WLS responds to NYSED about auctions
Wells College’s Wells Fargo Stagecoach housed and cared for at Ledyard Farms.
This week, the Wells Legacy Society planned to write to the NYS Education Department about their newfound confidence in the college’s current leadership to act in “good faith” and exercise “due diligence” in the final disposition of the school’s historic artifacts of cultural and educational significance (see their 8/31/26 “No Objection” letter). We considered including recent evidence that the college may not be reliable in this regard.
We had to look no further than last week’s Village Board meeting, which included information about an exchange between the Village and College on the future of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach and the Fifth Avenue Omnibus. The documents are on the Village website, and in the letter we just sent out to elected and appointed NYS officials. Your may read our letter linked here, or pasted in below.
It appears that the College will abandon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which proposes transfer of the title for the coaches to the Village unless the Village Board of Trustees radically alters Aurora’s municipal Zoning Law immediately.
Reminder: exactly two months ago we asked NYS to replace the leadership of the college, which can be accomplished under the Consolidated Laws of New York, Chapter 16, § 226.4
If you wish to offer comment, you could write:
RegentsOffice@nysed.gov
https://ag.ny.gov/contact-ag or nysag@ag.ny.gov
https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/contact or. may@nysenate.gov
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jeff-Gallahan/contact/
Wells Legacy Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 13, Aurora NY 13026
September 9, 2026.
TO: Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner of Education
Mr. Adrian I. Hale, Regent for the 7th Judicial District
Ms. Emily Sutherland, Director, Office of College and University Evaluation
RE: Proposed Sales of Wells College Historical Art Works and Artifacts, Supreme Court, Cayuga County: Index No.: E2026-0086
Dear Commissioner Rosa, Regent Hale, and Director Sutherland,
On February 11, the Wells Legacy Society forwarded a letter to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) expressing concern about Wells College’s plan to auction historical resources into private hands. It was followed immediately by strong, detailed letters of support from the Aurora Ledyard Historic Society and Village Historian.
The three letters identified specific cultural and educational items of clear historical significance to the Village of Aurora, Cayuga County, the Finger Lakes region, NYS, and indigenous peoples. These items, about 8% of the 1,500+ proposed for auction, are of modest monetary value.
By letter of Objection on February 17th, the NYSED disapproved of the auctions, stating: “The proposed disposition contains historically significant items and objects of art. The loss of these items to the people of the State of New York and to researchers, through private auction(s), is of great concern to the Regents. It does not appear that Wells College has pursued options to keep the items within the public sector.”
The NYSED withdrew their concerns with a No Objection letter of August 31st, which stated: “It has been determined that Wells College is responsive to the public interest in the distribution of these items, and it has made good faith attempts to address the concerns raised…” without offering any substantiating proof.
This letter seems to assume that the College’s leadership will exercise due diligence in transferring these items to appropriate entities providing public access. Experience suggests, however, that the College may not always be counted upon to act in the public interest.
Last week, the College declined to prepare to transfer title to the Village of Aurora for the school’s famous, historical Wells Fargo and 5th Avenue Stagecoaches. This planned transfer was part of an MOU created in November 2024 to keep the coaches in use near the home of Henry Wells. The College’s unexpected refusal was couched in a quid pro quo ultimatum regarding the Village’s zoning, which Wells claims is impeding their sale of the campus. (A Court approved buyer was willing to work with the zoning, but Wells terminated their Purchase and Sale Agreement, apparently unable to provide clear title to the property.) The documents linked in this paragraph may provide insight into how the College treats public interest in the disposition of highly significant historical artifacts.
We would remind you of other good faith concerns which we brought to the attention of the Office of College and University Evaluation in the summer of 2024, including:
The College’s failure to follow directives from Middle States Council on Higher Education, resulting in premature loss of accreditation in closure, threatening student degrees.
Wells College’s disregard of the Federal WARN Act which required 60 days notice before terminating over 140 employees.
The College’s improper notice to loan servicers that students withdrew from the school (not that the College had closed) so that transferring students were directed to start loan repayments.
The College’s pattern of behavior and two year track record lead us to respectfully request that there be strict, ongoing oversight to ensure compliance with the NYSED directive that the College’s historical items of cultural and educational significance be kept “generally accessible to the public.”
We strongly urge the New York State Education Department to take a very active role in seeing that these irreplaceable assets remain in the region and available to the public. Once sold into private hands, they will disappear forever from public use and view.
The potential loss of these items to the people of NYS and researchers nationwide remains a great concern to area municipalities, regional historical societies, museums, libraries, and educational institutions, as well as the Wells Legacy Society.
With gratitude for your work on this matter,
Karen Hindenlang and Rachel Snyder, Co-Presidents
Wells Legacy Society, Inc.
Cc:
Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State
Letitia James, New York State Attorney General
Ed Thompson, Assistant Attorney General in Charge, Syracuse Office
Timothy P. Mulvey, Assistant Attorney General, Syracuse Office
Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator for New York
Kristin Gillibrand, U.S. Senator for New York
John Mannion, U.S. Congressman, 22nd District of NY
Rachel May, New York State Senator, 48th District
Jeff Gallahan, New York State Assemblyman, District 131
Janet Murphy, Mayor, Village of Aurora
Patrick A. Mannion, Regent for the 5th Judicial District, Ethics Committee
Tracy DiGenova, CNY Regional Representative for Governor Hochul
Aileen McNabb-Coleman, Cayuga County Constituent Services for Senator May
Joshua Pearlman, CNY Regional Director for Senator Chuck Schumer
