Centre College Special Collections - Board of Trustees Minutes (1827)

Centre College Board of Trustees Minutes (Vol. 1 - 1827)

[February 3, 1827]

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky, present John Boyle, Chairman, James Birney, Ephraim McDowell, James Barbour, Jeremiah Fisher, Michael G. Youce, Charles Henderson, Samuel K. Nelson, Benjamin H. Perkins, Edward Worthington, John Green, David G. Cowan.

The Board was informed that the trustees of Synod desire a meeting with a committee of the Board on the 15th instant to consult in relation to the appointment of a permanent President - whereupon Samuel K. Nelson, John Green & David G. Cowan appointed a committee to repair to Lexington for the purpose.

The Rev. Samuel K. Nelson appeared before the board and made a free & voluntary donation of his share of stock in the Refectory of the College.

John Green, Esq., appeared before the Board & made a free and voluntary donation of one share of stock in the Refectory of the

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College - also Charles Henderson did the same as to one share.

Resolved that the collectors are hereby authorised to receive in payment of original subscriptions the stock which has been fully paid for in the Refectory of the College at the rate of sixty dollars per share.

Resolved further that such other stock holders as have paid up for their shares shall be entitled to be paid dividends at the rate of three per centum per annum from the time of such payment until the first of April next in lieu of their right to claim a proportion of rents and profits.

Resolved that James Barbour, Ephraim McDowell, Charles Henderson & Joseph McDowell be a committee to settle with James J. Miles, steward of the Refectory, for the rent of the same from November 1825 till November 1826 and enter into a specific contract from the latter date for one year.

Ordered that Messrs. Birney, Perkins & Youce be a committee to settle with Mr. Nelson and report to the next Board.

The Board adjourned.

John Boyle

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Danville February 20, 1827

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky, present John Boyle, Chairman, Edward Worthington, James Birney, Willaim Miller, Charles Henderson, David G. Cowan, Ephraim McDowell, Michael G. Youce, William Craig, Joseph McDowell, Samuel K. Nelson, Benjamin H. Perkins, Jeremiah Fisher.

The Secretary presented a letter from the Rev. Thomas Cleland resigning his seat as a member of this Board.

Col. Samuel McKee, a member of this Board having departed this life, his seat, therefore is vacated.

Resolved unanimously that the Rev. Ezra Fisk, D. D.of Goshen, New York, be appointed President of this institution.

Resolved that hereafter the salary of the President of this institution shall be $1,200 per annum in specie payable quarterly.

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Ordered that the Committee of Correspondence inform Dr. Fisk of his appointment.

Danville March 17, 1827

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Centre College, present John Boyle, James Birney, Samuel K. Nelson, Ephraim McDowell, Joseph McDowell, Edward Worthington, John Green, Benjamin H. Perkins, Charles Henderson, Michael G. Youce, David G. Cowan, William Miller.

Ordered that Charles Henderson

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be appointed a collector for the Board in addition to those heretofore appointed for the Asylum and that he be authorised to receive specie at the present rate of exchange for the time being.

The Board came to the following agreement with Samuel K. Nelson their agent, to locate and attend to business arising under the grant from Congress to the Asylum, viz., the Board allow him to retain ten percentum on the net amount of money arising from sales of land and actually paid into the Treasury as a compensation for his personal services and his personal expenses from this period.

Resolved that the salary of Mr. James Buchanan be increased to the sum of 800 dollars in currency from and after the end of the present session.

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The Board then adjourned.

Danville March 31, 1827

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Centre College of Kentucky, present John Boyle, Chairman, James Birney, Joseph McDowell, John Green, Ephraim McDowell, David G. Cowan, Edward Worthington, Charles Henderson, Jeremiah Fisher, William Miller.

Whereas the Board have been informed by the Rev. David C. Proctor, President pro tem of Centre College, that he would discontinue his services at the close of this session which has lately terminated,

Resolved that the Board do highly approve of the manner in which he has discharged the duties of President of the College and that he be and he is hereby respectfully re-

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quested to continue to act as President thereof until his place can be supplied; and that Messrs. Green, Birney, and McDowell be a committee to communicate to him the wishes of the Board.

Ordered that Charles Henderson caused to be made on the College lot a pool for the purpose of keeping water.

The Board adjourned.

Danville May 24, 1827

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Centre College, present James Birney, Chairman pro tem, Joseph McDowell, Charles Henderson, Jeremiah Fisher, James Barbour, William Miller, James Green, David G. Cowan, Michael G. Youce.

