Story Of Stanford University!

Stanford University

A university that doesn't need an introduction. leland stanford university in Stanford, California was founded in 1885 and is one of the leading universities in the world with a student strength of 16,520 and academic staff strength of 2, 129!!

It is said that if stanford grads form their own country, it would have one of the world's 10 largest economies!

But do you know how the Stanford came into existence? Here is the story of it!

One day, a lady in a faded light cotton dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun worn out suit got off the train in Boston, United States. They walked with a feeling of fear and shyness into the outer office of the President of Harvard University. They had no appointment to meet the President.

The Secretary could tell in a moment that such awkward persons of rural areas had no business at Harvard University, noted for business studies and law. The lady wrinkled her brow in anger and disgust. The man said softly that they wanted to see the President. The Secretary said in a sharp, short way that he would be busy all day. The lady replied that they would wait.

The secretary, despite knowing the fact that the couple were waiting since a long time ignored them since he thought that the will leave for not showing interest in them. But to his surprise, they did not. This irked the secretary and having got frustrated he told the president that he had visitors. The president though reluctant let the couple inside his office.

Being a man of importance he did not have time to spend with them. He hated country-folk with homespun clothes moving in his outer office in an untidy way. The President, not gentle and harsh, walked stern-faced with dignity towards the couple. The lady told him that they had a son who attended Harvard for one year and he died of typhoid fever in the year 1884 . She continued that they would like to give a building to Harvard somewhere on the campus as a memorial to their son. The President rolled his eyes, and glanced at the couple. He then spoke out with anger that they had no idea how much a building would cost. He added that they spent more than seven and a half million dollars in the construction of a building over there.

For a moment the lady was silent. The President was pleased that he could get rid of them . And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly that was all it would cost to start a university. She told him that they would start their own university if he agreed. Her husband nodded.

The President's face sank in confusion and in grest doubt. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away. They travelled to Palo Alto in California, where they established the Stanford university that bears their name and is a memorial to their son !

Stanford university