LD 
 
 IZ45 
 
 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 
 
 SETH LOW. LL.D 
 
OF THIS MINUTE THERE HAVE BEEN 
 
 PRINTED ONE COPY, SIGNED, FOR 
 
 PRESENTATION TO MR, LOW 
 
 AND ONE HUNDRED COPIES 
 
 FOR DISTRIBUTION 
 
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 
 
 SETH LOW, LLD. 
 
INUTES ADOPTED BY THE 
 TRUSTEES OF 'COLUMBIA 
 COLLEGE IN THE CITY OF 
 NEW YORK AND BY THE UNIVERSI- 
 TY COUNCIL ON THE RESIGNATION 
 OF SETH LOW,LLD. AS PRESIDENT 
 
^^:; 
 
 
T A STATED MEETING 
 OF THE TRUSTEES OF 
 C*^L.l iMB(A COLLEGE 
 IN THE CITY OF NEW 
 YORK, HELD AT THE 
 COLLEGE ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OF OCTOBER, IN THE YEAR OF 
 OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND NINE 
 HUNDRED AND ONE, THE FOLLOW- 
 ING MINUTE WAS ADOPTED BY 
 UNANIMOUS VOTE : 
 ^..^ HE TRUSTEES HAVE HEARD 
 WITH THE DEEPEST REGRET 
 THAT MR, LOW HAS DETER- 
 MINED TO RESIGN THE OFFICE OF 
 PRESIDENT OF THIS UNIVERSITY. 
 THEY APPRECIATE, HOWEVER, THE 
 PATRIOTIC PURPOSES WHICH 
 HAVE INDUCED HIM TO RETIRE 
 FROM HIS PRESENT POST; AND 
 RECOGNIZE THE DELICACY AND 
 UNSELFISHNESS WHICH HAVE DIC- 
 TATED HIS REQUESTS THAT 
 
HIS RESIGNATION BE CONSIDERED 
 FINAL AND THAT IT BE ACCEPTED 
 TO TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. 
 EQUESTS SO MADE CANNOT 
 BE IGNORED OR REFUSED, 
 AND THE TRUSTEES HAVE 
 THEREFORE FELT CONSTRAINED 
 TO COMPLY. WITH MR. LOW'S 
 WISHES AND TO ACCEPT HIS RES- 
 IGNATION AT THIS PRESENT MEET- 
 ING. IN SO DOING, THEY DEEM IT 
 PROPER TO ENTER UPON THEIR 
 MINUTES A RECORD OF THEIR 
 AFFECTIONATE REGARD FOR MR. 
 LOW PERSONALLY, AND OF THEIR 
 HIGH OPINION OF THE VALUE OF 
 HIS SERVICES TO THE UNIVERSITY. 
 R. LOW HAS NOW SERVED 
 AS TRUSTEE FOR TWENTY 
 YEARS. HE HAS SERVED 
 AS PRESIDENT FOR EXACTLY 
 TWELVE YEARS, HAVING BEEN 
 ELECTED OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, 
 

 
 
 
 EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY- 
 
 
 
 NINE— A PERIOD MARKED BY MOST 
 
 
 
 IMPORTANT CHANGES, WHICH 
 
 
 
 MAY FAIRLY BE SAID TO HAVE 
 
 
 
 CREATED A NEW COLUMBIA. 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 X 
 
 GREAT UNIVERSITY HAS 
 BEEN ORGANIZED OUT OF A 
 GROUP OF SCATTERED AND 
 
 
 
 UNRELATED SCHOOLS. IT HAS 
 
 
 
 BEEN MOVED TO NEW AND GENER- 
 
 
 
 OUS QUARTERS THAT WORTHILY 
 
 
 
 ACCOMMODATE IT, AND THAT 
 
 
 
 INVITE THE LARGE EXPANSION 
 
 
 
 WHICH IS CERTAINLY BEFORE IT. 
 
 
 
 IT HAS ESTABLISHED INTIMATE 
 
 
 
 AND SATISFACTORY AFFILIATIONS 
 
 
 
 WITH BARNARD COLLEGE AND 
 
 
 
 TEACHERS' COLLEGE. ITS EDU- 
 
 
 
 CATIONAL ORGANIZATION IS 
 
 
 
 THOROUGH AND EFFECTIVE; A 
 
 
 
 STRONG, ENTHUSIASTIC COMMON 
 
 
 
 LIFE NOW PERVADES AND IN- 
 
 
 
 SPIRES EVERY PART; THE NUM- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 SUPPLEMENT THE FUNDS OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY, AND TO HELP EVERY 
 GOOD CAUSE IN WHICH ITS MEM- 
 BERS ARE INTERESTED. 
 ^.^ HE TRUSTEES CANNOT BUT 
 1 DEPLORE THE LOSS OF AN 
 ^ EXECUTIVE OFFICER SO 
 
 
 
