Page 489 - My FlipBook

HISTOEY OF DEXTAL SUEGERY 447

bers of the faculty could not accede. Upon the declination by his faculty col-
leagues to carry out his wishes, he, acting as incumbent vice-president of the
board of trustees and directors, under a forced interpretation of a by-law, de-
liberately took every step, he officially could, to embarrass the carrying forward
of the business of the college, and ultimately, October 31st, 1895, he with four
of the trustees and directors whom he had induced to join him, petitioned
the regents of the University of the State of New York, to withdraw the exist-
ing Act of Incorporation from the legislature under which the college was
chartered and substitute therefore a charter to be issued by the regents of the
University of the State of New York, which would deprive the professors from
being members of the board of trustees and directors.
The fifteen other members of the board of trustees and directors, includ-
ing the incumbent professors, united to defeat this action of Professor Frank
Abbott, M. D., holding that their management of the college, since 1869, had
been in conformity with the Act of Incorporation and the statutes of the state
and that they had conducted the business of the college along conscientious and
honorable lines.
The trustees were required to appear before a committee of the regents,
in Albany, January 3, 1896, to show cause why the x\ct of Incorporation from
the legislature of the college should not be withdrawn by the regents and a
charter from the regents be issued to the college. The board of trustees and
directors responded to the call by a full representation of fifteen of the twenty
members, when both arguments, for, by Dr. Abbott's counsel, and against, by
the counsel of the board, were heard by the committee of the regents.
After the hearing of the above arguments and also a financial report and
full statement of the conduct of the institution from 186.5-9.5—compiled by
Professor Faneuil D. AVeisse, M. D.—the committee of the regents exonerated
the trustees and directors, including the professors, from having committeed
any irregularities under their Act of Incorporation. They, the regents, how-
ever, still thought, that it would be advisable for the professors to be withdrawn
from the board of trustees and directors, and that this would be efl'ected by the
trustees and directors accepting a charter from the regents in e.xchange for
their Act of Incorporation from the legislature. Acting on this the regents
of the University of the State of New York issued a charter to the New York
College of Dentistry, of date of March 19, 1896.
The question of this exchange remained under consideration between the
regents and the trustees and directors of the college from March, 1896, until