Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 1031]

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1028

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

of Illinois to conduct a survey of that institution and inviting me to appear before such Commission. This is the second attempt by the Kelly-Nash Democratic Trustees of the University of Illinois and Arthur Cutts Willard, puppet President thereof, to conduct a white-washing investigation by a group appointed and selected by the President of the University and the Kelly-Nash Democratic Trustees. Under date of July 16, 1942, Arthur Cutts Willard addressed a letter to members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in which he stated in part, and I quote, "The American Council on Education will select all members of survey commissions and a director for each survey subject to the approval of the body requesting the survey." (emphasis mine) It is apparent from this provision that any and all members of your so-called survey commission must have first obtained the approval of the Kelly-Nash tools before any of them could undertake their so-called investigation. It is obvious therefore that the alleged survey commission is in no position to conduct an impartial investigation when membership upon such commission is dependent upon the approval of the Kelly-Nash Democratic Trustees. At the time that the Board of Trustees of the University authorized the American Council on Education to conduct its alleged survey it also attempted to authorize the expenditure of a sum of $4,000 to pay the salary and expenses of the members of the so-called survey commission. The appropriation made by the Legislature to the University of Illinois does not contain any appropriation in any amount for such a purpose. Under the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Illinois neither the University of Illinois or any other State officer or agency can expend any sum of money whatsoever except upon the specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature of the State of Illinois. The Kelly-Nash Democratic Trustees and Arthur Cutts Willard, their puppet President of the University, want nothing but a biased and prejudiced investigation and are even willing to make an illegal expenditure of public funds in order to obtain the whitewash that they desire. The charges which I have made and which I again make are not against the academic features of the University but against the administration of the University by the Kelly-Nash Trustees and their puppet President, Arthur Cutts Willard. For the professors and instructors of the University who carry on the actual work of education, I have the highest regard. Their functions have been admirably performed, and to date, in spite of the inefficient and incompetent administration by Arthur Cutts Willard and the Kelly-Nash Democratic Trustees, they have kept the scho-

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