CHAPTER XXV 



CONCLUDING YEARS 1881-1885 



TO this work of pressing on the development of the 

 leading departments in the university, establishing 

 various courses of instruction, and warding off attacks as 

 best I could, was added the daily care of the regular and 

 steady administration of affairs, and in this my duty was 

 to cooperate with the trustees, the faculty, and the stu 

 dents. The trustees formed a body differently composed 

 from any organization for university government up to 

 that time. As a rule, such boards in the United States 

 were, in those days, self -perpetuating. A man once elected 

 into one of them was likely to remain a trustee during 

 his natural life ; and the result had been much dry-rot and, 

 frequently, a very sleepy condition of things in American 

 collegiate and university administration. In drawing the 

 Cornell charter, we provided for a governing body by first 

 naming a certain number of high State officers the gov 

 ernor, lieutenant-governor, speaker, president of the State 

 Agricultural Society, and others; next, a certain number 

 of men of special fitness, who were to be elected by the 

 board itself ; and, finally, a certain proportion elected by 

 the alumni from their own number. Beside these, the eld 

 est male lineal descendant of Mr. Cornell, and the presi 

 dent of the university, were trustees ex officio. At the first 

 nomination of the charter trustees, Mr. Cornell proposed 

 that he should name half the number and I the other half. 

 This was done, and pains were taken to select men accus 

 tomed to deal with large affairs. A very important pro- 



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