BIG-SCALE BENEFACTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 92, 20 April 1938, Page 3

BIG-SCALE BENEFACTION

Endowment of Universities

A LL American universities have re-

ceived great gifts from their old members: the Harvard graduates are so engrained with this idea that it is said that a wealthy Harvard man would feel that he had tarnished his reputation if he omitted to leave something to Harvard in his will, writes Sir J. J. Thomas, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, in Recollections and Reflections. They lost what would have been perhaps the greatest benefaction that a university ever received, when a man and his wife, who showed no signs of affluence, called on President Eliot, and said that they had just lost their son and wished as a memorial to him to do something to help other young men

to get a good education, and would be grateful if President Fliot would tell them how to do so. The President said that he was afraid that it was impossible to do anything in that way except at a great expense. This suggestion of impecuniosity nettled the lady, and she said. "Well. President Eliot, what has this uni. versity cost, buildings, professors, and all?” The President mentioned a great many million dollars, and tha lady said, “Come away, Leland. I think we can do better than that.’* They went away and founded the Leland Stanford University, with an endowment of 34 million dollars.