318 AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT-II 



ment of three millions, most of them regarded him as a 

 dreamer. 



I have never known a man more entirely unselfish. I 

 have seen him, when his wealth was counted in millions, 

 devote it so generously to university objects that he felt 

 it necessary to stint himself in some matters of personal 

 comfort. When urged to sell a portion of the university 

 land at a sacrifice, in order to better our foundations, he 

 answered in substance, " Don't let us do that yet; I will 

 wear my old hat and coat a little longer, and let you have 

 a little more money from my own pocket. ' ' 



This feeling seemed never diminished, even under the 

 worst opposition. He "kept the faith," no matter who 

 opposed him. 



An eminent and justly respected president of one of the 

 oldest Eastern universities published a treatise, which was 

 widely circulated, to prove that the main ideas on which 

 the new university was based were utterly impracticable ; 

 and especially that the presentation of various courses of 

 instruction suited to young men of various aims and 

 tastes, with liberty of choice between them, was preposter- 

 ous. It is interesting to note that this same eminent gentle- 

 man was afterward led to adopt this same ' ' impracticable ' ' 

 policy at his own university. Others of almost equal 

 eminence insisted that to give advanced scientific and tech- 

 nical instruction in the same institution with classical 

 instruction was folly ; and these gentlemen were probably 

 not converted until the plan was adopted at English Cam- 

 bridge. Others still insisted that an institution not belong- 

 ing to any one religious sect must be "godless," would 

 not be patronized, and could not succeed. Their eyes were 

 opened later by the sight of men and women of differ- 

 ent Christian denominations pressing forward at Cornell 

 University to contribute sums which, in the aggregate, 

 amounted to much more than the original endowment. 



He earned the blessing of those who, not having seen, 

 have yet believed. Though he did not live long enough 

 to see the fundamental principles of the university thus 



