Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-07

formed by the trustees and faculties anu
friends of the George Washington Tnivcr
sity looking toward the early realizitio
of the statesmanlke IDEAL for a great uni
versity at the capital of the nation which
was placed before the American people by
George Washington himself in his last Will
and testament.
.'ro do this must have a new. ample,
and commanding site: suitable buildings,
and a munifiCent endowment. 1t has already
been proved that there is among the citizens
of the capital sufficient public spirit to pro-
vide a splendid site for an institution that
is trying to show itself worthy of bearing
the illustriOus name of Washington
More Than Local Enterprise.
But this is far more than local enter
prise. and this leads me, on behalf of our
trustees to make suggestion which hope
will meet with your approval 1t is that
YOU ioin with us in bringing to the atten-
ton of patriotic men and women throughout
the land the Importance of developing, at
the capital of the nation. great unlVer-
sity for graduate work that Will fulhll the
cherished desire of George Washington
VIII YOU not join in helping to bring
such an inspiring plan to the attention OF
the American people?
II have been glad to learn that you ex-
meet TO remain in the work of education :;
but while sojourning temporarily in WASH
ington could you possibly perform greater
and more far-reaching service to education
than by eXerting for a time. the best eff
forts in your power in helping to accomplish
the large ends we have in view for the
George Washington University? With the
valuable experience you have had IN col
lege work and the knowledge you have &C
ouired of the educational needs or the
American people. and your wide acquaint-
ance in different parts of the country, we
believe that you can be of great assistance
10 us
Il make this suggestion the more readily
shal flth for IN
many years has been connected with the
law department of our university and has
the success of the present movement much
al heart
To Take Up the Work.
1t was not until last Tuesday that DR..
Harlan announced his intention of taking
up the work outlined in President Need
hams letter. When he had made up his
mind ne wrote letter to President Need
ham. as follows:
The invitation to assist in the effort to
enlarge the scope of the George Wash
ington University has appealed to me very
strongly and l have much pleasure in &C
cepting it.
TO those engaged in this enterprise it
is ;lu encoui aging fact that the plcu Of es
ia pishing a great university at the ma
tIuhai capital IS older than the nation it
Madison and Charles Pinckney in the con-
stitutonal convention of 1877. President
Washington himself, in a letter written in
1879. urged il upon the attention of the
commissioners of the District and he again
earnestly advocated 1t in speech to both
houses of Congress in 1876 His private
letters during the closing years of his life
also abound in proofs of his absorbing in
tcrest in the project.
How near this han was to the heart of
George Washington is finally shown in that
remarkable and long neglected paragraph
III his last Will and testament. in which he
lifts up before the American people a
splendid vision of great university at the
capital of the nation in which youths of
talent from all parts of this empire could
acquire knowledge in the principles OF
politics and good government and thereby
lose those state prejudices' and local
jealousies which, when carried to
excess. are neverfailing sources of dis
quetude TO the public mind. and pregnant
with mischievous consequences to this
country
Three Chief Functions.
"a careful analysis of all that Washing
ton said and wrote upon this subject shows
that, according to his plan, the three chief
functions of such a university would be
these:
I'D The creation of the spirit of unity
and the deepening of the sense OF nation
atty:
"(2l The increase of knowledge in the
principles of politics and good govern
ment;'
"(3) The promotion of science in the in
terest of the advancement of agriculture,
commerce and manufactures
"A century of scholars and statesmen
has not been able to work out a wiser or
more comprehensive outline of what should
be the special mission of a great university
at the capital of the nation, except that ali
are now agreed that the chief field of such
prEnfK. SIS CHI -