Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1940 [PAGE 205]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[January 14

LOAN OF MEDICAL EXHIBIT TO ROSENWALD MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY (24) A recommendation that the medical exhibit prepared for "A Century of Progress Exposition of 1933-1934" be lent to the Rosenwald Museum of Science and Industry until such a time as the University has space for this exhibit in one of its buildings. It will cost approximately $300 to set up the exhibit and not to exceed $100 annually to maintain it. Since it is not the policy of the Rosenwald Museum to maintain exhibits loaned to it, the University will be called on to bear this expense. T h e alternative would be to give the exhibit outright to the Rosenwald Museum in which case there would be no expense to the University. O n m o t i o n of M r . K a r r a k e r , t h e l o a n of t h i s e x h i b i t w a s a u t h o r i z e d as recommended. PURCHASE OF PAINTING BY CLOUET (25) T h e College of Fine and Applied Arts has an opportunity to purchase a sixteenth century painting by Clouet, which was in the collection of Mr. William Randolph Hearst. It is offered at a price of $5,000, which is considered by authorities an extremely low figure (one expert considers $15,000 a conservative appraisal of this masterpiece), with the option of making part payment now and the balance after July 1. T h e Colleges of Fine and Applied Arts and of Liberal Arts and Sciences can assign $1,100 from their budgets toward the purchase of this painting, so that if the University wishes to acquire it a supplementary appropriation of $3,900 will be necessary. O n m o t i o n of M r . C l e a r y , t h e P r e s i d e n t of t h e U n i v e r s i t y w a s a u t h o r i z e d t o offer $ 1 , 1 0 0 f o r t h i s p a i n t i n g . PURCHASE OF BROWNFIELD WOODS (26) F o r the past three or four years the University has been leasing the Brownfield Woods, a 64-acre tract of original woodland about two miles northeast of Urbana for instruction and research in biology and soil science. T h e University also owns a 40-acre tract of woodland about three miles east of the Brownfield Woods, purchased in 1917 at a cost of $300 an acre. T h e purchase of the Brownfield Woods has been under consideration for a year or two. T h e original price requested by the Brownfield family was $1,100 an acre, which would make a total of approximately $70,000. It is now offered to the University at $15,000, which amounts to approximately $250 an acre. T h e Brownfield area is potentially more valuable than the present University Woods, which cost $300 an acre. T h e r e is no question as to the value of this tract to the University for instructional and research purposes. It is used almost daily by the biological departments and the College of Agriculture. It is chiefly a question of price. T h e University has had an expert appraisal made of the commercial value of the land (i.e., land available for agricultural use, lumber, and firewood), which indicated a valuation of $8,000. T h e Committee on Special Appropriations and Non-Recurring Expenditures has recommended a price of $8,500. While the figure requested by the Brownfield family is high compared with the appraised value, considering the price paid for the University Woods and the value of the land for scientific purposes the figure does not seem out of line. If the Board of Trustees authorizes the purchase of this area I wouldrecommend that the terms of the purchase contract provide for a down payment of $1,000, the remainder to be payable on or before September 1, 1939, and without any interest charge on the unpaid balance.

On motion of Mrs. Plumb, the President of the University was authorized to offer $10,000 for this land, payable $1,000 down and the remainder on or before September 1, 1939.

FEE FOR SEWAGE WORKS OPERATORS' SHORT COURSE (27) A recommendation from the Dean of the College of Engineering that the Department of Civil Engineering be authorized to cooperate with the State