The Board of Regents didn't stop with giving Kost his demands. After fulfilling his wishes, they went a step further and made him Chancellor of the University!

President Williard and Dr. Kost ran for the position of Chancellor post name-change. Williard really wanted the position, Kost was simply encouraged to run.

Williard lost the election for the position, with five votes for him and seven for Kost. Kost immediately tried to step down from the position and give it to Williard, who clearly wanted it more, but the Board would not allow it. This was a demotion for Williard, who had been running the University before Kost got there, who went back to just being the president of the English department.

Williard resigns in protest of Kost's rise to power, despite being an early supporter of working on getting the Museum collection.

Williard then goes on a tirade against the school, who just lets him leave with no real fight. Heidelberg eventually would call him out for his public attack on the school, and Williard eventually gave up.

Kost leaves Heidelberg

The worst part about the whole situation was how quickly Kost left Heidelberg. After trying to resign 3 times, the Board of Regents finally let him leave. By June 1891, Kost steps down from his position as Chancellor and becomes the curator of the museum. His Polytechnic department falls apart soon afterwards, indicating that he had left Heidelberg completely.

"The Polytechnic department has not been in operation during the current collegiate year.

Though Kost might have left, his collection did not. Click the button below to learn about the Museum-Gymnasium!