Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1908 [PAGE 56]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

28

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

[Dec. 11

Meeting of December 11, 1906.

Upon request of many members and by direction of the President of the Board, the regular quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois was called to meet at the Palmer House in Chicago at 9.00 o'clock a. m., Tuesday, December 11, 1906. The members present pursuant to this call were Governor Deneen, Messrs, Abbott, Blair, Bullard, Davison, Kerrick, Lehman, and McLean, and Mrs. Alexander, Mrs. Evans, and Mrs. Busey; absent, Mr. Barber. President James was present. The secretary presented the minutes of the meeting of September 25, 1906, and these were approved as presented.

MATTEES PEESENTEB BY PEESIDENT JAMES. 1. T w o l e t t e r s : one from t h e P r e s i d e n t of t h e University to. Dr. W. A. Noyes of t h e B u r e a u of S t a n d a r d s , W a s h i n g t o n , D. C , d a t e d October 19, 1906:

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, ILL.J October 19, 1906.

Dr. VV. A. Noyes, Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C MY DEAR DOCTOR NOYES—I am writing to know whether you will accept the position of Professor of Chemistry, Head of the Department of Chemistry, and Director of the Chemical Laboratory in the University of Illinois at a salary of four thousand dollars ($4000) per year, your salary to begin when you take up work at the University, with the understanding that if you deem it necessary you may defer the actual taking up of the work of the post until September 1, 1907. In case you would accept such an offer, I should like to present your name to the Board of Trustees for election to the position under these terms and announce your name in our circulars as director of the Chemical Laboratory, on leave of absence until September 1, 1907, or such earlier time as we might agree upon between us. In case you should be elected I should desire you to visit the University once or twice between now and September 1,1907, for purpose of conference with the other members of the department and with me as to future policy, appropriations for the laboratory, etc., etc. I should be glad to have as early a reply as may be convenient to you. Faithfully yours,

EDMUND J JAMES.

T h e second from Dr. W. A. Noyes t o t h e P r e s i d e n t of t h e University u n d e r d a t e of October 25, 1906 : "

D E P A R T M E N T O F COMMERCE AND LABOR, BUREAU O F STANDARDS.

/-resident Edmund J. James: I shall be pleased to have you present my name for the position of Professor of Chemistry in the University of Illinois in accordance with your letter of October 19th, with the understanding that, if elected, I shall have leave of absence till September i, 1907. It is understood further that a research assistant, at $800 a year, is to be provided, in accordance with the suggestion last spring. If elected to the position, I shall expect to organize the work of the department in such a manner that I shall not be unnecessarily burdened with details which can be equally well cared for by others, in order that a considerable portion of my time and energy may be devoted to research. To this end I shall expect proper provision to be made for clerical and other assistance in the department. For the proper development of the work of the department I consider that it is absolutely essential that the files of chemical journals shall be placed in a room in the chemical laboratory. If action of the trustees is required before this can be done, I would respectfully ask that such action be taken.

WASHINGTON, October 25, 1906.