On the motion of James Barbour,

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Treasurer of Centre College and the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, ordered that Charles Henderson, David G. Cowan, and William Miller or any two of them settle his accounts as such and report to the Board.

Ordered that James Barbour, the Treasurer of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, be authorised and directed to collect all monies due the Asylum for money loaned.

The Board of Trustees of Centre College of Kentucky, being disappointed in their expectations of procuring a President and being satisfied with the Rev. David C. Proctor's discharge of the duties of President of the College, have come to the following resolution:

Resolved that the Rev. David C. Proctor be respectfully requested to continue his services during the present session.

Resolved that William Miller and David G. Cowan be a committee to communicate the foregoing to Mr. Proctor.

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Ordered that Mr. Green be added to the committee of correspondence. The Board adjourned.

Danville June 5, 1827

At a meeting of the Trustees of the Asylum, present James Birney, Ephraim McDowell, Joseph McDowell, James Barbour, William Craig, Edward Worthington, William Miller, Michael G. Youce, Jeremiah Fisher, Charles Henderson, David G. Cowan, John S. Higgens. James Birney was appointed Chairman pro tem & David G. Cowan Secretary.

Mr. Cowan offered the following which was unanimously adopted.

The Board having received the melancholy intelligence of the death of the Rev. Samuel K. Nelson, a member of their body, Resolved that as a testimony

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of their veneration and regard for his memory, the members, Faculty and students of the College & Asylum wear crape upon the left arm for thirty days.

The Board proceeded to the selection of an agent to succeed Mr. Nelson in the duties of agent for completing the location and making sale of the lands granted by Congress to the Asylum. Whereupon Richard C. Allin, Esq., of Tallahassee was unanimously chosen. And the said Richard Allin was and is hereby constituted and appointed the agent and attorney of this corporation and that he is hereby authorised and empowered to select and locate under the directions of the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury, all land granted to said corporation or institution in and by virtue of two several acts of Congress, and that the said Allin be authorised and empowered by himself or any sub agent he may think proper to constitute and appoint for and in behalf of said corporation, he being responsible for the acts of such agent, and to do all acts which

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may be necessary and proper to be done for the purpose of completing the title to said land and reducing the same to possession, and also that the said Richard C. Allin be authorised and empowered for and on behalf of said corporation all the right, title and interest of said corporation in and to all or any part of said land, so to be selected and located, or which has heretofore been selected or located by the late Rev. Samuel K. Nelson, the former agent of this corporation, to sell, convey or assign and to make and execute in the name of said corporation all such deeds or other writings as may be necessary for the purpose aforesaid, and also to receive all monies or proceeds of such sales and all rents and profits which may be due & coming to said corporation.

And the amount of compensation to be allowed said Allin for his services of all descriptions was fixed upon at five per centum upon the nett proceeds of sales of lands actually paid over to this

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institution or deposited to the credit of the same in the Branch of the United States Bank at the city of New Orleans or Mobile, said per centum to be retained by said agent out of each and every payment or deposit made as aforesaid, certificates of which deposits shall be regularly transmitted by said agent to the Chairman of the Board. Provided however that before said Allin shall enter upon the duties of his said agency he shall enter into bond to the Trustees in the penalty of $50,000 for the faithful payment or deposit to the credit of this Board of all monies, deducting his commissions of 5 per cent as aforesaid, that he may from time to time receive on account of the same with two or more securities to be approved of by his Excellence Governor William P. Duvall of Florida.

Resolved that Richard C. Allin, the agent of this Board be authorised to retain in addition to the five per centum

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allowed to be retained as his regular compensation to retain out of the first money, he shall receive for and on account of the Board the amount of a note pay $500 given of Mr. Nelson in the summer of 1826 to said Allin, in full discharge of said note, also the additional sum of $ [amount not shown ] to cover the amount of his traveling expenses from Tallahassee to this place and back.

The Board then adjourned.

July 17, 1827

At a meeting of the Trustees of Centre College, present Honorable John Boyle, Chairman, James Birney, James Barbour, Joseph McDowell, Ephraim McDowell, Charles Henderson, David G. Cowan, William Miller, Michael G. Youce, John Green.

Resolved that the corresponding committee be instructed to address a circular letter to the members of the Board of Trustees of the Synod of Kentucky

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inviting them to attend a meeting of this Board on the 1st day of August to consult on the selection of an individual as President of Centre College.

The Board adjourned to 1st day of August next.