Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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ready to respond cordially to any reasonable appeal made to them. With this encour- agement, Senator Chamberlain, Judge John A. Lacy, and the writer journeyed down to Lexington together, where they were joined by Prof. W. R. Vance two days later. At the University we found Mr. Frank A. Nelson who, as president of the General Alumni Association, had been actively in touch with many of the old students. On fvlonday and Tuesday of Commencement week prolonged conferences were held, in which active part was taken by Senator Chamberlain, Judge Lacy, Frank A. Nelson, W. G. McDowell, Greenlee Letcher, Professor Staples (by request), E. W. Wilson, and others. Resolutions were formulated which were presented by W. T. Thorn to the general meeting of the alumni on Tuesday afternoon, Jur.e 14th, and were adopted after considerable discussion and earnest speeches in advocacy by Senator Chamberlain, Professor Vance, Mr. Bennet N. Bell, Ex-Gov. W. A. MacCorkle of West Virginia, and others. It will be noted in passing that the affair was distinctly of the alumni and by the alumni, the trustees and the faculty taking no active part in the proceedings, except Prof. A. P. Staples, whose legal advice was asked and kindly given. These resolutions provided for the preparation of a charter by Messrs. G. D. Letcher, W. S. Hopkins, and Frank Moore as a committee. These gentlemen promptly executed their trust on June 22nd; Judge S. H. Letcher gave his certificate on June 23rd; and the State Corporation Commission of Virginia granted the charter on June 29, 1910. The Charter is as follows: CERTIFICATE FOR INCORPORATION WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI, INCORPORATED. We, the undersigned, G. D. Letcher, Frank Moore, and W. S. Hopkins, of Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia, desiring to be made a body politic and incor- porated, do hereby sign and acknowledge the following certificate according to the laws of Virginia for that purpose: (a) The name of the corporation shall be The WASHINGTON AND Lee UNI- VERSITY Alumni, Incorporated. (b) The principal and general office shall be located in Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia, with branch offices in Washington, District of Columbia, or elsewhere. (c) The purposes of this corporation are to incorporate the alumni of Washington and Lee University or such of them as may comply with the requirements of this charter and the by-laws made pursuant thereto, that for the benefit of the Washington and Lee University they may receive and hold money and other property, real and personal ; may buy, erect, or receive by gift, devise, contract, conveyance, or otherwise, property, real or personal, at Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia, or elsewhere within or without the State of Virginia; may hold or dispose of same on such terms and such conditions as by the duly authorized authorities of said corporation may be deemed proper and may be in accordance with the laws of Virginia, said disposition both of corpus and income to be made at such time, in such manner, and under such conditions as the duly authorized 12

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t!Ll)r Wlasliittston auti 3Lrr Ini )frsitP :3[lumni incorporntcli B ' William Taylor Thom, Secrelurv. T a meeting of the Washington and Lee alumni in Washington City held in the office of Prof. W. R. Vance, on February 5, 1909, the writer suggested that the alumni should try to raise a large endow- ment for their alma mater. A committee was appointed at that meeting to formulate a plan of action. After several meetings and much consultation with some of our alumni in Congress, the committee adopted a plan which, details omitted, included a vigorous appeal by letter to the alumni at large for the formation of a corporate alumni body to raise and hold a large alumni endowment fund for the benefit of the University. This plan was rejected upon being reported to a meeting of the Washington City Alumni Association held on May 4, 1910, and another committee, consisting of Messrs. Vance, Poindexter, Thom, Chamberlain, and Owen — two members of the local association and three others — was appointed to draw up articles of incorpora- tion for a Society of the Alumni, to raise, hold, and dispose of funds for the best interests of the University. A second resolution provided for a committee to go to Lexington and secure the cooperation of the General Alumni Association; this committee, however, was not appointed. Meanwhile time was pressing. The great body of the alumni, whose affair this was, had not been reached. Some sanction from them was most important before at- tempting anything at Lexington. Hence it seemed that something more than adopting resolutions was needed. Through the efficient help of Senator Chamberlain, the alumni in Congress were readily induced to undertake as individuals to communicate with their fellow alumni as individuals. This appeal to the alumni was made possible by funds furnished in part by some of our alumni in Congress — Senators Robert L. Owen, Geo. E. Chamberlain and Miles Poindexter, and Congressmen James Hay, James L. Slayden, H. D. Flood, and in part by other alumni, Messrs. John P. Walker, J. W. Bagley, Walter E. Harris, and Thomas Nelson Page. Between five and six hundred alumni signed and sent in the return postal card which reads: I hereby express myself as in favor of some form of incorporation of the alumni of Washington and Lee in order to give organization and permanence to a persistent effort to raise a large endowment for the University. In addition, many letters accompanied the cards, expressing the gratification of the writers that an organized movement was about to be set on foot and their desire to aid in its successful issue. So many replies upon such short notice showed th the alumni were

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authorities of this corporation exclusively may deem proper; and may invest or reinvest any funds coming into the ownership of said corporation; and may hold, manage, and control all property coming in said corporation as aforesaid, as hereinafter named trustees or their successors may deem proper, under suitable rules and regulations to be made under the powers conferred by this charter, in o:der to aid the Washington and Lee University in any and all ways that may be deemed proper; and they may adopt any other methods or means authorized by law to advance and further the purpose of said incorporation ard to keep the bond between the Washington and Lee University and her alumni close and continuous. And said hereinafter named trustees or their successors shall be authorized to make such expenditures as may be found necessary or desirable for the wise conduct of their trust. (d) The number of the trustees who are to manage the aflairs of the corporation shall be seven (7), which number may be increased or diminished as hereinafter set out. (e) The names of the tiustees who are to manage the affairs of the corporation for t he first year of its existence and thereafter, until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified subject to the provisions and conditions in this charter set out, are as follows: Henry T. Wickham, Richmond, Virginia. George E. Chamberlain, Portland, Oregon. Robert L. Owen, Muskogee, Oklahoma. William Taylor Thom, Washington, D. C. William A. Glasgow, Jr., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. W. A. MacCorkle, Charleston, West Virginia. Frank A. Nelson, Chattanooga, Tennessee. (f) The corporation is to be of unlimited duration. (g) The amount of real estate to be held shall not exceed five thousand (5,000) acres at any one time in any one county or city. (h) The President of this corporation shall be George E. Chamberlain, of Port- land, Oregon; the Vice-Presidents shall be Robert L. Owen, Muskogee, Oklahoma; Thomas Nelson Page, Washington, District of Columbia; Mortimer N. Wifdom, New Orleans, Louisiana; Bixby Wilhs, of Kansas City, Missouri, and John Alexander Lacy, Washington, District of Columbia; the Secretary shall be William Taylor Thom, of Washington, District of Columbia; the Treasurer shall be Frank A. Nelson, Chatta- nooga, Tennessee; and the Assistant Treasurer shall be R. W. Hynson, Washington, District of Columbia; all of whom are to serve for the first year unless vacancies occur by death or resignation, when their successors are to be elected by the trustees. The members of said corporation are to meet annually at Lexington, Virginia, during the Washington and Lee University Commencement. The trustees shall have the right to make by-laws governing the Board of Trustees and the corporation, and also prescribing the terms of admission to membership. There shall be eligible to membership in this corporation any alumnus of Washington and Lee