Turmoil at Washington Agricultural College
Board of Regents investigates student assault and political infighting over faculty appointments at the new state college.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At the meeting of the Board of Regents for the agricultural college, the board passed a resolution condemning the unlawful and unbecoming conduct of certain students who assaulted a member of their own body at the close of the last session. The regents demand an investigation to ensure the guilty parties are punished. Concurrently, the board is struggling with faculty appointments; Lee Fairchild withdrew his application for the Chair of English Literature after regents indicated they could not justify the added expense or the lack of room for another chair. The board also appointed Prof. Hendricks to the Chair of Agriculture over the objections of those wishing to delay the election, and approved a report to the Governor requesting a legislative investigation into the institution’s finances and construction progress.
“The board view with deep concern and great regret the unlawful and unbecoming action of certain students.”
This early struggle over the direction and governance of what is now Washington State University (WSU) captures the growing pains of a fledgling institution. The tension between political appointments, student discipline, and state funding remains a hallmark of civic debates over public education in Washington today.
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