Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-11-23
GIVES 100000
TO UNIVERSITY
DR.. Guy Potter Benton An
nOunces Gift from Gen. X.
{. Hawkins of New York.
L. '. NJ. MUST DOUBLE SUM.
President Hopes to Get saOOOOO More
soon-Donor's civil War Memo
rnbiIin In Library Priceless.

General Rush e. Hawkins Of New York
city has given the University Of Vermont
S0nWr on condition that the institution
raise 100000 additional. He sets no time
limit in which the university must obtain
the latter sum. and President Guy Potter
Benton announced last evening that he
expected to have the amount needed ,
within short time"
announcement Of the gift was to have !
hecn made last week Tuesday at the
dinner in connection with the fall reunion /
of the New York alumni in the Chemists |
club. But General Hawkins letter. though |
dated >ovcmber u, was not actually !
mailed util the lfth. SO that 1t reached |
tho onN."jittec. Messrs. WEIGH. Whelan !
and LOWS. too late to he read. Both !
President BENTON and Or. Fred T Kidder /
Vt Woodstock, friend Of General 1Iaw- !
kius. have known since last summer that |
tho eift was coming. General Hawkins, |
who is a native Nermonter, told DR.. !
Eidder Of his intention.
Saturday President Renton called upon
General Hawkins at his home. - Fifth !
avenue. New York and the matter was
cXplained. The general then wrote Presi |
dent Benton the following letter, au-
thorizing him to use his letter to the
alumni committee he saw fit
My Dear Or. Benton.
This is to inform you that | am
placing at your disposition my letter Of
November L.. written to Messrs. WEIGH,
Nhalcn and Lewis. q copy now inclosed.
to he used in any way, which in your
Judgment shall the better promote the
object for which it was written. OF course
Nou will understand, that no changes OF
stated conditions are to be made,
Yours faithfully.
RUSH G. HAWKINS"
The letter to Messrs WEIGH. Whalen and
Lewis is somewhat long. but the salient
points in it are as follows: General Haw-
kins names several needs Of building and
equipment now existing al the univer-
sitN The institution. lie says requires
an auditorium to seat al least 100: addi-
'ioual stack room a. Billings library: an
adequate working library for the medical
college. an additional or new building
for tho present college Of engineerinG and
double the present space or n new build
! ing for science courses He adds that
to do what is actually necessary for con-
ventence, standing and present use three
hundred thousand dollars is required"
He agrees "to contribute one hun
dred thousand dollars as soon as two
hundred thousand dollars has been
subscribed and paid" The amount to
B
eudowment saws Dr Benton But in
! closing General Hawkins says: "If a
new building or buildings shall be
erected from the whole or any part Of
! II. 7 must be consulted about general
plans, external design and express
sion.
This is In tho interest 81 the prop
! rieties involved and venture to hope
fairly decent architecture"
PRICELESS GIFTS OF BOOKS
| For several years past General Haw-
! <ius has been accommodating at the Ii
! hrarY a gift Of hooks known as The
! Hawkins civil War Addition to the
/ Library" now numbering between
! 3 600 and 1000 volumes. II is the best
! collection Of Civil war memorabilia. in
any institution of learning in America,
! with the exception Of the one AT
| Princeton University. The books have
been put into separate room and re
/ Gently General Hawkins paid to have
| them Catalogued.
General Hawkins, though he has not
been on the university campus since
the summer OF 1918 was impressed by
! the growth Of the university, especial
! " the fact that II probably renders
I service to larger proportion of the
! people of its own state than any 9TH
or state university in the United
| states. He is himself loyal Yer
/ mouter.
Dr. kidder. who was the first to be
/ told of the generals intent is given
| much of the credit for obtaining the
+. Sift.
President Benton is not at liberty TO
! say from what sources he expects TO
obtain the additional $1,000 required.
but spoke confidently Of doing so.
GENERAL HAWKINS RECORD.
General Hawkins has gained wide
recognition as an author OF books on
the civil War, etc. He was born in
Pomfret September II. 1881. In 1874
Brown gave him the honorary degree
| Of A. VI. and in 1900 the University Of
| Vermont the honorary degree Of LII.
n. lie was colonel in the 9th y. Y.
Infantry. "Hawkins' Zouaves," May {,
| 1861. March 49, 1865. he was hreveted
brigadier- general for meritorious and
valuable services during the war" In
| 1872 he entered the New York assem-
bly,. In 1889 he became art commits =
sioner 10 the Paris exposition. He is
an officer of the Legion of Honor of
France. He is well-k known also rs n
book collector. especially of books re
garding the early history of printing
and wood engraving. Lately he COM
pletod and opened to the public the
AnnmarY Brown memorial at Provi-
dcnce, Il. l., containing a collection OF
pictures by early and later painters.
lie is the author of Titles of First
Books from the Earliest Presses
Better Than Men," Assassination of
North Carolinians for Serving in the
Union Army" GS9O; Our Political
Decradation," $500; and "Corlears
lIIook in 1890" besides many pamphlets.
lIITnAA0nII rVnI nnrn