Centre College Special Collections - Board of Trustees Minutes (1819)

Centre College Board of Trustees Minutes (Vol. 1 - 1819)

Incorporated January 21st 1819. J. C. Young [John C. Young]

[Danville February 1, 1819]

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky on the first day of February 1819 at the house of Elizabeth Davenport pursuant to the Act of Incorporation the following persons appeared & took the oath prescribed by said Act as Trustees of said College, to wit

Isaac Shelby, John Boyle, Thomas Montgomery, James Birney, Jeremiah Briscoe, James Barbour, Ephraim McDowell, Samuel K. Nelson, Joshua Fry, William Craig, David G. Cowan

John Rochester I.P.M. (?)

David G. Cowan was appointed clerk pro tem. The Board then proceeded to choose a Chairman when Isaac Shelby was unanimously chosen.

Resolved that the Board elects pursuant to the contract heretofore made with John Cochran by Joshua Fry, Ephraim McDowell, & David G. Cowan

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on the part of the Trustees of the Danville Academy to take seven acres of land as laid off by Archibald Bilbo, Surveyor of Mercer County, as appears by his platt & certificate bearing date December 3, 1818, produced to this Board & ordered to be filed as the ground to be appropriated to the use of the College.

There was presented to the Board two papers purporting to be subscriptions to the College of Kentucky, one amounting to the sum of $109.75, the other to $850 - which papers were ordered to be filed.

Ordered that John Boyle, Thomas Montgomery, William Craig be

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a committee to prepare & report to the next meeting of this Board a suitable address to the public stating the views of this Board with regard to the institution.

Resolved that if expedient that the Board should with all reasonable dispatch cause suitable buildings to be erected for the use of the College & that a committee be appointed to prepare & report a suitable plan for said buildings & that probable expense & that Joshua Fry, James Birney, Jeremiah Fisher, Joshua Barbee, & Jeremiah Briscoe be that committee.

Ordered that David G. Cowan be a committee to procure a seal with suitable device for this corporation.

Resolved that each member of this Board will use his best exertion to procure donations & subscriptions.

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for the use of the College & that Thomas Montgomery, Nathan H. Hall, Thomas Cleland, Barnabas McHenry, Samuel McKee & John Boyle be a committee to attend specially to that duty & that the Clerk draw the form of a subscription paper & cause 150 copies to be printed so framing said copies that the money subscribed shall be payable in four equal annual installments.

Ordered that John Boyle, Thomas Montgomery, & David G. Cowan be a committee to draft & report a code of bylaws for the government of this Board.

James Birney was appointed Treasurer pro tem of this Board.

The Board was then adjourned to meet again at this place on the 15th instant at 11 o'clock a.m.

Isaac Shelby, David G. Cowan, Clerk pro tem

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Danville February 15, 1819

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky pursuant to adjournment, present Isaac Shelby, Chairman, John Boyle, Thomas Montgomery, Joshua Fry, James Birney, Jeremiah Briscoe, Jeremiah Fisher, David G. Cowan

Joshua Barbee appeared & took his seat as a member of the Board having taken the oath required by law before Jeremiah Clemens, Esq., a Justice of Peace for Mercer County.

Nathan H. Hall, Thomas Cleland & Barnabas McHenry appeared & took the oath required by law before Edward Worthington, Esq., a Justice of the Peace for Mercer County.

Ephraim McDowell, James Barbour & William Craig appeared & took their seats.

The committee appointed at last meeting reported an address

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to the public which being twice read was unanimously adopted & signed by the Chairman on behalf of the Board & ordered that it be published in the newspapers and that the Clerk cause to be printed in pamphlet form 1000 copies of said address.

Resolved that the sum of ten thousand dollars be appropriated for the erection of a principal College Edifice & that the committee appointed to draft a plan thereof have further time to report, and that Ephraim McDowell & James Barbour be added to that committee.

Joshua Fry resigned his seat as a member of this Board.

The Board then chose John Green to fill the vacancy on the Board occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Fry who thereupon appeared & took the oath prescribed the law before Edward Worthington, Esq., a Justice of the Peace & who is added in place of Mr. Fry to the committee to draft a plan for the building.

The Board then adjourned to meet at this on Friday next at 11 O'clock.

