2l6 WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER. 



became principal of the Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts 

 and later of the entire Chautauqua system. 



In 1886 he was appointed Professor of Semitic Languages in 

 the graduate faculty of Yale University and in 1889 was ap- 

 pointed to the Woolsey Professorship of Biblical Literature in 

 the same institution. September 18, 1890, he was elected 

 President of the new University of Chicago. His letter of 

 acceptance bears date February 16, 1891, and he entered upon 

 his duties July i of that year. Beginning with a general out- 

 line of what the institution should become, he obtained funds 

 to purchase about ten acres of ground for a site and secured one 

 million dollars in money and pledges. With this beginning the 

 Chicago University opened its doors in 1892. It is impossible 

 in this brief statement even to sketch the marvelous growth of 

 the university under his leadership. At the time of his death 

 the university had over sixty acres of ground in a great city, 

 forty buildings, fifteen millions of dollars in endowment and 

 property, a faculty of three hundred and fifty professors and 

 teachers, and over three thousand students. This result stag- 

 gers belief and when one approaches the subject more closely 

 and considers the infinite details of the work in securing the 

 enormous contributions, in planning the buildings, in organizing 

 the educational work, in securing the teaching staff, among 

 whom were so many distinguished educators, and in turning to 

 this institution such a large body of students, the mind and 

 energy and consummate leadership of the man appear in their 

 fullness and glory. It is not extravagant to say that history 

 does not give a precedent or parallel of such an achievement. 



But this was not all. In addition to this administrative and 

 constructive work he was a great teacher and a productive 

 writer. 



The work he loved most was teaching. He was a master of 

 his subject and he possessed the indefinable quality, common to 

 all great teachers, that aroused the student to the greatest pos- 

 sible interest in his subject and compelled the student to zealous 

 work. There was an influence which ran along the channel 

 of his words that no words can interpret, which was an inspira- 

 tion to everyone who listened to him. He did not seek so much 



