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In his speech Wednesday, announcing the July, 1949, closing of the Galesburg Division, Dean C. M. Louttit urged, "You members of the student body should not allow yourselves to slack off on your studies just because the Division is closing. By doing so you may jeopardize your standing when it comes to transferring to Champaign next fall."

At the beginning of his speech, Dean Louttit expressed regret at the closing, but later explained that the circumstances had pointed to no other solution. Although three weeks ago, President George D. Stoddard of the University had announced that the Division would continue in operation until June, 1950, the situation had been changed by a phone call from Gov. Adlai Stevenson.

Stevenson asked President Stoddard last week if it would be injurious to the University of Illinois to close the Galesburg branch in June, 1949. Since Stoddard's answer was no, the Governor stated that he would have to ask U. of I. to withdraw because pressure to do something about the crowded conditions of state institutions was so strong.

The Welfare Department of the State of Illinois is planning to use this plant to relieve some burden carried by our over-crowded state hospitals, as a research center for medical care of the aged.

It was at this point in the address that Dean Louttit remarked that he believed that the trip by the paraplegic students to Springfield in a last minute effort to have the Division continued was a lost cause. Louttit quoted Stoddard as saying that special teachers would be hired to help the disabled students to complete their two-year courses, if they were not able to attend classes at Urbana.

As a note of cheer, Louttit announced that Galesburg students, with satisfactory grades will have, priority in Urbana. Details concerning transfers will be released as soon as possible, probably through advisors.

He also reasured -sic- the married students living in the blockhouses that they would not be required to vacate their apartments immediately at the end of school, but would probably be allowed to remain until the end of the summer.