The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-20
A NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY.
The FulfIIment of WashingtOn's
Dream May Be at Hand,
PATRIOTIC WOMEN ARE AT WORK
Terms of the Request by the Father
of His Country for the Purpose.
The Proposed Univcrsity's Scope.
The Present Movement.

George Washington was a man OF ac-
ton rather than a dreamer. And yet he
| induleed I'm one day dream Of magniii-
cent proportions. which, more than
century after its inception, promises to
| come true He was ambitious TO be
known 10 future generations not only as
the father Of his country. but as the
| founder Of the great American univer-
sitv. He created an endowment fund by
the terms Of his will. He even indicated
his preference for a site-the nineteen
acres OF land in washington now occu-
pied by the buildings Of the old Naval
| Observatory.
And now there is promised practical
roaiization Of Washington's fondest
hopes. A bill is now pending before the
senate to establish a free national uni
versity upon the lines laid down by him.
II will be pressed for early passage.
JuIv O. 1899 will be the Tooth anniversary
Of the original bequest, and by that time
g. ,s thought that a practical beginning
may be made
The patriotic women of the country
have also interested themselves in the
movement. about which so little Is
known. / doubt if one person III every
hundred knows that Washington ever
| thought of establishing a university
Tho George Washington Memorial COM
mittee. composed of representative Wo-
men. many of whom are members oil the
] Colonial Danes. Daughters OF the Kew
| luton and kindred organizations mas
| been formed for the purpose OF raising
! ye-0n0 This will Dee expended i'm erect
| inc tbo FIRST of the university buildings.
TuE IrNIVERSITYS SCOPE.
The scope of the institution which
| George Washington dreamed Of is out
| lined i'm the clause OF his will quoted be-
| low II WAS not Washngtons idea, nor
| h II tho purpose of the pending bill 10
| establish "A rival Of the undergraduate
| colleges. nor indeed. Of the existing sp'-
! ci.I nos. graduate schools, but rather 10
! found an institution of broader scope
| for men seeking wide fields for scien-
| tinc and phllanthropic research WIN
| the worlds best equipments at hahu' az
| ter they have finished their studies ana
| taken their degrees i'm the foremost
| schools OF the land. To-day thousands
of ambitious and talented American stu
| dents 90 abroad every year 10 avail
| themselves OF the facilities for study ana
research at the universities of Berlin,
| Paris. Vienna and elsewhere In Europe
| because such facilities do not exist IN
| this country 10 is to Obviate IN as
| large a measure as possible, the neces-
sity OF foreign study that il is designed
| ia found at Washington university
| chat shall lead the world i'm the work OF
| research and investigation.
Such am institution would appear To
require a tremendous outlay of money
! to fnaueuratc and am immense annual
! expenditure to maintain. The Federal
| government however has already in ITS
| poss ssion or under its control S0Wo0O
| worth of book specimens. apparatus
and other appliances. and Is spending
| annually si0clDC0 10 maintain and en-
! large these collections. The Congress
sioual Library. the largest on the con-
! tiueut. the National Museum. the Smith
| souian institution. tn Naval Observa-
tory. the theological Survey, the Bureau
| of Ethnology. and AN the appliances
| equipments and Libraries of the different
| departments are considered by the
| friends of the proposition 10 constitute
valuable nucleus. which may DE advan-
| taeeOusly utilized I'm the establishment OF
| the projected university
| WASHINGTON BEQU JEST.
The original draft OF Washington's last
| will and testament is deposited in the
! ancient Courthouse M Fairfax, Va. This
is the text of the bequest for national
| university
That as il has always been q source Of
serious regret with me TO see the youth
OF these United States sent TO foreign
countries for the purpose OF education
| often before their minds were formed or
| they had imbibed any adequate ideas OF
| the happiness Of their own. contracting
| too frequently not only habits Of dissipa-
| tiOn and extravaganza. but principles UNI
| friendly TO republican government and
to the true and genuine liberties Of man
| kind which thereafter are rarely over
| come, for these reasons it has been my
| ardent wish TO see a plan devised on
| liberal scale which would have % tend
| ency to spread systematic ideas through
| an parts of this rising empire. thereby
to do away with local attachments and
| State preiudices as far as the nature
| OF things would or indeed ought To. add
! nit from our national councils Look
| ing anNiOusy forward 20 the accomplish
| ment Of so desirable an object as this
| is Gin my estimation my mind has not
| been able TO contemplate any plan more
| likely to effect the measure than the cs-
tahlshment Of a university in the cen
trail part Of the United States TO which
| the youths of fortune and talents from
| all parts thereof might be sent for the
/ completion Of their education in all the
| branches Of polite literature, in arts and
| sciences In acquiring knowledge in the
! principles Of politics and good govern
| ment, and (as a matter of infinite i'm
| portanca I'm Judgment by associating
with each other and forming friendships
| I'm Juvenile years be enabled 10 free
| themselves I'm a proper degree from those
local prsjudices and habitual iealouses
which have Just been mentioned, and
which, when carried to excess, are never
| failing sources of disQuietude TO the pub
| lie mind and pregnant OF mischieVoue
| consequences TO this country. Under
| these impressions. so fully diiated.
Item / give and bequeath In perpetuity
| the fifty shares which / hold in the Po-
| tomac Company (under the aforesaid
| acts Of the Legislature Of Virginia. to-
wards the endowment of a university. to
| be established within limits of the Dis
! trlct Of Columbia, under the auspices or
| the general government. If that govern
| ment should incline to extend a foster
| ing hand toward Il. and until such
| seminary Is established and the funds
| arising on these shares SHAH be required
| for its support. my further desire Is that
| the profits accruing therefrom shall,
| whenever dividends are made. be laid