EZRA CORNELL-1864-1S74 307 



I had supposed that this was to end my relations with 

 Mr. Cornell, so far as the university was concerned. A 

 multitude of matters seemed to forbid my taking any fur- 

 ther care for it, and a call to another position very attrac- 

 tive to me drew me away from all thought of connection 

 with it, save, perhaps, such as was involved in meeting the 

 trustees once or twice a year. 



Mr. Cornell hadjisked me, from time to time, whether 

 I could suggest any person for the presidency of the uni- 

 versity. I mentioned various persons, and presented the 

 arguments in their favor. One day he said to me quietly 

 that he also had a candidate ; I asked him who it was, and 

 he said tEatThe preferred to keep the matter to himself 

 until the next meeting of the trustees. Nothing more passed 

 between us on that subject. I had no inkling of his pur- 

 pose, but thought it most likely that his candidate was 

 a Western gentleman whose claims had been strongly 

 pressed upon him. When the trustees came together, and 

 the subject was brought up, I presented the merits of vari- 

 ous gentlemen, especially of one already at the head of an 

 important college in the State, who, I thought, would give 

 us success. Upon this, Mr. Cornell rose, and, in a very sim- 

 ple but earnest speech, presented my name. It was entirely 

 unexpected by me, and I endeavored to show the trustees 

 that it was impossible for me to take the place in view of 

 other duties ; that it needed a man of more robust health, 

 of greater age, and of wider reputation in the State. But 

 Mr. Cornell quietly persisted, our colleagues declared 

 themselves unanimously of his opinion, and, with many 

 misgivings, I gave a provisional acceptance. 



The relation thus begun ended only with Mr. Cornell's 

 life, and from first to last it grew more and more interest- 

 ing to me. We were thrown much together at Albany, at 

 Ithaca, and on various journeys undertaken for the uni- 

 versity ; and, the more I saw of him, the deeper became my 

 respect for him. There were, indeed, towaxd.tke,..eno! of 

 his life, some things trying to one of my temperament, 

 and among these things I may mention his exceeding reti- 



