Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1956 [PAGE 49]

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46

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[September 29

EXECUTIVE SESSION When the Board convened an executive session was requested for consideration of the following matters of business presented by the President of the University.

SETTLEMENT OF SUITS OF J O H N THOMAS WHITMAN AND HAROLD C. W H I T M A N On November 30, 1949, John Thomas Whitman, then aged nineteen and a sophomore in the University, was injured when he fell while trying to do a "back flip" through jumping on a trampolet in the Men's Gymnasium, while attending a class in physical education. His injuries were serious and included a fractured vertebra and spinal cord injury, and he was completely paralyzed for some time following the accident. While his recovery from his injuries has been substantial, he will be permanently crippled and disabled to an appreciable extent. To date his father, Harold C. Whitman, has paid medical, hospital, nursing, and similar bills aggregating approximately $3,700 incurred for his son's treatment and hospitalization, owes an unpaid hospital bill of $352 at McKinley Hospital, and has also incurred additional expenses of approximately $3,600 (a substantial portion of which is probably not recoverable at law) in providing his son with an automobile for use at the University and in securing treatment. In November, 1951, both father and son instituted suit against the University in the Illinois Court of Claims to recover damages for the son's injuries and reimbursement for the expenses incurred by the father. The progress of the suits was materially delayed by the death of the attorney who filed these claims for John T. and Harold C. Whitman. As a result of negotiations conducted with the Whitmans and their counsel by the President of the University and the Legal Counsel, the Whitmans have finally offered to accept $5,000 and the cancellation of the unpaid bill of McKinley Hospital in full compromise settlement of their claims and for the dismissal, with prejudice, of their suits. While the Legal Counsel is of the opinion that the suits can probably be successfully defended and that a trial of the suits should result in judgments in favor of the University, he is also of the opinion that, in view of the uncertainty as to the outcome of a trial, the amounts which the Whitmans will recover if the issues are decided in their favor, and the substantial expense which the University would incur in trying the suits, acceptance of this compromise settlement offer is justified, and he recommends that the offer be accepted and the suits settled in accordance with it. I concur and recommend a special appropriation of $5,352 for this purpose from the General Reserve Fund.

On motion of Mr. Bissell, this settlement was authorized, as recommended, and an appropriation of $5,352 was made from the General Reserve Fund for payment of the claim and the McKinley Hospital bill. This action was taken by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Bissell, Mr. Grange, Mr. Herrick, Mr. Hickman, Mrs. Holt, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Megran, Mrs. Watkins; no, none; absent, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Stratton.

BIENNIAL BUDGET AND BUILDING PROGRAM FOR 1955-57

President Megran stated that following a recommendation from President Morey, he requests the Board to authorize the appointment of a special committee to study the University's biennial budget and building program for 1955-57 in detail, working with the President and other University administrators, so that final recommendations can be prepared for consideration by the Board at its next meeting when the Board should take final action on the estimates to be submitted to the State Department of Finance prior to November i, 1954, as required by law.