Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1918 [PAGE 133]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1916]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

129

provide a range. It seems to be reasonable to ask this of the state, and that it shall be provided from the funds of the state devoted to national defense rather than from the funds of the University.

The President of the University was given authority to apply to the President of the United States for the equipment of certain units of the senior division of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and to pledge the University to the carrying out of the course of military training provided by the President of the United States and the War Department under these regulations.

STABLES FOR BATTERY F (15) A statement concerning Battery F of the Illinois National Guard, which consisted of students and professors, and was ordered to the frontier during the Mexican difficulties of last summer. The old Horticulture building had been assigned for the use of Battery F and a certain amount of equipment, with ten horses, had been received and the horses were located in the building indicated. There was considerable uncertainty as to what was to be the fate of Battery F when it returned. It was mustered out of the Federal service, however, and again became Battery F of the Illinois National Guard. A report came to me that the Battery would be mustered out of the National Guard service in Springfield but instead of that it was returned to the University with all its equipment, including thirty-three horses. We had no adequate means of caring for these animals. I directed the erection of a small stable on the site of the old Horticulture greenhouses south of the Horticulture building. The walls left standing, being concrete three feet above the ground, were used as the basis of this structure. The east wall of the structure is 18 feet west and the north wall is 141 feet south of the old Horticulture building. The walls are six feet above the old foundation and are of 2 x 4 construction with "Bishop Rickwall" board on the exterior to receive plaster, and the low gable roof is covered with composition roofing. The estimated cost of the building is $1,500. I request approval of my action in ordering the erection of this structure.

The action of the President of the University in this matter was approved.

EXCAVATION FOR SMITH MUSIC BUILDING (16) A report from the Supervising Architect that the plans for the Smith Memorial Music Building are sufficiently well developed to proceed with the erection of a portion of the structure. I asked Captain Thomas J. Smith to examine the plans again carefully and give his opinion, and I have received the following letter from him: October 16, 1916 Hon. Edmund J. James, President University of Illinois

M Y DEAR MR. PRESIDENT:

I have gone over again with the Supervising Architect and his assistants the plans of the Music Building and I can see no grounds for criticise