501
The University of Kansas.
Chancellor's Office.
May Lawrence, May 24th 1886. M
My Dear Sir:
I have been referred to you for information concerning Prof. W. H. Wynne who is highly recommended to the Board of Regnets of the University of Kansas as a suitible perosn to succeed to the c chair of English Language and Literature, vacant at the clost of the present collegiate year. I may premise by saying that your reply shall be regarded as given in the strecst confidenco.
I desire to know something of this personal history so far as it affects the present inquiry. What advantages has he enjoyed for special studies in English? Or what institution is he a graduate and when did he graduate?
I desire also to make the follwing specific inquiries: I. As to his general scholarship. II. As to his scholarship in English. III. Is he a successful teacher? What experience has he had in teaching? Has he tact, judgment, enthusiasm in the lecture room Is his enthusiasm contagious? IV. Will he be likely to exert a good and wholesome influence over his students both in the class room and out of it? Is he of such Character and bearing as to secure recognition abroad as a scholar and instructor. VI. Has he any disqualifying peculiarities of person, manners, temper.
Do you without hesitation or qualification recommend him for the place in question? An early reply will greatly oblige,
Yours sincerely, J. A. Lippincott
To Prof. Bessey.
P.S. I may say that Prof. Wynne's recommendations are among the best that I have in hand. I send out this letter, not that yours already received is not satisfactory, but that I may have knowledge of specific points named above. If you will answer candidly, you will confer a great favor.
L.
502
Ames, Dec. 20th '86
My dear Prof.
"Over the fence is out, Sir." I can hardly say how it came about. It seems that the new Board came in, as all other Boards have, under some sort of pledge of reconstruction, incited by the prevailing sentiment in the Agri. and Stock Breeders' Societies, and encouraged to it by Knapp and Budd in the faculty. The feeling fixes mainly on Budd. Hunt threw himself head forward into the scheme and began the work of weeding
503
out the faculty – was glad under pretext of ill-health to drop the iron seething hot. But the infaturation had taken hold on the Board, and they were led to believe that I was the main obstacle in the way of realizing their plans, Budd inducing them to think that my influence with young men tended to draw them off from the industries into the professions. Accordingly when I was disposed of with a series of highly complimentary resolutions, they set to work on the course of study, and the new Pres. (who is not a strong man, and will almost certainly fail before 2 yrs have gone round)
was obliged to tell them that if they proceeded with that sort of work he would immediately resign; that if the faculty and Pres. were not competent to frame a corner of study and to be [trusted?] in it, they were not fit to occupy these places. There they were towed up by their own halter. They had a big term, chasing the new Pres. from this meeting, and stirring up [?] generally. But they wound up without reorganization and a general feeling ofdistrust on all hands. I find myself out, but going with me the ardent [attestment?]
504
of all the students without exception, of all th alumni to a man and a woman, and of all the faculty except, of course, this miserable humbug of a Budd, and he meets me on the streets of Ames, every day, and just as often protests his interest in my welfare. [?], shallow head, what will become of him, and such as he? It is a singular way to get out of Col. especially after such long and may I say faithful service (I believe I never missed an engagement). But the desperation on the part of my friends generally is to contratulate me.
505
2
and my wife accepts the issue as a triumph. During all these years my work has been under suspicion, and made the foot-ball for the scheming ambitions of small men, and the butt of the prejudices of infinitessimally smaller men, and not having the time to [?] them out in their subterranian plottings I must inevitably in the end be their victim. Mr Clarkson was an intelligent and true friend all the way through, and I am under lasting indebtedness to him. I want to thank you Prof. for your very great kindness to me