June 12th, 1867

Board of Trustees met at four. After some preliminary business of routine, I asked Bishop Coxe to take the Chair and I explained at some length the considerations which had led me to offer my resignation – my long and intimate connection with Trinity College (twenty-four years in all, four as a student, over twenty as an officer) my relations to the Alumni and friends of the College, and hence a peculiar ability to serve it.

The secretary read my resignation. Dr. Shelton, after a long pause, began to speak of my Presidency as having united all voices in and out of College in its praise, so I thought it best to retire, and I took quite a long walk. When I came back, I found the Trustees were on the organization of the College.

They finally appointed a committee of seven, with power to choose a president, and to make any changes in the College deemed advisable. They were evidently bent on radical measures – to make the College a unit. They accepted my resignation very kindly, and said all sorts of good things of me (as I was told by Bishop Coxe) during my absence.

The committee of seven- Bishop Coxe, Doctors Shelton and Schuyler, James C. Smith, and Mr. Douglas (Dr. Dix and Mr. Swift belong to this Committee) met at the close of our meeting, and met again in my study in the evening.