Francis H. Smith

“ We could not expect many cadets at first — the income would be too small to support the full faculty — and the section could be enlarged as the necessity required.
“This substitute I earnestly opposed. To offer to our patrons a part of a loaf would so weaken our claims to public support that we should fail. Let every one know that however much we were overwhelmed by untoward calamity, the full educational loaf would be meted out to those who would rally around our board; and our professors must rely upon their work as the surest means of success. ”

“ Still, placing the salaries at the nominal rate, it was proposed that the faculty should pass a resolution expressive of their conviction of the absolute necessity of the restoration of the cadets’ barracks; that the continuance of the Institute depended upon this being accomplished, and then tendering to the Board of Visitors a surrender of one-third of their salaries, as a basis, upon which to hypothecate a loan of $50,000; this surrender to be made in the way of a loan to the institution, to be returned to the faculty when the barracks had been built and paid for. ”

“ It was true we had no money, and could offer no salaries — but everybody was prostrate — and I would seek to secure the services of gentlemen who might be willing to cast in their lot with us, put their shoulders to the wheel, and rest their prospects upon the hope of success. If the effort failed, we should be no worse off than we were; if successful, we should accomplish a great public good, and secure for the faculty reasonable support. ”

“ Its devastating effects continued for years, not only involving loss of money from those who were unable to meet the obligations for their sons, but in a much more serious loss in patronage from the inability of parents to send their sons to college; a loss that we bore in common with the other institutions of the State, although not to the same extent, except the University of Virginia; but so seriously as to cause a diminution of our income from tuition fees of the pay cadets from $33,000 in 1870, to $7,000 in 1880-81 ”

“ The people of the whole southern country were prostrate, in heart and in fortune, after the disasters of a most devastating war of four years. Buildings of large dimensions had to be restored, every department of the Institute had to be resupplied, and, superadded to all these necessary charges, suspended ante-war claims of northern merchants and others, and outstanding liabilities for supplies during the war, much of which was on State account, but which the Institute had to pay, were pressing upon us. ”

“ The restoration of the annuity required the appointment of the State cadets, who, by law, received ‘board and tuition free.’ Board at $25.00 a month would absorb a large portion of the annuity, leave an inadequate provision for the support of the faculty, and afford no help towards the work of restoring the buildings. ”

“ In July, 1876, the annual income of the school was short $10,000, so that it became necessary to consolidate some of the existing chairs and departments of administration, and to suspend 20 per cent on the salaries of the professors, which, with the reduction made in 1874, caused the professors’ salaries to be only two-thirds of former rates. ”

“ Every order to give effect to the law was written by the Superintendent. He was charged with the duty of funding the bonded debt in the new 5’s, and, in doing this, secured a concession from the bondholders of a release of one-half of the past due coupons for which no provision had been made by the Act of March 15, 1884, and then he was charged with the duty of preparing the new bonds, having them signed and sealed, and then delivered into the hands of the Trustees chosen by them ”

“ John Mercer Brooke, late of the U.S. & C.S. Navy, the inventor of the deep sea sounding apparatus, and the Brooke gun, was appointed to a new chair, which was then organized, embracing practical astronomy, physical geography, and meteorology. ”

“ It is believed that it is steadily and progressively attracting more and more of the attention of parents and guardians in this State, and in the states south and west of us, and becoming more and more important to them. ”

“ The committee was unanimous in its report, and the annuity with interest on the State bonds was provided for by the Legislature at that session. This provision led to a distribution, ratably, among the professors of a small addition to their meager salaries, making the total amount for the year some $900. ”