Evening star., 1901-07-04
WASHINGT0N'S WISH
The Establishment Here Of a National
University.
IT PROMISES 10 Be GRAfIrIED

Due Largely to the Efforts Of De-
voted Women.
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
There is nothing" said George Washing
ton in his first annual address, which can
better deserve your, patronage than the
promotion Of science and literature" Later,
in his farewell address, the father Of his
country advised, Promote, then, as an OBJ
ject of primary Importance. institutions for
the general diffusion Of knowledge
In the last farewell address Of all. his
will, Washington bequeathed fifty shares
which he held In the Potomac Company
toward the endowment of a university to
be established within the limits Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, under the auspices OF
the general government. II that government
should incline to extend fostering hand
toward it,"
After a century Of fruitless effort Wash
ington's cherished project appears to be
WITHIN reaCn OF SUBSTANTIAL Teailzat1On.
A Magnificent Endowment.
The national government has at Wash
ington already an endowment of tremen-
dous potency. In almost every department
there are scientific bureaus promoting
knowledge and intelligence along the lines
Of higher education. The researches Of the
United States geological and the coast sur
veys meet worldwide recognition, and SO
do the Smithsonian Institution and the
Army Medical Museum and their laborato-
ries. The Department OF Agriculture may
be truly termed great scientific school,
In all these departments trained scientists
are engaged, so the schools and faculties
of such university as Washington wanted
are virtually at hand. and an organization
has been effected to combine all these IA
cilities and utilize them.
Several years ago. in April. 1897. the
George Washington Memorial Association
was organized by number Of patriotic
Association Omcers.
Its present officers are: President Mrs
Archibald Hopkins. 1925 Massachusetts,
avenue. Washington. D. c.: recording Sec
retary. Mrs. Susanna P. Cage Ithaca. N.
Y: corresponding secretary. Mrs. J. Hub
ley Ashton, 178O Massachusetts, avenue
Washington, D. c.: treasurer Mrs. Frank
Northrop. 33 West 34th street. New York,
N. T.. trustee of the permanent building
fund. Mr.. Charles ]. Bell, president of the
American Security and Trust Company.
Washington, D. c.: trustees, Mrs. L. D. NJ
Sweat, Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst. Mrs. Leslie
c. Weed; vice presidents. Mrs. Charles D.
Walcott. Mrs. Charles ]. Bell. Miss Kibbey
Mrs Henry R. Mallery. Mrs. Frederick B.
Mcclure. Mrs, William F. Mattingly.
Its object is to erect a memorial building
to George Washington. and to aid in secur-
ing in the national capital the increase Of
opportunity for higher education and the
a rnN
commended and urged by Washington.
To this end the association accepted the
proposition Of the Washington Academy Of
Sciences to cooperate with it in formulat-
ing plan for postgraduate study, which
has resulted in the creation of the Wash
ingten Memorial Institution. The Wash
ington Academy Of Sciences secured the
passage of a law by Congress (approved
March 3. bod providing for the use Of the
resources Of the government for research
and study by all investigators of either SEX
and by duly qualified individuals students
and graduates of institutions of learning.
High Objects.
The object of the institution is to utilize
the scientific and other resources of the
government In Washington for advanced
study and research. and to cooperate to
that end with universities, colleges, learned
societies and individuals In other words
1t is to supply the need which has been
pointed out above. 1t will ascertain year
by year. just what the opportunities for
students are at Washington. and will pub
lish them to the world it will receive and
enroll students who offer themselves, and
direct them to the places which await
them: 1t will record their work and its re-
suits, and. when requested, will certify
these to any institution of learning. 1t will
keep In touch with the universities scien-
tific schools and colleges on the one hand
and with the departments and bureaus Of
the government on the other. In this way
q 1ofa <ho t~k~
and the ideals Of both.
Board Of Trustees.
The property, policy. management and
control Of the institution are vested in a
board Of fifteen trustees, composed as fol-
lows:
Edwin A. Alderman. president of Tulane
University; Alexander Graham Bell regent
of the Smithsonian Institution; Nicholas
Murray Butler, professor Of philosophy and
education in Columbia University; Charles
w. Dabney. president Of the University of
Of the Johns Hopkins University; Arthur
T. Hadley. president Of Yale University:
William X. Harper. president of Chicago
University; Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst, regent
OF the University Of California; Mrs. Archi-
bald Hopkins, president Of the George
Washington Memorial Association; c. Hart
Merriam, chief of the United States bio
logical survey; Cyrus Northrop, president
..
Pritchett, president of the Massachusetts
Institute Of Technology; George M. Stern
berg. surgeon general. United States army:
Charles D. Walcott, director Of the United
States geological survey, and Carroll D.
Wright, United States commissioner Of
labor.
Mr. Gilman. who has just retired from the
presidency Of Johns Hopkins University,
after twenty-five years service has ac-
cepted the dictatorship Of the institution,
and will take up his duties the coming
A Memorial Building.
The George Washington Memorial Asso-
citation has undertaken to carry out its pur-
pose by securing a site and erecting there
on, In Washington substantial, dignifed,
useful memorial building sacred to the
memory Of Washington and dedicated to
higher education, science and literature 1t
will be the permanent home Of the WASH
ington Memorial Institution, the National
Academy OF Sciences. the Washington
Academy Of Sciences with it's affiliated 80