Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1914 [PAGE 641]

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1913]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

639

approved by Savage & Woods, examining attorneys, and the State Auditor was requested to issue his warrants for the several sums; and, WHEREAS., Before the warrants were issued the President of the Board of Trustees requested the State Auditor not to issue the warrants until further notice, Because of a request from the Governor of the State that the transaction be not completed until he had had an opportunity to acquaint himself with the details 'of the purchase, in order to satisfy himself that the price to be paid was not excessive; therefore, be it Resolved, That the State Auditor be requested to issue his warrants immediately for the said sums, in payment of vouchers presented for the properties acquired; since the Board of Trustees is convinced that the acquisition of said properties, consisting altogether of three hundred twenty acres, is desirable and necessary for the work of the University, and that the price agreed upon is not an excessive price considering the location of the properties and the prices actually paid for similar properties in the neighborhood within the last four or five years. On motion of Mrs. Evans, the foregoing resolution was adopted; all the members present voting "aye," with the exception of Governor Dunne, who asked to be excused from voting, for the reason that he had not been able to make a personal investigation of the character and value of the land in question and other land in the neighborhood of the University. (At the afternoon session Dr. Montgomery recorded his vote oh the foregoing resolution as "aye.") MATTERS PRESENTED BY T H E PRESIDENT OF T H E UNIVERSITY. President James presented the following matters for consideration:

IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SHOPS.

(1) A request from Professor James M. White, Supervising Architect, that an appropriation of three thousand dollars ($3,000) be made for improvements in the shops of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. On motion of Mr. Blair, this request was approved, and the appropriation of three thousand dollars ($3,000) was made; the vote being as follows: Ayes, Mr. Abbott, Mr. Blair, Mr. Dunne, Mrs. Evans, Mr. Hoit, Mr. Montgomery (recorded at the afternoon session), Mr. Trevett; noes, none; absent, Mrs. Busey, Mrs. Henrotin, Mr. Meeker, Mr. Moore, Miss Watson.

P U R C H A S E OF T H E R H I N E H A R T TRACT.

(2) A recommendation that the officers of the board be authorized to close the purchase of the ten acres known as the "Rhinehart tract," lying between Sixth Street and the Illinois Central Railroad immediately south of the land recently acquired by the Athletic Association, and that an appropriation of eight thousand dollars ($8,000) or as much thereof as may be necessary be made for this purpose; and, further, that this tract, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be assigned to the use of the Department of Botany until further notice, with the provision that no plantings shall be made in this tract that would be an entire loss, or should require more than two years for their removal without loss, should the tract be used later for other purposes. Upon motion of Mr. Hoit, this recommendation was approved, the vote being as follows: Ayes, Mr. Abbott, Mr. Blair, Mr. Dunne, Mrs. Evans, Mr. Hoit, Mr. Montgomery (recorded at the afternoon session), Mr. Trevett; noes, none; absent, Mrs. Busey, Mrs. Henrotin, Mr. Meeker, Mr. Moore, Miss Watson. PURCHASE OF AUGUSTUS PROPERTY APPROVED. (3) A recommendation that the board approve the action of the President of the Board of Trustees in ordering the purchase of the land known as the "Augustus property," a tract of thirteen acres lying between the present campus and the present south farm, for the sum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000); it having been necessary to make this purchase at the time when President Abbott ordered it made, July 31, 1913, in order to take advantage of an option which was about to expire and which could not have been renewed on equally favorable terms. On motion of Mr. Trevett, it was voted to approve the action of the president of the board in ordering this purchase, and to make the requisite appropriation of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). The vote was as follows: Ayes, Mr. Abbott, Mr. Blair, Mr. Dunne, Mrs. Evans, Mr. Hoit, Mr. Montgomery (recorded at the afternoon session), Mr. Trevett; noes, none; absent, Mrs. Busey, Mrs. Henrotin, Mr. Meeker, Mr. Moore, Miss Watson.