Isaac Shelby, David G. Cowan, Clerk

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Danville February 19, 1819

The Board met pursuant to adjournment. Present Isaac Shelby, Chairman, Joshua Barbee, James Birney, John Green, John Boyle, Thomas Montgomery, Samuel K. Nelson, Jeremiah Fisher, David G. Cowan, James Barbour.

The committee appointed to report a draft of the College Edifice made a report which was adopted, and it is further ordered that David G. Cowan be added to that committee & that they be authorised to contract for the building upon such terms as they may deem advisable & that they also have leave to make any important alteration in said plan as they may deem proper.

Ordered that the account of James Gilmore of $10 be paid.

Ordered that the Treasurer be authorised to pay two dollars per

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day for the use of the room which was occupied by this Board including the past meeting of this Board. The Board was then adjourned to meet at this place on the 4th Monday in March next.

Isaac Shelby

Danville April 3, 1819

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky, present Isaac Shelby, Chairman, James Birney, John Green, Ephraim McDowell, John Boyle, James Barbour, Jeremiah Fisher, D. G. Cowan.

The committee to contract for building reported a contract with Richard D. Crutchfield & Robert Russel which was approved by the Board & signed

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by the Chairman & members.

The Board proceeded to fill the vacancies occasioned by the resignation of Joshua Barbee & the refusal of John Bowman to serve when upon a ballot it appeared Joseph McDowell & Edward Worthington were duly elected.

David G. Cowan is appointed to collect the monies due for sale of public ground & pay over to the Treasurer to enable the latter to comply with contract made for the erection of the College Edifice & that he be authorised to receive negotiable notes with a good endorser or endorsers.

Ordered that the Chairman give to Mr. Nelson a certificate of his appointment to solicit donations for the institution.

Ordered that David G. Cowan be authorised to draw upon the Treasurer for the costs incurred in printing & engraving a seal ordered by the Board.

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Ordered that John Green & David G. Cowan be a committee to call upon John Cochran for & receive a deed for the seven acres of land purchased of him.

Ordered that the Board be adjourned to meet at this place on the lst Saturday in May next.

Isaac Shelby, David G. Cowan, Secretary pro tem

Danville August 5, 1819

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky, present Isaac Shelby, Chairman, John Boyle, William Owesly, Samuel McKee, Samuel K. Nelson, Nathan H. Hall, James Birney, John Green, James Barbour,

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Ephraim McDowell, David G. Cowan.

William Owesly & Samuel McKee produced a certificate of their having taken the oath required before a Justice of the Peace and thereupon took their seats.

Joseph McDowell & William Craig appeared & took seats.

John Green & Joseph McDowell, Esqs., are appointed as collectors of the funds due the institution in the room of David G. Cowan who is about to be absent and they are authorised to use their discretion as to any coercion to be used in the collection of any monies due the College - and also to receive notes for the same as they may deem expedient.

Ordered that John Boyle, Samuel McKee, Nathan H. Hall, John Green, and Ephraim McDowell be a committee any three to have power to act to select a suitable person as professor or teacher of mathematics in this institution & that they report their selection to the Board for confirmation.

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Ordered that the committee heretofore appointed to contract for the erection of a College Edifice be authorised during the progress of the building to make such unimportant alterations as they may deem necessary not essentially altering the plan and that Samuel K. Nelson be added in the room of David G. Cowan who will be absent.

David G. Cowan is appointed to solicit donations to this institution.

James Barbour is appointed Clerk of this Board pro tem in the room of David G. Cowan.

The Board then adjourned to meet on first Saturday in September next.

Isaac Shelby

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Danville September 4, 1819

The Board met pursuant to adjournment. Present Isaac Shelby, Chairman, James Birney, Thomas Montgomery, William Craig, Samuel K. Nelson, Ephraim McDowell, John Green, Joseph McDowell, James Barbour.

Edward Worthington produced a certificate of his having taken the oath prescribed by law & took his seat.

Thomas Montgomery a member of the Board produced a paper containing subscriptions to the College by Goodman Oldham & others amounting in the whole to $405 which was ordered to be filed & preserved by the Clerk.

Ordered that the Board be adjourned to meet again on the third Saturday in November next.

Isaac Shelby