Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-28
THE PEABODY BOARD
TRUSTEES IN CHARGE OF FUND
IN SESSION HERE.
Purpose of Meeting is to Choose Gen
eral Agent = Report Shows
Millions Expended.

fund assembled in the parlors of the Ar
lington Hotel at noon today for speclai
meeting The board has as its members
some of the most distinguished men In all
the walks of life in the United States. The
meeting today was presided over by Mel
vile w. Fuller, the chief justice of the Su-
preme Court of the United States, and was
called principally to hear report from
committee that included in it's membership
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts,, DR.. Daniel
c. Gilman of Maryland and Mr.. Hoke Smith
of Georgia, as to the appointment of new
general agent for the board. This matter is
regarded as one of great Importance, and 1t
is expected that the discussion caused by
the presentation of the report will continue
until late this evening. The last general
agent of the board, DR.. J. L. M. Curry, died
at Asheville, N. c., February II, 1903. His
death was reported at the last meeting of
the board, held in New York in October
last, and the question of considering g. sue
cessor for him was taken up by the COM
mittee heretofore mentioned on the motion
of Mr.. Hoke Smith.
The Peabody fund was established in
1866 by Mr.. George Peabody, the famous
philanthropist The first donation was
81. 100000, and three years later this was
increased to So, 500, 600. The fund was Gre
ton in the south and It's influence has been
felt in every state in the south. To admin
lister the fund a board of trustees was
nominated by Mr. Peabody, which included
country at that time. OF the original board
appointed by Mr. Peabody, not a single
member remains The board as consti-
tuted by the will of Mr.. Peabody, made
public shortly after his death in 1862 re-
mains intact today.
Native of Massachusetts.
Mr. Peabody was born in Danvers, Mass.
during the last decade Of the eighteenth
century. He came to Georgetown when a
young man to conduct a grocery store for
a member of his family, and later entered
business for himself as the partner of
Elisha Riggs. The business was removed
to Baltimore, and later branch houses were
established in other cities. Mr.. Peabody
became very wealthy and took up his resi-
dence in London, Eng, where he establish
ed the banking house of George Peabody &
Co. He devoted himself to philanthropy
during the latter years of his life and gave
away millions of dollars. He was particu-
larly interested in the education of the
people of the south, and at the close of
the civil war he made his first donation
for this purpose, and created the Peabody
fund This fund was increased by the
terms of his will at his death in 1869.
Many institutions of learning throughout
the United States received the benefits of
Mr.. Peabody's purse and Americans abroad
were treated in a princely manner by him
when they visited London.
Amount Expended.
The trustees of the fund have expended
100000 from the income derived from the
fund and have furnished a powerful stimu-
lus for the schools in the SOUTH
The Peabody fund was largely instru-
mental in founding the local systems of the
leading towns and cities in nearly all of the
southern states The local
mainly supports all these systems was en-
couraged, in the first place, by small
amounts contributed for few years. When
Dr. Sears the first general agent had sue
ceeded after years of earnest work in estab-
fishing the local systems Of the towns and
cities, he then began the work of estab-
fishing state normal school in each south
ern state. 1t is said that every one of the
state normal schools in the south owes it's
beginning to the stimulus provided by the
Peabody board Thirty years ago there
was not In the whole southern territory a
normal school supported by state revenue.
Today there are fifteen state normal
schools of excellent standing, with an en-
rollment of more than 5000 students and
with property value of over 81, 600 600,
while each state contributes annually to
their support from $4,000 to $4,000
The Members Present.
The members of the board present at the
meeting today were: Samuel A. Green,
Massachusetts,; James d. Porter, Tennes
see; ]. Pierpont Morgan, New York; Will
lam A. Courtenay, South Carolina; Chief
Justice Melville w. Fuller, Washington;
Henderson NJ. Somerville. Alabama; Charles
E. Fenner, Louisiana; Daniel c. Gilman,
LID, Maryland; Senator George Peabody
WetmOre, Rhode Island; Senator George f.
Hoar, Massachusetts; Richard Olney, Mas
sachusetts; Right Rev. William c. Doane,
New York; Morris X. Jesup New York.