The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-02
The WasbiDqtoD NatioDal
University
MEMORIAL Association.

would be in developing trade 1t was
the only gift of the sort ever accepted
by Washington and was received with
the public understanding that IL was to
be applied to the establishment OF a
national university. July ., 1899, this
clause was placed In General Washing
tons will:
II give and bequeath In perpetuity
the so shares (value $500 each) which /
hold In the Potomac company (under
the aforesaid acts OF the legislature of
Virginia) toward the endowment OF a
university to be established in the Dis
trict OF Columbia under the auspices OF
the general government IL that govern
ment should incline TO extend a foster
ing hand toward IL, and until such a
seminary is established and the funds
arising on these shares shall be re-
quircd for It's support my further desire
is that the profit accruing therefrom
shall. whenever dividends are made, be
laid out In purchasing stock In the Bank
of Columbia or some other bank, at the
discretion of my executors. or by the
treasurer OF the United States for the
time being. under the direction of con-
gress. and the dividends proceeding
from the purchase Of said stock are to be
invested i'm more stock. and so on until
a sum adequate TO the accomplishment
OF this object is obtained
Not one cent of this bequest was ever
applied TO its designated purpose OF
founding a university. This. the ma
tionaI debt of honor, would at compound
interest amount at the present time to
81, 401 900. IL congress would now place
this money in the treasury to draw in
terest at 6 per cent. IL would yield a
yearly income OF 1854, 900. or nearly
enough TO support the university.
Several times an effort has been made
20 apply this bequest TO Its proper use.
but always the effort has failed In 0e-
tober 1896. some patriotic women be-
came interested In the talk OF a national
| university then being heard in some
quarters and entered into communica-
ton with Governor John W. Hoyt OF
Massachusetts. one OF the persons most
| prominent In the movement The re-
suit was the.organixation In April 1897.
of committee OF ladies' whose object
was to work for the establishment OF q
national university as provided for In
General Washington's VIII.
A temporary Craftsmanship and sec
retaryship were accepted by Mrs. Ellen
A. Richardson of Boston and Mrs, Su-
sanna Phelps Gage OF Ithaca, N. ~,
while Mrs' Phebe A. Hearst of Califor-
MIA and Washington was made first vice
chairman. Mrs. Calvin S. Brice under
took the craftsmanship for Ohio and
Mrs. Clara Moody for South Dakota.
Soon Mrs. william r. Carter of Phila-
delphia and Mrs. II. II. Adams OF Con-
necticut were enlisted for their states,
while Mrs. ComstCck and Mrs. Andrew
ID. White OF Cornell and Mrs. David
Starr Jordan OF Stanford were enlisted
TO represent the educational interests
of women. Mrs. Mary Low Dickinson
and Mrs. Ellen M. Henrotin to repre-
sent the great council and club move
ments and Miss Frances e. Willard the
temperance movement
These ladies nmbitIously decided that
they would raise s250.o00 extra to build
an administration building in the great
university settlement as a particular
memorial TO Washington. The great
man who conceived the idea of the uni
versity himself had expressed his opin-