http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/botpdf/BOTM18760928.pdfThursday, September 28th, 1876. Pursuant to the call of President Coffroth the Board of Trustees assembled this day at the office of Mr. Coffroth in La Fayette, Inda. [Indiana];—Present President Coffroth and Messrs. [Messieurs] Ratliff, Wells, Haynes, Sutherland and Manson, Trustees. Mr. Stein being absent, on motion Mr. Ratliff was appointed Secretary pro tem. President Coffroth announced to the Board the decease of the Honorable John Purdue, which occurred on the twelfth day of September, 1876, and stated the object of the meeting to be the taking of some action for providing money sufficient to pay the expenses incident to the raising of the foundations of the new building to the first story and protect the same until an administrator of the estate of the decedent could be appointed. On motion it was thereupon ordered that the Treasurer be requested to advance enough moneys to complete the foundations of the new building to the first story and to cover the same so as to protect them against the weather, and also to advance a sufficient amount of money to meet the running expenses of the University—the whole sum not to exceed $8,000.00 and at a rate of interest not to exceed 10 per cent per annum; said advances to be paid by the Treasurer upon the order of the President and Secretary of the Board. It was further ordered that the President of the Board be authorised [authorized] to arrange with the subcontractors of Mr. Purdue for the completion to the first story of the foundations now in progress, during the present Fall, but stipulating that no arrangement to this end shall be construed to annul or modify the contract between this Board and Mr. Purdue, or any contract between Mr. Purdue and his sub-contractors, Mess. [Messieurs] Chew and Melton & Alexander. Mr. Wells offered the following resolution which was unanimously adopted, viz:“Whereas the Hon. John Purdue died intestate on the 12th day of September 1876, owing the Trustees of Purdue University the sum of about seventy five thousand dollars,