ECTC Budget Cuts, 1932

Source: University Archives, CH1050/3/1

Meeting minutes declaring budget cuts.

Staff Person: Suellyn Lathrop

Description:
During the Depression the state of North Carolina began cutting budgets and in 1931-32 fiscal year declared it would operate on a cash only basis. On February 17, 1932 Robert Wright held an emergency meeting of the entire faculty and staff to discuss the reductions in budgets. The Budget Bureau had asked for a 30% reduction in the school’s budget amounting to $20,000 which is the equivalent of $256,223.63 today. Dr. Wright asked the staff to consider a voluntary reduction in salary of 10% over the four remaining months of the fiscal year. Sallie Joyner Davis made the motion to make the reduction and the motion carried unanimously.

Meeting minutes declaring budget cuts.

The next item on the agenda was the Summer School. Dr. Wright gave three reasons to maintain it: 1) 150 women were committed to coming, 50 of whom would graduate at the end of the summer, 2) difficulty in resuming should they quit and 3) keeping as many people on campus employed through the summer as possible. In addition the Summer School budget was cut by 2/3 from $15,000 to $5,000. The school weathered these budget cuts and continued to grow throughout the 1930’s.

These meeting minutes are part of the Chancellor’s Administrative File found in the University Archives.