And Now the Jitney Foundation
North Carolina's Unique Founda¬
tion Program allows citizens to go
into partnership with the State in
the business of bidding for brains.
By JACK RILEY
You no longer have to be a million¬
aire to sweeten the kitty for education
in North Carolina.
Everybody can get into the act
November 3. That’s when users of
feed and fertilizer will vote on the
proposition of giving five cents per ton
on feed and fertilizer for agricultural
research at N. C. Slate College.
This "Nickels for Know-How" —
which campaigners say will surely pass
— adds a new wrinkle in educational
subsidization which has developed to
exceptional, if not unique, proportions
in North Carolina.
Heretofore, the dozen or more foun¬
dations contributing to Greater Uni¬
versity of North Carolina activities
were usually associated with big names
and big gifts from big business. After
November 30, the little fellow can
contribute — beyond his normal tax
payments — in terms as small as a
nickel.
These contributions will add up to
$150,000 a year for use of the Agri¬
cultural Experiment Station. The size
of the fund is not as significant as the
idea involved and its future prospects.
The next such election may be to col¬
lect a nickel per thousand bricks, per
unit of construction or per ton of news¬
print — depending on who the prospec¬
tive donors may be.
Sec Opportunities
Officials of the Greater University
sec an ever-widening circle of friends
waiting to give, eager to participate in
higher education.
"In time, we hope we can develop
programs under which all kinds of
citizens, as well as all types of corpora¬
tions, can be given the opportunity to
participate in the work of the Univer¬
sity," says President Gordon Gray. "It
is not just the financial support which
is important but it is the interest in
what the University can accomplish
and the work it can render."
The financial support already re¬
ceived from the wealthier foundations
has helped the University lure top¬
flight educators to both Carolina and
State College. It enabled the University
finally, through salary supplements, to
crack the $12,000 pay ceiling and oiler
that extra money it takes to get the
best men in the business. Today
foundation support is helping improve
faculties, expand curriculum and ex¬
tend research. Research findings have
improved operations and brought new
industries to the State. Faraway stu¬
dents have been attracted to the insti¬
tutions. Better graduates have resulted.
A New Way
The foundation plan is a relatively
new development. First to organize
was the N. C. Textile Foundation, Inc.,
which was chartered in 1942 and fixed
a goal of $500,000 in funds. By Febru¬
ary of last year, funds had exceeded
$1,200,000, and the Foundation had
raised its sights to a second million.
Headed throughout its existence by
W. J. "Nick" Carter of Greensboro,
a State College alumnus, the Textile
Foundation has put $291,909.07 into
Heart of the University System — the
old well at Chapel Hill.
the State College Textile School to
bring in better-paid faculty, to provide
better laboratory equipment and to
benefit in turn by new textile methods
growing out of research in the school.
Its assets now total S963.4 10.95.
In 1944, three more foundations
came into being at State College, their
contributors choosing to make liberal
donations of money which would other¬
wise go largely to federal income and
excess profits taxes. The N. C. Engi¬
neering Foundation was born to en¬
courage belter training of designers.
A million dollars was set as the goal,
and the group soon had enough money
from electrical contractors, furniture
makers, the ceramics industry, general
contractors and road builders to sup¬
plement salaries for the dean of the
engineering school and the heads of
electrical and chemical engineering
departments. This foundation spent
$73,491.50 and has $243,479.22 now.
Also in 1944, the Agricultural
Foundation (to which the feed and
fertilizer users' gifts will go) was
formed with a three-fold purpose: (I)
To improve resident teaching of meth¬
ods in agriculture and forestry; (2) to
achieve more intensive and compre¬
hensive research through the Agri¬
cultural Experiment Station and (3) to
expand the Extension Service to get
the practical good of such experiments
to farmers in every county. It has
spent $45,478.34 and now has $166,-
323.54.
Duinmcn Organize
In the same year dairymen organized
the Dairy Foundation with a $500,000
goal of funds for research and educa¬
tion in dairying, aimed at raising the
industry from a $65,000,000 business
to $200,000,000 annual income in
TUB STATE, VoL XIX; No. 21. Entered a% second-class matter. June 1. 1933, at tbe Postoffice at Ratelch. North Carolina, under the act of
March 3, 1879. ' Published by Sharp* Publishing Co., lac., Lawyers Bids., Ralelsb, N.
С.