The San Francisco call., 1905-03-02

OF STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
Fortune Given to the Build
ing of Memorial to
=. f.. Dead Son.
NOBLE LIFEWORK
Institution Is Monument to
Unselfsh Character of
Mrs. Stanford.
E nlan az fhe Rreat uniyersity

The plan OF the great university
bearing the Stanford name had its in
ception, as noted elsewhere, in the
desire on the part Of Senator and
Mrs. Stanford TO commemorate the
memory of the son. whom they lost IN
1884 and TO whom they were so greatly
devoted, soon after that bereavement,
It was proposed to be "a university
for both sexes. with the colleges,
schools. *seminaries of learning, me-
chanical Institutes, museums, galleries
of art and all other things necessary
and appropriate to a university of high
degree :. -. ..-.-
: In March, 1885, the Legislature of
California passed an act for the admin
lstration Of trust funds in connection
with Institutions of learning.
F. The, grant of endowment was pub
licly' made in: accordance with that act
on November II of the same year, the
ceremony taking place in the parlors
of the Stanford mansion on Powell and
California streets. San Francisco. At
the same time the board of trustees
held its first meeting.
The architectural plans and specif1ca-
tions and preliminary work were. com
-pleted as soon as possible and the cor
ner stone was laid March IA, 1887, the
nineteenth anniversary Of the birth of
Leland Stanford Jr The university
was formally opened to students Oe-
tobeF ], 1891
IN MEMORY OF son.
The following speaks for itself as
to source:
since the. idea OF establishing an institution
q This kind for the beneht Of mankind came
si q IA IS i3l ,sf son .ls sfe a. 9n1y h
been. spared 10 advise TO the disposition OF
our estate he, would have desired the devotion
To- aTas -
VIII that for al time TO come the institution
hereby founded shall bear his name and. shall
D. known as The Leland Stanford Junior
University ,,.-.-'.@ @.t... ~. -....
The object Of the university was
given as TO qualify students for per-
sOnal. success and direct usefulness in
life: its purposes "to promote the
public welfare by exercising an inffu-
.enCe in behalf Of humanity and civ
illzatien, teaching the blessings Of lib
ertX regulated by law. ard intoxicating
love: and reverence for the great prin-
. ciples Qf government as derived from
the inalienable rights Of man TO life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness
The site: selected for the university
on Senator Stanford's Palo Alto
estate in. the Santa Clara Valley.
thirty-three: miles southeast of San
Francisco and on the coast division Of
the Southern Pacific Railroad.
ENDOWMENT is FABULOUS.
The landed endowment, in addition
to the EslO Alto estate, consists of the
wilma estate in Tehama County, 50 OGJ
cres IN extent; the Gridley estate,
1000 acres. in Butte County, and vari-
5isjs tracts of lesser size, which with
interest -bearing securities, brought the
total up TO near $4,000, 900 at current
Valuations.
The. major part of the endowment
Qf-the university came after the death
or her husband in 1893 from Mrs. Stan
lei.c< in pursuance of the purpose that
= had conceived the plan of the work
and locked 10 its future development.
She hnlt a. library at a cost of S15o. 600,
eSla bliShed a natural history museum
:. s-lfd. laboratory and museum, a me-
lli0TIal chapel. a girls dOrmitory and a
b0ilding for the chemical department.
!. DONATES BEAUTIFUL HOME.
IN 1897, :reserving a life tenancy for
herself, she gave to the trustees of the
Institution a deed TO the splendid Stan
ford. mansion. on the corner of Powell
and : California streets, with all its
= costly furnishings and appurtenances,
to. be. used as a school of history. econ
.bnlips and social sciences.
1T was il 1899, however, that she per-
formed the act Of making to the school
the vast endowment that set il ahead
~ al yNl46L- EuUCdllOudl INSTITUTIONS IN
the. matter: of such benefactions and
emphasized TO the highest degree the
+ purpose with which the work was
. Undertaken. and. her full and entire de-
T9tiQn; 20 that high purpose. She then
decided 10 university her entire re-
naming property, valued at the enor-
nous amount. Of S3s, 600 COO.
The general management and control
Of :the' institution was at first vested
in a. board OF trustees numbering
twenty-four and chosen for life. BY
modification Of the charter, effected by
Mrs. Stanford in 1897, the number of
trustees was reduced to fifteen, with
future appointments for a term Of ten
years. The charter provided that the
founders, during their lives, should
perform all the duties and exercise all
the powers and privileges enioined.
upon and vested in the trustees" An
act OF the Legislature, passed March
1903, authorized the surviving founder
70 turn over to the trustees during her
lifetime the full management and con-
troll Of the university. This transfer
was duly and formally made by Mrs.
Stanford July g. 1903.