Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1958 [PAGE 117]

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114

BOARD O F TRUSTEES

[October 22

A private foundation interested in this development has been requested to grant funds to cover the cost of the proposed building.

SITE FOR CHICAGO UNDERGRADUATE DIVISION

(2) Mr. Johnston, Chairman of the Committee on General Policy which, with the President of the Board, has been operating as a special committee1 on matters relating to the development of the Chicago Undergraduate Division, brought up for consideration the matter of a site. He reviewed the considerations which led his Committee to recommend the selection of the George A. Miller Meadow in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County as a permanent site for the Chicago Undergraduate Division. The Board of Trustees approved that recommendation on June 27, 1956. Subsequently the Secretary of the Board, on instructions from the Chairman of the Committee on General Policy, wrote to the President of the Forest Preserve Commissioners of Cook County notifying him that the Board of Trustees desires to acquire the George A. Miller Meadow as a permanent site for the University's Chicago Undergraduate Division. On September 19, 1956, the Secretary of the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners wrote the Secretary of the Board of Trustees as follows: "Please be advised that on the 5th day of September, 1956, at a regular meeting of the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners of the County of Cook the Board voted to concur in the recommendation of its Advisory Committee that the proposal of the University of Illinois for the acquisition of three hundred acres of the George A. Miller Meadow be refused." The Secretary of the Board of Trustees acknowledged this letter stating that it would be brought to the attention of the Board at its next meeting on October 22. Copies of this correspondence have been sent to all of the trustees. Mr. Johnston recommended that the Board of Trustees request a conference with representatives of the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners for further consideration of this matter and the alternatives. President Henry pointed out that the University desires to acquire this land through purchase so that the Forest Preserve District will have funds to acquire another area or areas of land suitable for inclusion in the Forest Preserve District and that the University's program in no way contemplates reducing the amount of land in the Forest Preserve. Following discussion of Mr. Johnston's recommendation, M r s . W a t k i n s moved that the Committee be authorized to carry on further negotiations with the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners. Mr. H e r r i c k moved as an amendment (an addition) to this motion that in case the Committee is unable to reach a site solution in its negotiations with the Commissioners, it be authorized to take such further steps as it deems necessary. Mr. Bissell moved as a further amendment (an addition) to this motion that the Committee be authorized to purchase the George A. Miller Meadow. These amendments were adopted and the motion as thus amended was adopted by the following vote: Aye, M r . Bissell, M r . Herrick, M r s . Holt, Mr. Johnston, M r . Livingston, M r . Megran, Mr. Swain, M r s . Watkins, M r . Williamson; no, n o n e ; absent, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Stratton. T h e Secretary of the Board was instructed to request a conference between representatives of the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners and the Special Committee of the Board.

1 The original Committee appointed by the President of the Board on May 22, 1053, included Messrs. Wayne A. Johnston, Chairman, Cushman B. Bissell, Robert Z. Hickman, Park Livingston, Herbert B. Megran, and Vernon L. Nickell. Recently the functions of this Committee have been taken over by the Committee on General Policy (Messrs. Johnston, Chairman, Bissell, and Livingston), with President Megran of the Board added for this purpose. — Secretary's Note.