 ABLE, EXPERIENCED AND ZEAL- 
 OUS, BUT THEY REJOICE TO LEARN 
 THAT MR. LOW INTENDS TO CON- 
 TINUE A TRUSTEE AND THEY 
 INDULGE THE HOPE THAT WHAT- 
 EVER POST OF DUTY HE MAY 
 HEREAFTER OCCUPY THIS BOARD 
 WILL STILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY 
 THE BENEFIT OF HIS COUNSEL. 
 
 rRUE COPY : : : : SIGNED 
 
 A WM. C. SCHERMERHORN 
 
 ^^ CHAIRMAN ::::::::: 
 
 
 I/^LJXT D r>TXTC /^I rTilZ 
 
 ::::::: JOHN B. PINb, CLERK 
 
 
 
 
T A SPECIAL MEETING 
 OF THE UNIVERSITY 
 COUNCIL, HELD ON 
 THE TWELFTH DAY 
 OF OCTOBER, IN THE 
 YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUS- 
 AND NINE HUNDRED AND ONE, THE 
 FOLLOWING MINUTE WAS ADOPT- 
 ED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE : 
 ^..^^ HE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL 
 OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, 
 CONVENED IN SPECIAL SES- 
 SION FOR THIS PURPOSE, DESIRES 
 TO ENTER UPON ITS RECORDS A 
 MINUTE SUGGESTED BY THE 
 RESIGNATION OF SETH LOW, FOR 
 TWELVE YEARS PRESIDENT OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY. 
 
 HEN K LOW BECAME 
 THE PRESIDENT OF CO- 
 UMBIA COLLEGE, IN 
 THE ACADEMIC YEAR MDCCC- 
 LXXXIX-XC. THE INSTITUTION 
 
 
CONSISTED OF FOUR FACULTIES, 
 IN CHARGE RESPECTIVELY OF THE 
 SCHOOLS OF ARTS, MINES, LAW 
 AND POLITICAL SCIENCE. 
 ~=^ HESEFACULTIESNUMBERED 
 I ONE HUNDRED AND 
 TWENTY-TWO OFFICERS 
 OF INSTRUCTION; AND THESE 
 SCHOOLS WERE ATTENDED BY 
 ELEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY- 
 FOUR STUDENTS. THE FACULTIES 
 WERE CONNECTED WITH EACH 
 OTHER ONLY THROUGH THE PRES- 
 IDENT AND TRUSTEES OF THE COL- 
 LEGE ; AND THE SCHOOLS EXISTED 
 ALONGSIDE OF EACH OTHER 
 WITHOUT ANY PRINCIPLE OR CUS- 
 TOM OF RECIPROCITY. THE LI- 
 BRARY OF THE COLLEGE CON- 
 TAINED NINETY-ONE THOUSAND 
 VOLUMES ; AND THE WEALTH OF 
 THE CORPORATION WAS ESTI- 
 MATED AT TEN MILLIONS AND FIVE 
 
p^ 
 
 -r\ 
 
 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
 THE FACULTIES, SCHOOLS, LI- 
 BRARY AND ENTIRE EQUIPMENT 
 WERE CROWDED INTO THE NAR- 
 ROW AND NOISY QUARTERS BOR- 
 DERING UPON THETRACKS OF THE 
 NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILWAY. 
 
 0-DAY, COLUMBIA UNIVER- 
 'Tv CONSISTS OF NINE 
 
 FACULTIES, IN CHARGE RE- 
 SPECTIVELY OF COLUMBIA COL- 
 LEGE, BARNARD COLLEGE, TEACH- 
 ERS' COLLEGE, AND THE UNIVER- 
 SITY SCHOOLS OF LAW, MEDICINE, 
 APPLIED SCIENCE, PURE SCIENCE, 
 PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL SCI- 
 ENCE. THESE FACULTIES NOW 
 NUMBER THREE HUNDRED AND 
 EIGHTY-FIVE OFFICERS OF IN- 
 STRUCTION ; AND THESE COL- 
 LEGES AND SCHOOLS ARE NOW AT- 
 TENDED BY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE 
 HUNDRED STUDENTS. THE FAC- 
 
ULTIES ARE NOW CO-ORDINATED 
 WITH EACH OTHER IN THE UNIVER- 
 SITY COUNCIL, IN WHICH ALL THE 
 EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND 
 INTERESTS OF THE UNIVERSITY 
 ARE OFFICIALLY REPRESENTED; 
 AND A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF 
 RECIPROCITY BETWEEN ALL THE 
 PARTS OF THE INSTITUTION AND 
 ALSO WITH THE UNION THEOLOG- 
 ICAL SEMINARY NOW PREVAILS. 
 ^ HE LIBRARYOFTHE UNIVER- 
 SITY NOW CONTAINS THREE 
 HUNDRED AND ELEVEN 
 THOUSAND VOLUMES; AND THE 
 WEALTH OF THE CORPORATION IS 
 NOW ESTIMATED AT EIGHTEEN MIL- 
 LIONS OF DOLLARS OF WHICH ONE 
 AND A HALF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, 
 IN ROUND NUMBERS, REPRESENT 
 THE SPLENDID GENEROSITY AND 
 MUNIFICENCE OF MR. LOW HIM- 
 SELF. AND, FINALLY, THE UNIVER- 
 
