Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1912 [PAGE 630]

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586

UNIVERSITY OF I L L I N O I S .

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[April 10

CONFERENCE OF UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS ON ATHLETIC SITUATION. (12) A report of the recent conference (March 19, 20, .1912, in Chicago) of university presidents (of the state universities of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Purdue University) upon the athletic situation in the Intercollegiate conference, particularly with reference to the so-called "Amateur Rule." This matter was discussed at some length. No action was taken. OPTIONS ON ADJACENT LAND. (13) A communication from Dr. Eugene DavenpoH, dean of the College of Agriculture, concerning possible options on land adjacent to the campus: which the ,University would need in case the suggested extension of the. campus should he made. This communication was referred to the Executive Committee," for consideration, in conference with the legal counsel of the University,, and report. . PROPOSED HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY. (.14) The following letter from Dr. Burt E. Powell, manager of publications in the Agricultural Experiment Station, proposing to undertake t h e collection of material for a history of the University of Illinois:

URBANA, I I I . , March 15, 1912.,

President E. J. James, University of Illinois:

DEAR PRESIDENT JAMES—With each passing year the need of an adequate

history of the University of Illinois becomes greater. In fact this need iff so insistent that there is a positive demand from many sources for such a. work. The sketches that have been written do not even pretend to be anything but mere outlines. It will be accepted I think without argument that there is a real pressing need for a history of the University. Important reasons' exist why this task should be undertaken at once. It may be that it has been too long delayed already. A leading reason for beginning this work at once is the fact that there are living with us still men who have been associated with the University from its organization, as Vice-President Btirrill and Professor Shattuck, and others for two or more decades as Mr. Pillsbury, and they would be able to contribute much that will be of inestimable value in a history of the University. Another reason for immediate work along this line is the necessity for collecting what documents there may be bearing upon the life and history of the University, such as letters', addresses, reports, files of papers, magazines, etc., listing them, and placing them in safety. You are.aware that- by your direction I have spent many months in studying the history of the. University, largely from the reports of the Board of Trustees. That labor, of course, was chiefly beneficial to me, and yet the results obtained in the form of a complete card index of the reports, histories of the College of Engineering, of Agriculture, of Law, of many, of the larger buildings, of the Library, of the Summer Session, papers on "Instruct tion in English at the University/' on "Instruction in Mathematics," "lje~ quirements for Admission," etc., would mean a long step in the preliminary work that is necessary to prepare a history of the University. On account of these things, and because the men better able to do this work apparently are riot in a position to undertake it, I venture to offer my services. , My suggestion is as follows: That I be authorized by the Board of Trustees to collect material for a history of the University of Illinois and.