Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1928 [PAGE 416]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

413

FIRE IN N E W A R C H I T E C T U R A L B U I L D I N G (31) A report from the Supervising Architect of a fire which occurred in the N e w Architectural Building on Saturday morning, July 9. This report w a s received for record. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTANCY CONCERNING C H A R G E S AGAINST S U N D R Y A C C O U N T A N T S (32) The f l o i g l t e has been r c i e from the Committee on Accountancy o l w n etr eevd through its Secretary concerning certain charges of unprofessional conduct made by H. Archibald Harris against Flay L. Murphy and Robert L. Chesnutt. The Committee recommends that the certificates of Messrs. Murphy and Chesnutt be not revoked. The Legal Counsel has examined the report and states: "The summary of the facts in the report, in m y judgment, supports the legal conclusions reached." I recommend that the report and recommendations of the Committee be adopted, that the report of the Committee befiledwith the Secretary of the Board for record, that the letter be printed in the minutes of the Board, and that all the parties to the controversy be notified of the result. July 6, 1927 President David Kinley, $55 Administration, West Dear Mr. President: There is submitted herewith a summary of the evidence as presented at the hearing and recommendations of the Committee on Accountancy in the matter of the complaint of H. Archibald Harris against Flay L. Murphy and Robert L. Chesnutt, C. P. A.s of Illinoisforthe revocation of their certificates. The Committee recommends that the certificates be not revoked. The Committee's report is presented in considerable detail for the following reasons: (1) The original records in the case, including the stenographic report of the hearing, the exhibits, and the briefsfiledby all parties concerned, contain so large an amount of material, that it has seemed best to the Committee that there be filed with its records and with the records of the Board a summary of the evidence, a statement of the issues involved and a statement of the reasons for the Committee's conclusions on each of the charges made in the petition of Mr. Harris. The Committee feels also that such a report should go to each of the parties concerned. (2) The Committee has felt that i is necessary to present in its report a t general statement of the position it has taken with reference to the phrase "unprofessional conduct or other sufficient cause" as employed in the Act, in relation to the specific charges made in the petition. On the seven charges made in the petition of the complaint the Committee finds as follows: The reason for each opinion is fully stated in the report: (1) The charge of insubordination was not substantiated by the evidence. (2) The evidence does not show that the respondents held themselves out as agents of the petitioner and performed acts and transacted business in his name after their authority to do so had, with their knowledge, been revoked. (3) There is no evidence in the record that any powers of attorney were procured by Murphy and Chesnutt from clients of Harris by fraud. (4) The charge that the respondents performed acts without adequate knowledge of the facts is not substantiated by the evidence. (5) The evidence shows that on April 18 certain papers were missing including those of some of the cases which had been handled by Murphy and Chesnutt, but there is no evidence that the papers were taken by Murphy and Chesnutt, nor i s there evidence that any other time the respondents "were guilty of the unauthorized taking, use, and detention of records belonging to the petitioner" and the Committee thereforefindsCommittee finds that the evidence negatives active participation in and knowledge the charge unsubstantiated. a scheme to defraud. (6) The that others were pursuing