The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-21
ITS PROSPECTS BRIGHT
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY ENTERPRISE
MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
Ex-Governor HOyt Talks About Its
Present status and OutIoOk-Gen. j.
ID. HendersOn's Liberal Offer.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20-In reply to an
inquiry into the present status and pros
poets of the National University enterprise,
Ex-Governor John Wesley Hoyt, chairman
of the national committee, says good prog
ress seems to be making in all quarters, UNI
less it be in the Senate. There opposition
has occurred of ecclesiastical origin in
committee, and this, in connection with
the other circumstances, has simply delayed
action. Nevertheless, the friends of the
measure are confident of early and favor
able results. Meanwhile the work of the
national committee, says Mr.. Hoyt, has
been vigorous and fruitful of good to the
cause in many ways in the addition of
many distinguished names to its already
formidable list of members, including those
of eminent statesmen and of some sixty
college and university presidents, besides
the great number already enlisted-among
them the heads of the University of Vir-
ginia and of dozen or more institutions of
the religious denomination for time sup
posed to be against the national movement,
but now known to be, for the most part, in
sympathy with it; in the awakening of
deeper interest among men and women of
leading influence throughout the country,
as we'll as among public journals in all sec
tons; and, finally, in the enlistment of
number of patriotic men and women of
fortune, some of whom are seriously con-
sidering the offer in advance of endowments
of departments, professorship, lectureship
and fellowships in the coming university
The most notable of the many aids actually
rendered to the National University COM
mittee in the recent past are these:
First-The voluntary gift of 81, 500 by Mrs.
Phoebe A. Hurst of California and Dis
trict of Columbia for the salary of the
chalrman's secretary during the year just
passed.
Second-The support accorded by the
George Washington Memorial Association
under the lead of Mrs. Ellen A. Richardson,
Mrs. Phoebe A. Hurst, Mrs ex-senator
Brice of Ohio, and other distinguished
women of the country-an association
which has among its officers the president
of the National Council of Women the
worlds w. G. L. IT,, the General Fedora
ton OF Women's Clubs, the national uni
vsersity committee of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, the Columbian
Daughters of America, the general Society
of United States Daughters of 1776-1S12 the
DANES of the Revolution, the Ladies of the
@. A. r., the Kings Daughters and per-
haps yet other national organizations,
PRESIDENT Charles A; Sell, of the American
u. C., acting as treasurer. The immediate
object of this George Washington Memorial
Association is the raising of a quarter of
million dollars for the first National Uni
versty Building, to be erected on the site
selected by Washington himself and re-
served for university purposes in the pend
ing bill. To this end and further support of
the National University cause it has
formed State and congressional district
committees of influential women in nearly
every one of the States, all of which are
preparing for special contribution in small
amounts on Washingtons birthday and I'M
til the whole amount is raised. 1t is be-
heved by Mr. Hoyt that they will succeed
and that ere the final date, December, 1899
Congress will have done it's part also.
Third-The offer just now made by Gen.
j. Il. Henderson, LII. D., late United States
senator from Missouri, and now of this
city, to be one of one hundred to pay into
the treasury of the university $1,000 each
when Congress shall have done as much.
His object is to encourage the creation of
a special fund of $100.00 for some important
chair in the University, and there is no OBJ
lection on his part to the taking of any
number OF such shares by any contributor,
While preferring, in the interest of the
cause of the university, that the diStribu-
ton should be as wide as the country itself.
The national committee assumes that this
example OF General Henderson will be
promptly followed by liberal friends of the
enterprise, and that the institution, when
once established by Congress- will as
washington believed, become so popular as
a center for patriotic gifts as for the most
part to relieve Congress of demands of gov
eminent appropriations.
Persons wishing further information are
referred to ex-Gov. John Wesley Hoyt
chairman of the National University com
mittee, Washington, d. c.