Page 8 - 1911 November - To Dragma

TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 7

THE HISTORY OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY

I might tell you that Stanford University was founded in 1887
when the spade was struck into the earth but that is in no wise true.
We must go back a bit.

Leland Stanford, Jr. was born May 14, 1868 in Sacramento, Cal.,
and it was here that his infancy was spent. I n 1874 the family
moved to their home in San Francisco on California Street; little
time, however, was spent here as the Stanfords much prefered the
climate and the life on their farm at Palo Alto thirty miles to the
south of the bay. Leland loved to scour the farm on his pony and
all the hands were his friends. He was a- most observing youth,
and put his time to the best advantage wherever he was. The
summer of 1878 was spent along the coast of Maine studying the
fish of those waters. I n 1879 he made his first trip through the
treasure lands of Europe collecting both beautiful and strange relics
for his museum, a nucleus of the wonderful collection to be seen
in the museum today. Leland made several trips of this kind and
at every turn showed his love of invention and his power of
observation for he was always busy contriving some new device with
machinery. His letters written at this time show a wonderful dis-
play of English and culture at this early age.

I n May 1883 he toured Egypt; the next year he went to Naples,
but was not well. I n February he contracted typhoid fever and was
delirious until March thirteenth, when he died being fifteen years
and ten months old. I t seemed that the grief stricken parents
could not be comforted for the loss of their only child. One night
of sorrow, an inspiration came to the Senator and he cried out—"The
children of California shall be my children." I t was the Senator's
foresight, good sense and determination with which he carried out
his aim to found a university. I t was the loving persistency with
which Mrs. Stanford carried out her aim, that of entwining the
thought of her lost boy inextricably in the university so that it
should be a real memorial and he should not be deprived of his
inheritance by death, for the university should be his forever.

Thus it was the ideas of the founders to endow the university
so that all the children of California should be benefitted, and to
qualify students for personal success and direct usefulness in life.
I n 1891 the endowment was estimated over twenty millions. The
property consists of 8,400 acres in San Mateo and Santa Clara
Counties; the Gridley farm 22,000 acres in Butte County, the
finest wheat land in the world; Vina farm 55,000 acres in Butte