Purdue University - Debris Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

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VERY large corporation has its Board of Directors. It is the function of this group, which is elected by the stockholders, to formulate the policies and plans of expansion, regulate the product, and account to the stockholders for the progress of the organization. Purdue University might well be compared to a large corporation. Its stockholders are the taxpayers of Indiana. Its Board of Directors is the Board of Trustees of the university. This Board of Trustees is indirectly appointed by the residents of the state, since they are appointed by the Governor of Indiana. Three of the members of the Board are appointed upon the recommendation of the Alumni Association, and the other six are appointed in such a manner as to give all sections of the state as nearly equal representation as possible. Although the Board of Trustees is a mystery to most students, all that Purdue receives comes from them, and all that Purdue does must have their sanction. The group meets once each semester and at that time transacts such business and promulgates such policies as will be most effective for the welfare of the university. It is easily seen that each member of such a body must be a type of high-minded, public- spirited citizen who has the good of the university at heart. This description applies to the Board of Trustees of Purdue University, which is made up of the following men and Women: David E. Ross, Lafayette, President, James W. Noel, Indianapolis, Vice-President, Mrs. Virginia C. Mere- dith, West Lafayette, Josiah K. Lilly, Indianapolis, Palmer R. Edgerton, Marion, J. Emmett Hall, Indianapolis, John A. Hillenbrand, Batesville, James L. Kimbrough, Muncie, and Robert A. Simpson, Vincennes.

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HE first person with whom the prospective Purdue student comes in contact is the Registrar, Prof. R. B. Stone. All through his university career, the student is never far out of touch with this important office. The mass of detail, so efficiently handled by this office, can hardly be reckoned. Twice each year, three to four thousand students are registered in the university classes in less than three days' time. Twice each year, each of these students has five to eight class grades which must be accurately recorded upon his record. The class schedules must be co-ordinated in such a manner as to cause as few conflicting schedules as possible. Besides all this, the uni- versity catalogue, containing a complete description of all courses offered by the university, is compiled by the Registrar. Prof. Stone may well be proud of the manner in which these and many other duties of the oflice of the Registrar are performed. IKE any large institution, an organization of the size of Purdue University requires the services of a man who knows at all times the exact condition of the insti- tution Hnances. Money has been said to be the life blood of business, and certainly Mr. R. B. Stewart, Controller of Purdue University, must keep his finger upon the pulse of the institution. A university, operated largely upon public funds, must have all moneys wisely spent, and carefully accounted for. Such is the position of Purdue University, and it has fallen to the lot of Mr. Stewart to be the one who says Thou mayest or Thou mayest not. R. W. A. BODDEN holds the position of Auditor of Student Organizations. The need for this office is readily seen by a survey of student activities. At a con- servative estimate, there are fifty student organizations under the supervision of the university. In the course of a year, each of these organizations will collect and disburse an average amount of one thousand dollars. What insti- tution would feel free to place the responsibility of ac- counting for this amount in the hands of a few people who knew only the rudiments of accounting practice? Mr. Bodden, with his knowledge of accounting, helps the various secretaries and treasurers of student organiza- tions to keep their financial house in order. The reports required have a double purpose: first, they furnish an up-to-date financial standing of the organization and, second, they furnish the officers an opportunity to learn about accounting.

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,awww -1 ALL ENGINEERING URDUE UNIVERSITY serves society in many other ways besides that of a purely educational institution. Its primary purpose, of course, is the training of young men and women to take their places in the realms of engineering, science and agriculture, but it goes farther than this as is evidenced by the Engineering Experiment Station, and Department of Engineering Extension. Dean A. A. Potter, as Dean of the Schools of Engineering, has charge of some twenty-five hundred students. In this position, he dictates, in a large measure, the course of training that is to be available to each aspiring engineering student. However, the scope of the activities of Dean Potter is not limited to this particular field. As Director of the Engineering Experiment Station, Dean Potter has charge of some one hundred research engineers, who are making investigations pertaining directly to some phase of industry, railroad, public utilities, building, and roadways. Although it is not generally known, most of these investigations assume proportions of nation-wide importance. The results obtained from the work of the Engineering Experiment Station would be of little value if some means of disseminating the information were not at hand. The Department of Engineering Extension, with Dean Potter as its head, is the means by which those interested are informed of the developments. By the use of conferences, special classes, and publications, the Department of Engineering Extension places information in the hands of those people to whom it is valuable.