New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
COLUMBIA s BIG GIFT
UNIVERSITY TO MOVE
MEDICAL SCHOOL.
Great Change Possible Through
Vanderbilt, Gould, Munsey
and Another Donor.

Gifts aggregatfng more than 81 900, ,oOo
received within the last few months en-
abled Columbia University to purchase
last week the plot at the northeast cor
ner of Amsterdam avenue and 10th
street, according TO an announcement
made by President Nicholas Murray
Butler yesterday afternoon The money
came from William X. Vanderbilt George
J. Gould. Frank A Munsey and another
man who so far has been unwilling to
have his name mentioned
These men have furnished enough
money TO purchase the entire block
bounded by Amsterdam and Morningside
avenues and 116th and 111th streets.
which is valued at upward of $1.000,000-
The university paid $3.50. 600 for the plot
acquired last week. The land will be
used for the erection of buildings for the
housing of the College of Physicians and
Surgeons, at present situated in build
tngs at Tenth avenue and 59th street.
The trustees of Columbia University
hope to acquire in the near future the
remaining half of the block. which is
owned by Mrs. Drexel. of Philadelphia.
The object which the trustees have in
view in acquiring this new property is
the carrying out of DR. Buffers plans
and the complete reconstruction, in the
most thorough and modern fashion, of
the medical school The estimated cost
of the entire undertaking is S3,O00.O00,
and if successfully completed il will
give TO Columbia and to New York the
most thoroughly equipped and best or
ganlzed medical school in the world.
President Butter and others in au-
thorlty at the university refused to name
the AMOUNTS provided by Mr. Vanderbilt
and his associates in this latest gift to
Columbia, but b. simple arithmetic each
one must have contributed more than
S2oo,GOo. In his annual report in No
Yember President Butler made strong
plea for the removal of the medical de-
partment of the university to a site
nearer the university, where it would be
brought into closer contact with Column
bia affairs.
Another reason which Dr. Butler ad-
vanced at that time for the change was
that the present buildings had long since
outllved their usefulness The response
to this plea was both ready and gen
erous.
Part of the new medical school equip
ment planned for is a building devoted
entirely to medical and surgical research
in which the cancer researches to he car
rled on under the terms of the will of
George Crocker can be prosecuted under
the best possible auspices.
With the Sloane Maternity HosnitaI
the new genealogical clinic built bv Mr.
and Mrs William D. Sloane. and the
vanderbilt Clinic. together with its close
relationships with St Luke's. the Pres
byterian, Mount Sinai, Roosevelt. Belle
vue. the German and other hosritals,
Columbia is able to offer exceptional
clinical opportunities for its students
comparable TO those Of Paris and Wen
na. By means of this provision New
York may easily become one of he two
or three great centres of medical teach
ing and research in the world.
DIR. Butler declared that the ac0uisi-
ton Of the additional land on Morning
side was the next greatest step in the
history of the university to the removal
Of the academic and scientific depart
ments from the old site at Madison
avenue and 49th street to the present
location on the heights This change
was made twelve years ago. when Seth
Low was president OF Columbia.
What will be done with the present
buildings Of the medical school when the
new buildings are completed has not
been tated. but If is beIieved fIo+ +bo-.
may very well be occupied by the ever
increasing hospital side of the work of
the medical school.
The College of Physicians and Sur
geons, which is the Columbia medical
school, took the site in 59th street in
1887. The site and buildings were the
gift of the Vanderbilt family.