Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1946 [PAGE 217]

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214

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[September 29

3. T h e Illinois Firemen's Association will accept responsibility for any personal or public liability claims arising from all use of the Tower except for that use made by University of Illinois employees. 4. T h e University will retain title to the land on which the improvements are to be made. Since the Board of Trustees of the University is a public agency we assume there will be no objection to this. 5. T h e University will have access to the Training Tower area for: (a) maintenance and service of well within the area assigned to the Illinois Firemen's Association; (b) privilege of using the Tower in directing the training of the University Fire Station employees. 6. T h e University will have the right of general approval of the character of the improvements made on the property. 7. T h e University will have the right to schedule all use of the area, including service to well, in order not to conflict with use by the Association or local fire departments in training programs (emergencies excepted). The Secretary of the Association has reported that all members of the Executive Board have approved the conditions specified herein. I recommend that the Board authorize such an agreement.

On motion of Mr. Fornof, this agreement was authorized as recommended. At this point, Mr. Davis took his place with the Board.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL HOMES COUNCIL (15) For several months representatives of various University departments under the leadership of Deans Rexford Newcomb of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and M. L. Enger of the College of Engineering have been making studies of small homes and low cost housing. These representatives have constituted themselves as an "Advisory Committee of the Small Homes Council" and have submitted a formal proposal that the University establish a "Small Homes Division" or "Small Homes Council," whose functions, objectives, and proposed program are outlined as follows: Definition T h e Small Homes Division or Council is a coordination of many divisions of the University, to focus their talents on the small home problem, rural and urban. It is not a planning agency or contracting service. It is not an endorsement agency for manufacturers' products. Objectives 1. To inform the public on all problems of building a home, including financing and contracts, planning and design, requirements of the site, construction and materials, decoration and furnishing, mechanical equipment, and utilities and appliances. 2. T o establish definite data on costs. .3. T o keep abreast of all that is new, and inform the public impartially. 4. T o establish and maintain a demonstration center. 5. T o cooperate with all elements of the building business. 6. T o work continually for the improvement of homes and housing and develop public knowledge of the best. Proposed Program Publications.—It will publish bulletins and circulars in convenient form on all subjects pertaining to planning, financing, and building the home. Statewide Cooperation.—It seeks the cooperation of dealers, contractors, architects, planning boards, chambers of commerce, manufacturers, and all bvtsinesses progressively interested in making practical "down to earth" analyses of the problems of the small home in Illinois. Demonstration Homes.—It wants to build homes at the University to demonstrate good homes to the thousands of visitors to the campus. Experiments.—It intends to use a laboratory and the demonstration homes to discover better methods of designing and building the small home. Research.—It will bring scientific study to new materials and methods to test their worth.