Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1952 [PAGE 390]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

487

to work as a team in an atmosphere of mutual respect, but the worth of a professor will be judged primarily by the quality of his teaching, research, and public service. F . In the words of t h e Advisory Committee, the College of Commerce and Business Administration "is a school of merit fully representative of a great state; it has a sound, progressive program well understood and supported by its entire staff, and there are no apologies to offer." T h e Senate of t h e University on December 4th passed this resolution: " T h e University Senate notes with grave concern the controversy that now prevails in the College of Commerce, and particularly the effects of that dispute on the interests and welfare of the University. It urges that when a decision on this dispute is made by the President and the Board of Trustees that decision be accepted as final." I am reporting these decisions, with a request for the approval of the Board: A. To follow the advice of the Executive Committee of the University Council and the Advisory Committee of the College of Commerce and Business Administration not to recommend Dean Howard R. Bowen for a new term of office. B. In view of this, to accept the resignation of Dean Howard R. Bowen as Dean of the College of Commerce and Business Administration, effective January 1, 1951, in accordance with his letter of December 28, 1950, assigning him duties in research and instruction as a professor of economics. C. To appoint Dr. Robert R. Hudelson, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture, Acting Dean of the College of Commerce and Business Administration, starting January 1st and continuing until a new dean takes up his duties, but not beyond August 31, 1951. [The motion on page 488 is on the decisions stated inA,B, C, above. — Secretary's note.] If t h e actions above are approved, I should like to say for the information of the Board t h a t I propose: A. T o appoint a special committee of five to 1. Submit to me nominations for the deanship of the College. I shall have also the advice of the Executive Committee of the College. 2. Assist in planning the reorganization of the College, including a possible transfer of the Department of Economics to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and to prepare a report for consideration of the Senate. (I shall ask the following members of the faculty to serve on the Committee: Edward W. Cleary, Chairman, Professor of Law; Royden Dangerfield, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs; Charles J. Gaa, Professor of Accountancy; D. Philip Locklin, McKinley Professor of the Economics of Public Utilities; Gordon Ray, Professor of English and Head of the Department.) B. Consistently with the advice of the Executive Committee of t h e University Council, to request the present elected members of the Executive Committee of the College in the interest of harmony to resign from the Committee and to declare themselves unavailable for membership for a period of one year. C. To ask the College to proceed to elect a new Executive Committee which shall strive to reconcile the differences in the faculty. n „ „ „ ,, , December 28, 1950 President George D. Stoddard 355 Administration (W)

DEAR P R E S I D E N T STODDARD:

In accordance with your decision as accepted by the Board of Trustees, I hereby offer my resignation as Dean of the College of Commerce and Business Administration. In so doing, I request assignment to the Department of Economics, with duties in teaching and research. In order that the work of the College may go forward under a new administration without delay, I suggest t h a t the resignation be made effective January 1, 1951 rather than at the expiration of my present term of office. In submitting my resignation, I wish to make it clear that I stand on the statement I presented at the November meeting of the Board of Trustees. I do not in any sense condone the unfair tactics, the false ideological issues, and the extraneous and improper pressures that have been employed by those who have sought my removal. Nevertheless, I accept the decision in good grace and as final. Yours sincerely,

HOWARD R. BOWEN

Dean