Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1900 [PAGE 278]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

258

UNIVERSITY

OF I L L I N O I S .

[March

13,

COMMUNICATIONS FROM PRESIDENT DRAPER.

lo the Board of Trustees. I very respectfully submit the following recommendations: 1. That authority be given for the importation of supplies as follows: for the chemical laboratory $2,000.00, for the botanical laboratory $100.00, and for the agricultural experiment station $200.00. 2. That Professor Newton A. Wells be appointed professor of the history and practice of painting on full time at $2,000.00 a year. Professor Wells came to us three years ago to execute the decorations of the library building. That important work has just been completed, and the mural paintings in the rotunda will be unveiled this afternoon. While engaged upon this work Professor Wells had become so much of a factor in the architectural and art work of the Unrversity that the Board of Trustees, upon my recommendation, appointed him professor of the history and practice of painting on half time at the rate of $2,000.00 a year. Last week the Chicago Institute elected him professor of art at a salary of $3,000.00 the first year, and $3,500.00 thereafter, with additional perquisites worth certainly $500.00 a year. Professor Wells has naturally hesitated as to what he should do. His attachment to the University has become strong, and he feels that the opportunities for realizing the ideals of his most mature thought are much greater here than at an institution of the grade of the Chicago Institute. With him the interests of art work are far above monetary considerations. He has finally said that if he were seriously wanted here for full time he would remain permanently. Our departments of architecture and art would now be seriously crippled by his withdrawal. Dean Eicker assures me that the work of Professor Wells in the department of architecture equips that department more •completely than any other similar department in the country, and that the latter is without a peer as a worker and a teacher in industrial and decorative art. Words no less commendatory come from Professor Frederick touching Professor Wells' work in water colors and oils, and particularly in portraiture, in the department of art and design. I think the opportunity here opened to us should not be lost, and that we should at once put him on full time, and express our sincere appreciation of him and his work, and our commendation of the motives which have led him to his conclusions. 3. That the resignation of Professor Perry G. Holden, of the department of agronomy, which is herewith transmitted, be accepted,, as of date March 1, 1900. Professor Holden has been largely instrumental in accomplishing some very desirable things for the University. His resignation to take effect at once was occasioned by an offer of $4,000.00 a year to become the superintendent of a sugar beet company which he was under the necessity of accepting or declining at once. 4. That the resignation of Professor George W. Myers, of the department of mathematics, which is herewith transmitted, be accepted to take effect September 1, 1900, and that his request to be relieved from work in our summer term be not approved. Professor Myers has recently been chosen professor of mathematics in the Chicago Institute at $3,500 per year. He is a graduate of this University, and has been one of the most scholarly and efficient of its professors. His departure will be a substantial loss to us, and I had the best reasons for believing that the assurances which I had given him, with the manifestly greater opportunities for advanced scholarship here, would induce him to remain. His final conclusion is otherwise, very much to my regret, and I may add very much against my view as to his ov:n best interests. Touching work in our summer term this is to be said: He desired it. The announcement of his work has been made, with his knowledge, very broadly and thoroughly. His work last year was popular, and I have no doubt a very considerable itumber of students will attend this year < on the strength of that announcement. It seems to me that he is riot justified in asking us to break faith with these people, only because he would like to enter upon another engagement