The morning call., 1895-02-13
4 Hint TO TESTATORS.
How to EndOw Educational Work
on This Coast.
The California Branch of the Collegiate
Alumns Offers Some
Suggestions.

The California branch of the Association
of Collegiate Alumnae desires, through the
following communication to THE CALL, to
bring the matter of fitting endowments OF
educational work before the public:
The Pacific Coast realizes now perhaps more
than ever before the advantages to be derived
from educational institutions in these Western
parts, for it is the efficient and able young men
and women who are numbered among the
alumni of our colleges that are gradually FILL
ing the important offices and professions of this
Western coast in these closing days of the nine
and more to them to help advance the work of
the times and push on the race in its forward
course.
We, on this coast are well aware that our
colleges are not of the same high rank as the
first great Eastern ones, nor are the universi-
ties equal to the Eastern universities. Harvard
has an endowment OF twelve millions and is
not free institution, as it charges for its tut
ton, its income being about million, while
the University OF California, with free tuition,
has an endowment of only six millions, and
income of 100000. The Leland Stanford Jr.
University has property OF about million
and half in buildings and site and several
come at present amounts probably to $250000
or $500 900. Thus, it can be readily seen that
there is ample room for endowment in our two
universities, to say nothing of the colleges
scattered about through the State, would we
have them rank with the best in America.
Often we hear of public-spirited citizen, in
tages of his section, founding some school or
college which is rarely able to take first rank,
hampered, as IL must be, by lack OF funds, for it
is seldom in the power OF one man to leave
enough money TO found a university or college
of the very best standards. The question then
arises, Would it not be far better to endow
some department chair, fellowship, scholar
ship, special library fund or lectureship in some
already existing institution? Is il wiser to
strengthen some promising university which
is cramped for money and help it to take front
H. liracr tn Itch
the best results or is it preferable TO add to the
number of weakly ones?
Stanford University will in time probably re-
celve twenty millions from Governor STAN
ford's estate, which will make its endowment
only equal to that OF Harvard, namely, ten
millions, for it must be remembered that our in
StitutiOnS on the coast give free tuition, max
ing their incomes but little more than half the
value of like ones in the East The University
OF California is growing III wealth also, and III
the course of q generation will probably have
about ten millions, but at present both uni
yersitieS need more funds
In the great schools or departments of uni
versity there is often great need of ample en-
dowment. Take, for example, the Lick OBJ
servatory at Mount Hamilton. This great de-
partment of the University of California re-
ceived the sum of 500, 600 as a bequest from
cient to both build and maintain the observa-
| tory, and as a result has required an annual
| appropriation of $40, 900 from the university
funds. To enable this department to maintain
as large staff as all other great observatories
in the world have, to send out expeditions
| whenever the occasion demands, and to keep
branch stations, as does Harvard's astronomi-
cal department, would require about one and
| half millions
In fact we may conclude that the above sum
is necessary to found any great school or de-
partment of a modern university according to
the very best standards. Could we have an en-
dowment of an additional half million Mount
Hamilton would become the great center for
young astronomers from all over the world
In many such ways sum varying from one
hundred thousand to a million could become
great educational factor, while stin smaller
sums could be utilized in various ways to build
! up university into something truly great and
powerful, sooner or later achieving results
which would reveal the secrets OF history, clear
up the mists of scientific explorations and call
! the attention of civilized world.