The sun., 1913-10-19
PRINCETON GRADUATE COLLEGE.
Dedication ON Wednesday Mark
of rian Conceived Tweuts
Years AsO.


Ncrsity. which takes place next
Wednesday. the i6,tn anniversary Of
the granting OF the charter OF the col
lege. marks the realization OF q. plau
! conceived nearly twenty years ago
Princeton has now the distinction OF
being the only university in this coun.
try that houses its graduate student.
in body.
Tho plan Of establishing the gradu-
ate college was conceived and has been
worked out through many years Of
study and obser, alton in this country
and abroad by Dean Andrew +. West.
Two Presidents Of the United States
have been connected in a vital way
witt, the project. P:csiden, Gle, Ella nd
was chairman Of the committee Of tho
hoard of trustees on the Graduate COL
lcse and his name is now connected
With II IN the Cleveland Memorial
Tower, a massive structure that rises
| 20 feet in the air. President Wilson
Was president of the university during
greatest growth.
At the sesqu-ccn;ennal celebration
of Princeton on October -. 1896. the
pans LOT tue STduudte NOlAtkc totr
definite shape but Il was not until
years after that the first endowment
came through the bequest by Mrs. Jo-
sephinc \. Thompson Swami of $3.50
900. Following this came the xii, Of
William Cooper Proctor for $500 900.
The crownins gift that finally assured
the complete carrying out OF Dean
Vests projcc, was the leQucst by the
late Isaac G.. Wyman Of over TWO mill.
ions Of dollars.
The hrst step in the way Of provid-
ing a residential graduate college was
taken in 1905. when house that would
accommodate limited number Of
students was acquired. 1t is known as
Merwick. 1t was entirely inadequate
and President Cleveland's committee
reported that something larger was
needed.
Mrs. Swami in 1906 made the uni.
versity the residuary legatee OF her
estate. which WAS to be used for the
erection Of a building to he known as
the John II. Thompson Graduate Col
lege. The building erected with the
money is now a portion Of the Grad
uate College group. 4 phrase in the
will OF Mrs. Swami which said that
the buildings should be constructed on
the grounds Of the university" was
later the cause Of much difference Of
opinion in connection with the gift OF
Mr.. Proctor.
The Proctor gift of 100000 was made
to the university in 1909. At that time
Prospect. the residence Of the president
OF the university, was the proposed site
60, h,,il lk,1a h,,, a
fault with II and suggested that either
the golf links or the Merwick site would
be suitable. Mr.. Procter's gift was ac-
ccpted and the golf links were named
as the site, on condition that Mrs.
Swans money was available for this
site.
President Wilson was not entirely in
favor Of the site and proposed to Mr..
Proctor that his money should be used
for building ON the golf links and
that the Thompson Graduate College
should be erected wherever the trus.
tees should choose. This did not meet
with the approval Of Mr.. Proctor and
he withdrew the gift.
While the controversy as to the site
was at its height there occurred In
Salem. Mass, an incident that was
eventually to solve the problem. On
July I. 1909. Isaac c. Wyman made q
will that named Princeton as the resid. I.
uary legatee Of his estate. On his death
on May Is. 1910. Princeton received
the estate which amounted to slightly
more than 100000. Mr.. wyman was
q graduate Of Princeton with the class
OF lS4s. and never since his gradual tion
had he visited Princeton. but 1t was
through the deans vitslizinE his inter-
est that this, the greatest single GIFT In
the history Of the university. came to
his alma mater.
The commencement Of Princeton of
1910 was particularly happy one,
for the Wyman Request brought
a decisive ending to year OF
division In council, Added to MIR. Wy
mans bequest came the announcement
that Mr.. Proctor had removed his gift
Of half a million for the benefit OF the
Graduate College.
With the controversy definitely set
/ lied ground was broken for the Grad
uats College on the golf links on May
Is, 1911. The buildings which are to be
| dedicated On Wednesday next have been
In construction for two years and q
half and We're opened for occupancy at
the opening VI the present academic