The San Francisco call., 1903-09-09
Influence of University
Spirit Is Dominant
in Our Culture.

~ y near our city as 10 De justly con.
q sidered a part of it's intellec-
- tual life are the two great uni
versities, California and Stanford. From
them there is diffused culture and
esthetic influence which strikes di-
rectly upon the social and artis-
tic life of San Francisco. From both in
stitutions extension lecture courses on
the humanities and sciences are given in
San Francisco and cities about the bay.
so that the strong university influence is
made to permeate our society to a re-
markable degree. A closer look at these
two great institutions will reveal the Sc
cret Of their power.
On April 1S, 1855, there was incorporated
under the provisions of a legislative act
the College of California situated in a
grove of trees in the center of the hamlet
of Oakland. OF this infant college Henry
Durant and Martin Kellogg, recent
ly deceased. were the pioneer work
ers. BY their indefatigable efforts
the first freshman class was collect
ed and started on it's scholastic career in
the fall of 1859. To the lasting credit of
the few intellectual spirits of the early
days such pressure was by them brought
to bear on the Legislature that finally on
March %, 1868, law was passed incor-
porating the pioneer College of California
into the State University of California
and there was thereby launched into the
intellectual world of the country a strip
ling which was destined to become d
giant.
At the present day this institution,
funds and classes hardly numbering a
score is second among American col
leges in point of attendance and ranked
among the six leading universities of the
country on the basis of scholarship. 1t
comprises in its faculty men who are
known throughout the scholastic world
for their contributions to literature, the
classics and science. One grand old man
of science, Joseph LIE Conte whom death
removed from his labors butt recently,
carried the name of the university to a
high pinnacle through his labors in sci-
ence. President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
is himself an acknowledged classicist and
a prominent figure in the educational
world
Smaller in point of numbers but no less
great an institution is Stanford Univer-
sity. Situated in the beautiful Santa
Clara Valley, with all of the esthetic in
fuence of a great place Of learning
breathing from it's surroundings, The
spirit of it's president, David Starr Jordan,
even the quaint old mission flavor of its
architecture, Stanford University is an
ideal spot wherein to live the intellectual
life.
Stanford University was erected and
endowed by the late Senator Leland Stan
ford IN tender memory of his son, Leland
Stanford Jr., who had died when on the
threshold of young manhood. In Novem-
Der, 1856, a special act of endowment was
passed by the Legislature. Immediately
the first of a grand scheme of buildings
was erected and on October 1, 1891, the
doors Of the new university were thrown
open.
Supported by the income from an enor-
nous estate. gradually growing stronger
both in point of attendance and high rank
of scholarship, Stanford University is
now the sister worker with the Uni
versity of California in the great task
of educating the young men and women
of the State and making San Francisco
the center of new culture.
Our universities are not the only fac
tors in the growth of culture in San Fran
cisco. Some of our own people have
arisen from our midst and pointed the
way to the Joy of living the true life.
Joaquin Miller, the Poet of the Sierras,
has laid good claim to recognition as a
teacher of the beauties of poesy. Edwin
Markham and Edwin Rowland Sill have