Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1892 [PAGE 218]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

PROCEEDINGS O F BOARD O F TRUSTEES.

S P R I N G F I E L D , ILLINOIS, Feb. 19,

221

1892.

Hon. George Hunt, Attorney General of the State of Illinois, D E A R SIR: At the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in December last, a representative of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Chicago, appeared before the Board and made the following proposition, which was referred to the Executive Committee of the Board. Before making its report the Committee desires the opinion of the Attorney General upon the legal questions involved in the acceptance of the proposition.

PROPOSITION OF T H E COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.

" T h a t the College of Physicians and Surgeons be immediately made an affiliated institution of the University of Illinois, and t h a t it be termed the Medical Department of the University of Illinois; t h a t one of the present Board of Directors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons immediately resign and his place be filled by the appointment of one of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois; t h a t the University undertake the teaching of some of the branches in the College and receive stock in the corporation in proportion to the amount of money expended; t h a t the University receive also as a bonus a certain amount of stock each year in the existing corporation, say $4,000 or $2,000, as the Board of Directors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Trustees of the University may mutually agree upon ; t h a t the Board of Trustees of the University be represented in the Board of Directors of the College in proportion to the amount of stock which is held by them. T h a t is to say, the University becomes a partner in the Medical College until such time as it secures the entire control of the institution." I t was also stated t h a t the College of Physicians and Surgeons is*a stock company with a capital of $60,000, of which $44,000 is paid up. The committee would like answers to the following questions: (1.) Will the laws of the state permit the Board of Trustees to accept the proposition of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, as stated? (2.) If not, how must the proposition be modified so t h a t the Board of Trustees may legally accept i t ? I am, sir, your obedient servant,

S. A. BTTLLARD,

Chairman of Executive Committee.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, March 3, 1892.

•8. A. Bullard, President Board of Trustees, University of Illinois,{Springfield, 111., D E A R S I R : Your favor of the 19th ult., submitting for my consideration a proposition made to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and asking whether t h e laws of the state of Illinois permitted the Board of Trustees to accept the proposition as stated, is at hand. This proposition, in substance, proposes a partnership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons with the University of Illinois upon terms stated therein, and, in my opinion, the Board of Trustees have no authority to enter into such partnership or to lend the aid of the University in any way to the success of a private enterprise. I see no way in which the proposition could be modified so as to retain its present character and come within the power of the Board of Trustees. Section 6 of the "Act to regulate the Illinois Industrial University," approved May 7, 1873, beginning on page 25 of the pamphlet submitted by you, provides " t h a t all persons attending the said University shall be taught and shall study such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, and as are adapted to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pur-