San Mateo-Santa Clara County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter IX The Leland Stanford, Junior, University 1893
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Coast Counties Of Central California.

CHAPTER IX.
THE LELAND STANFORD, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY

A generous education should be the birthright of every man and woman in America."

  Such is the noble motto of this young university. Such, in fact, has been the
unformulated and once-thought-to-be-visionary motto of a large portion of the
people of the United States. Will the generous aspiration ever be actually
realized? Let us hope so!

  Although the various buildings of the Stanford University are located just
over the line, in Santa Clara county, a considerable portion of the land
endowment of the institution is in San Mateo county.

FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY.

  The founding at Palo Alto of "a university for both sexes, with the colleges,
schools, seminaries of learning, mechanical institutes, museums, galleries of
art, and all other things necessary and appropriate to a university of high
degree," was determined upon by Leland Stanford and Jane Lathrop Stanford, in
1884. In March, 1885, the Legislature of California passed an act providing for
the administration of trust funds in connection with institutions of learning.
November 14, 1885, the grant of endowment was publicly made in accordance with
this Act, and on the same day the board of trustees held its first meeting in
San Francisco.

  The work of construction was at once begun, and the corner-stone laid, May 14,
1887, the nineteenth anniversary of the birth of Leland Stanford, Junior,
deceased, after whom the proposed institution was named. The university was
formally opened to students October 1, 1891.

  The idea of the university, in the words of its founders, "came directly from
our son and only child, Leland; and in the belief that had he been spared to
advise as to the disposition of our estate, he would have desired the devotion
of a large portion thereof to this purpose; we will, that for all time to come,
the institution hereby founded, shall bear his name and shall be known as the
Leland Stanford, Junior, University."

ITS OBJECTS.

  The object of the university, as stated in its charter, is "to qualify
students for personal success and direct usefulness in life," and its purposes
to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity
and civilization, teaching the blessings of liberty, regulated by law, and
inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of government as derived
from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

ENDOWMENT.

  The property conveyed to the university in addition to the Palo Alto estate of
8,400 acres, partly lowland and partly rising into the foot-hills of the Santa
Cruz range, consists of the Vina estate in Tehama county, of 55,000 acres, of
which about 4,000 acres are planted in vines; and the Gridley estate, in Butte
county, of 22,000 acres, devoted mainly to the raising of wheat.

BUILDINGS.

  In arranging the buildings and grounds, the plan has been to conform them to
the peculiar climatic conditions of California, and to provide for indefinite
expansion without crowding or distortion. A series of quadrangles, to be erected
as the needs of the university demand, will furnish facilities for all general
university work. Surrounding these will be various detached buildings for
miscellaneous purposes and the university town, with carefully laid-out streets
and grounds. The buildings are of a buff sandstone, somewhat varied in color.
The stone-work is of broken ashlar, with a rough face, and the roofs are covered
with red tile. The architectural motif is to be found in the old Spanish
missions of California.

THE HOPKINS LABORATORY OF NATURAL HISTORY.

  In order to carry on the biological work of this institution, a seaside
laboratory of natural history has been founded as a branch of the university, by
the liberality of Mr. Timothy Hopkins, of San Francisco. The laboratory is
located on Poin Aulon, a headland projecting into the sea near the town of
Pacific Grove, on the bay of Monterey. It will be provided with aquaria and with
all apparatus necessary for carrying on studies in the structure, development
and life history of 
marine animals and plants, and will be open during the summer vacation of each
year to naturalists wishing to carry on original investigations, and to students
and teachers who desire to make themselves familiar with methods of study in
marine zoology and botany. The work of the laboratory will be under the general
direction of Professors Gilbert, Jenkins and Campbell, the committee of the
university faculty in charge. The general purpose of the laboratory is similar
to that of the marine zoological laboratory at Wood's Holl, Massachusetts, and
to the sea-side and marine laboratories established by Johns Hopkins University
at different places along the Atlantic coast. The bay of Monterey is peculiarly
favorable for investigations of the kind contemplated, being exceedingly rich
with life; and the life history of the peculiar animals and plants of the
Pacific coast has for the most part received little study from naturalists.

SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.

  It is intended to bring together in the museum of the university a full
representation of the natural history and mineral products of California,
collections of all books, pamphlets, photographs and maps, bearing upon the
early history of the West, and full collections of Indian antiquities and
illustrations of aboriginal life.

TRUSTEES.

  The general management and control of the institution is vested in a board of
twenty-four trustees, chosen for life, of whom fifteen constitute a quorum,
their names being: James McM. Shafter, John Boggs, Charles Goodall, T. B.
McFarland, Alfred L. Tubbs, Isaac S. Belcher, Francis E. Spencer, John Q. Brown,
Charles F. Crocker, George E. Gray, Timothy Hopkins, Nathan W. Spalding, Henry
L. Dodge, Matbew P. Deady, Irving M. Scott, William M. Stewart, Harvey W.
Harkness, Stephen J. Field, Horace Davis, Horatio Stebbins, D. D., Joseph D.
Grant, Leon Sloss, S. F. Leib, Edward R. Taylor; Herbert C. Nash, secretary.

  The charter provides that the founders, Leland Stanford and Jane Lathrop
Stanford, during their lives shall "perform all the duties and exercise all the
powers and privileges enjoined upon and vested in the trustees."

FACULTY AND COUNCIL.

  The faculty consists of the president, professors, associate professors,
assistant professors and instructors aided by non-resident lecturers, assistants
and other officers.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES.

  Religious instruction is provided in accordance with the provision of the
charter, which prohibits sectarian instruction, but requires the teaching of
"the immortality of the soul, the existence of an all-wise and benevolent
Creator, and that obedience to His laws is the highest duty of man."

ADMISSION AND GRADUATION.

  Candidates for admission must be at least sixteen years of age. They must
present certificates of good moral character, and, if from other colleges or
universities, must bring certificates of honorable dismissal.

FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY.

  David Starr Jordan, LL. D., president, assisted by over sixty professors,
including several eminent non-resident professors and lecturers. Among the
latter are Hon. Andrew D. White, professor of European history; Jacob G.
Schurman, president of Cornell University, non-resident lecturer on ethics, and
others.

STUDENTS.

  The register for 1891-'92 (to June, '92) shows the following summaries:

  By classes:

Graduates                               37
Undergraduates                         376
Special and partial students           146
  Total (men, 417; women, 142)         559

  These include natives of thirty States, several Territories, and also Canada,
England, Mexico,  Ireland, Hawaiian  Islands, Japan, France, Germany and the
Netherlands.

  During the last half of the present year, 1892, the number of students in
attendance is as follows;

Young men              499
Young women            212
Total.              ...711


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


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