 P=T 
 
SITY IS NOW LOCATED UPON A SITE 
 AND POSSESSES A PHYSICAL EQUIP- 
 MENT UNSURPASSED IN BEAUTY, 
 COMFORT AND COMPLETENESS BY 
 THOSE OF ANY INSTITUTION OF 
 LEARNING IN THE WORLD. 
 ^,=^ HIS MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVE- 
 MENT, WROUGHT WITHIN 
 THE SHORT PERIOD OF 
 TWELVE YEARS, HAS NO PARALLEL 
 IN THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY OF 
 ANY COUNTRY OR OF ANY AGE ; 
 AND NO FURTHER OR HIGHER 
 PROOFS OF MR. LOW'S ABILITIES 
 AS AN EDUCATOR AND AN ADMINIS- 
 TRATOR THAN THE MERE RECITAL 
 OF THESE FACTS ARE NECESSARY. 
 UT MR. LOW BROUGHT TO 
 THE SOLUTION OF THE 
 PROBLEMS OFTHE UNIVER- 
 SITY QUALITIES EVEN MORE IM- 
 PORTANT AND NEEDFUL THAN 
 THESE INTELLECTUAL POWERS : : 
 

 
 
 
 FIRST AND HIGHEST AMONG THESE 
 
 
 
 QUALITIES, AND MOST INDISPEN- 
 SABLE, WAS THE POWER TO WIN 
 
 
 
 AND TO HOLD THE FULL AND UN- 
 
 
 
 WAVERING CONFIDENCE AND THE 
 
 
 
 CORDIAL AND ZEALOUS CO-OP- 
 
 
 
 ERATION OF ALL HIS COLLEAGUES 
 
 
 
 —A POWER WHICH CAN COME 
 
 
 
 ONLY FROM AN INNATE LOVE OF 
 
 
 
 TRUTH, JOINED WITH AN OPEN 
 
 
 
 MIND, A HIGH SENSE OF JUSTICE, 
 UNBENDING INTEGRITY, KINDNESS 
 OF HEART AND GENUINE DEFER- 
 
 
 ENCE IN MANNER. 
 
 1 
 
 
 % 
 
 — ^ VERY OFFICER OF THE UNI- 
 
 
 
 H VERSITY FELT THAT HIS IN- 
 
 
 
 TERESTS AND THOSE OF HIS 
 
 
 DEPARTMENT WERE SAFE IN THE 
 
 
 HANDS OF MR. LOW, AND THAT 
 
 
 
 NO OCCULT INFLUENCES WOULD 
 
 
 
 EVER BE ALLOWED TO PREVAIL 
 
 
 
 IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE 
 
 
 
 AFFAIRS OF THE INSTITUTION. 
 
 
 
 
 
*'^^ T IS THE RECOLLECTION OF 
 THESE RARE AND INVALU- 
 ABLE TRAITS, EVEN MORE 
 THAN OF HIS ADMINISTRATIVE 
 ABILITIES, WHICH MAKES THE 
 PARTING V^ITH HIM SO HARD AND 
 REGRETFUL AND WHICH MOVES 
 THIS COUNCIL TO EXPRESS THE 
 HOPE AND WISH, FOR ITSELF AND 
 FOR THE BODIES REPRESENTED IN 
 IT, THAT FROM HIS SEAT IN THE 
 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNI- 
 VERSITY, MR. LOW MAY STILL CON- 
 TINUE TO MANIFEST HIS OLD IN- 
 TEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY AND MAY STILL 
 EXERT HIS GREAT POWERS IN THE 
 PROMOTION OF ITS WELFARE. 
 
 HOUGH CONSCIOUS THAT 
 
 ^ 
 
 f=^ 
 
 THESE WORDS DO NOT EX- 
 PRESS WITH ANYADEQUACY 
 THE FEELINGS OF THE MEMBERS 
 OF THIS BODY CONCERNING THE 
 
OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY 
 AND ALL OF ITS OFFICERS TO MR. 
 LOW, AND THEIR DEEP REGRET AT 
 HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE PRESI- 
 DENCY, YET YOUR COMMITTEE 
 WOULD BEG TO RECOMMEND 
 THAT THIS MINUTE BE SPREAD 
 IN FULL UPON THE RECORDS OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL, AND 
 THAT THE SECRETARY BE DIRECT- 
 ED TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF IT, 
 WITH A SUITABLE LETTER, TO MR. 
 LOW. 
 
 TRUE COPY : : : : SIGNED 
 NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER 
 ACTING PRESIDENT : : : : 
 : : : : : WILLIAM H. CARPENTER 
 SECRETARY ::::::::::: 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 029 929 153 4