include giving oral or written examinations to a large number of applicants now eligible for the C.P.A. certificate in this manner, rather than by passing the regular C.P.A. examination, and determining qualifications as to experience of these candidates. The board should be composed of men of sound judgment, without bias toward either of the public accountancy groups, who will administer the law equitably. It should be noted here that this special board does not replace the regular board of three Examiners which, as heretofore, will conduct the regular C.P.A. examinations. The University Committee on Accountancy, 1 an administrative committee, has given long and careful consideration to the question of membership on this special board. It has investigated the qualifications of many members of the profession, both certified public accountants and public accountants. It has sought the advice of officers and directors of the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants and of the Public Accountants Association, and of other leading men in the two professional groups. It has reached the conclusion, in which many of the accountants with whom this matter has been discussed concur, that this special board should include one member who had previously served on the Public Accountants Examining Board of the Department of Registration and Education and one member who had been on the University's Board of C.P.A. Examiners. T h e Committee calls attention to the fact that the accountancy profession has lost many members to war service, with the result that those continuing in practice are exceedingly busy. No one worthy of consideration for appointment to this special board of examiners can serve on it without much sacrifice of personal and professional time. The Committee on Accountancy renews its recommendation that the list of five accountants previously presented (see Minutes, page 719) be approved and appointed as members of the special board of examiners, selected from the groups in the accounting profession as specified in the law. Member who is a Registered Public Accountant EDGAR R. BOTJRKE, 20 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago. Mr. Bourke has been in public practice on his own account in Chicago for many years. H e is President of the Public Accountants Association of Illinois.

^ h i s is a standing committee appointed by the Board of Trustees on recommendation of the President of the University. Its present personnel is Professor W. E. Britton of the College of Law, Chairman, Professor H. M. Gray of the Department of Economics and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, and Mr. G. P. Tuttle, Registrar, who serves as Secretary.