The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-30
NATIVE SONS PLEASE
UNIVERSITY MEN
HEARTY ENDORSEMENT OF THE
ENDOWMENT IDEA.
Faculty and Student Body Give Cor
dial Response to the Project
for a New Chair.

BERKELEY, March 29-The project of
the Native Sons to endOw chair of Cali
fornia history at the State University is
meeting with a cordial response from the
university faculty and student body.
AS announced in The Call recently
several of the prominent Native Sons in
the State have started a movement to
contribute 100000 toward the establish
ment of a new professors chair at Berke-
ley. They intend to take the matter be-
fore the next meeting of the Grand Par
Tor, and if possible to make the endow-
ment an official action on the part OF the
order. The department which the leaders
of the movement have in view would be
known as that of California history, and
1t would aim to carry an exhaustive re-
search into the historical records of the
State from the very earliest times, to
collect all the available data on the sub
ject and, as far as possible, to undertake
regular course of instruction for stu
dents interested in that special line of
work.
When the news of this project became
generally known at the university
it aroused considerable interest Both
the faculty and the students manifested
a disposition to welcome it heartily
Comments of the most favorable kind
were made on all sides. Although bene-
factors have appeared from time to time
and with their ample wealth have found
ed permanent profesSorships in various
subjects, such, for instance, as the Mills
chair of moral philosophy, endowed by D.
o. Mills, and the Agassiz professorship
of Oriental languages and literatureS eS-
tablished by the late Senator Tompkins.
the fact that the new department pur-
posed springs from the Native Sons as a
body all over the State constitutes it
something quite unique, and the interest
1t evokes differs from the passing atten-
ton which other gifts have met with.
President Martin Kellogg looks for
ward to a favorable action on the part of
the Grand Parlor He said this evening:
II sincerely hope that the movement may
prove successful. We should be only too
delighted to have such a chair in the uni
versfty. / consider it most admirable
idea.
Pros ssor Bernard 2. Moses, head of
the department of history and political
economy, regards the plan with great en-
thHsiasm. Nothing could be finer" he
remarked. Some of the originators of
the scheme have been in communication
with me, and L have assured them that
the idea is not only practicable, but may
prove of immense Importance in investi-
eating a field of history as yet so little
explored. The study OF the question
should go back to the very earliest period
of Spanish settlement. 1t might even go
beyond that. With the libraries Of San
Francisco and the old landmarks of early
settlers we have first-hand information
of inestimable value. The subject would
doubtless be placed under one general de-
partment of history and a special in
structor engaged who is qualified for the
work.
Thomas r. Bacon, associate professor
of European history, said: THE project
is Of more than ordinary Importance to
the subject of history. Not only is the
field of almost unlimited extent, but many
of the documents relating to Spanish set
tlement and American exploration are not
being preserved, and these should be Sc
cured and examined at once. Bancroft
did pioneer work in this direction, but
there is still much to be accomplished.
We need a competent investigator to give
,s..I
dowment of 100000 is quite sufficient to
provide for the chair
Among the student body the same i'm
preston prevailed, and the outcome of
the movement will be watched anxiously.
Georpe r Po1hemus Tnsolvent