The Daily Bulletin

PEACE HOVERS OVER WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY.
POLITICS FORGOTTEN

WILBERFORCE, Aug. 26 (ANP) -Bishop R. C. Ransom, of the AME church and chairman of the board of trustees of Wilberforce University, at the end of the board meeting, characterized it as "the hardest working and the most harmonious board meeting I have ever witnessed.

Thus peace came to Wilberforce which has been troubled during recent months with battling and recriminations flying about between the administration and board members, between the church and state sides, caused by or culminating in a bill introduced into the Ohio legislature which would have virtually robbed the church of control it exercises over the university. If the state had enacted the bill, observers say, the church could no longer have employed or discharged the president at will and would have been cut off from the benefits which accrue from state appropriations.

In any event the school faced adverse legislative action for the first time in many years and for a time it appeared that a knockdown drag-out political fight would be staged. The bill failed and the board meeting indicated that the diverse elements had found common ground of agreement.

President Charles H. Wesley presented a report which contained 31 recommendations for improvement of the institution. Most of them were adopted. He reported that there were 1,000 more applications for admission by students than Wilberforce had room for. Provisions were made for the erection of a new building housing the cafeteria and some administrative offices.

Teachers were classified and given academic rank, a condition the faculty has long fought for. A standardized scale of salaries was adopted. There were some sharp decreases but on the whole salaries were increased around 15 percent.

The office of treasurer was established. Rev. C. G. Powell was elected to that office. R. R. Wright 3rd, associate professor of economics and son of Bishop R. R. Wright, 2nd. was elected public relations officer and business manager of the Negro College quarterly.

Resignations were accepted from Reverdy C. Ransom 3rd and his wife, Mrs. Lillian Jones Ransom.

A leave of absence was granted to tempt the presidency of Edward Waters college in Florida.

Attending the board were Bishop Nichols, Birmingham, Bishop Reid. S. C., and Bishop Wright. Atty. Ray E. Hughes, president of the State School board, also a member of the Church board, was present.

The next meeting will be in October.