The record-union., 1897-12-13
COMMODORE Vanderbilt.
WONDERFUL CAREER OF THE
GREAT STEAMBOAT MAN
His Small Beginning and How He
Made a Million for Every
Year of His Life.

Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt
and his friend the Rev. DR.. Charles Il.
Deems were conversing in the sitting
room of the Commodore's residence, III
Washington Place, one evening, a lew
Years before the sturdy millionaire
death when the latter suddenly ex-
claimed, I'D give million dollars, doc
tor, if ] only had your education
DR.. Deems had been talking of the ad
vantages of education widely diffused,
and he had succeeded in Thoroughly
arousing Commodore Vanderbilt's in
sterest. The latter admitted that al
though he had been successful in a bus
illness way, he had often felt keenly MS
deficiency in education. He had mingled
sufficiently with educated people to ap-
preciate the Importance of knowledge
and culture.
why don't you do something for the
cause of education?" asked DR.. Deems,
safter the Commodore had for the
third or fourth time expressed his con-
Nviction that everybody would be much
better off if the advantages of educa-
ton were generally enjoyed.
How can l help the cause of educa-
tion now?" asked Mr.. Vanderbilt.
fcund a university" replied DR.. Deems.
You have been talking of spending a
million dollars in the erection of a mon
ument to Washington. Let that go
There are a great many monuments in
honor of Washington, and he does not
need any more. Build a monument to
yourself. Let there be Vanderbilt
University
Tbn 10 ~
aire by surprise, but it also took firm
1odgment in his brain. He pondered
over it for several days, and the next
time that he saw DR.. Deems he asked
him what he thought of the project of
founding a Moravian university. He
felt that he would like to do something
for the religious denomination of his
ancestors. DIR. Deems agreed to inves-
1igate and ascertain how far a Mora
Wan university would be supported. The
result of his inquiries was not encour-
aging to the project, and Commodore"
Vanderbilt concluded that it would not
be practicable He had set his heart
however, upon founding university of
some kind. and he frequently discussed
plans with his wife, DIR. Deems, Hor-
ace F. Clark, and other friends.
In March, 1873 Mr. Vanderbilt,
through the instrumentality of his wife
and DR.. Deems, made the acquain-
tance of Bishop McTyefre, for many
years an active worker in the Southern
Methodist Episcopal Church. He had
been pastor of a church in Mobile which
Mrs. Vanderbilt had attended when she
was Miss Frank Crawford. Bishop
McTyeire was man of ability and in
1egrity, as well as of original and force
ful character. He made a favorable
impression on the Commodore at
their first interview, and it was not long
before the enthusiastic Bishop had Mr..
Vanderbilts pledge to give S500,O0O
toward the founding of a university in
Nashville, Tenn. LsHst
Bishop McTyeire hastened home. Sc
lected some capable and faithful work.
ers, and began energetically to organize
plans for the new university A site
was selected in Nashville. and archi-
tects We're engaged to prepare the plans.
AS the work progressed Mr. Wander
bits interest in the matter increased.
and he frequently expressed the hope
that he might live to see the university
actually in operation. Soon his orig
inal 100000 was followed by a sec
ond gift Of $1,000 and subsequently
ne maze provision Tor an additional
SfO0000, making his entire contribu-
fion for the university an even million.
Some of the Commodore asso-
ciates who had no sympathy with
churches or religious work almost sue
ceeded in convincing him that he ought
to insist upon the institutions being
entirely independent of the Methodist
Church. Before he committed himself
on this point, however, DR.. Deems and
Bishop McTyeire were able to show
him that a new university would start
on its career under more advantageous
circumstances with a church denomi-
nation back of it than if sent adrift
without any special affiliation. Inter
ested in the establishment of this uni
Versity were representatives of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in Tennes-
see. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Arkansas. The control of the in
stitution was vested in a Board of
Trustees, of which the Bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the
South and the Chancellor of the uni
'versity were made ex officio members.
The institution now has an income of
about $4,000. and it enjoys the
friendship of several men of large