posted 11-06-2001 05:32 PM         

This is a true story of the Founders of Stanford University

And now for the rest of the story.........

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed
in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in
Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the
president's outer office at Harvard.

The secretary could see that the people were not from
Boston, and probably didn't even deserve to be in
Cambridge. She frowned. "We want to see the president",
the man said softly.

"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait,"
the lady replied.

For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple
would finally become discouraged and go away.

They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally
decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore
she always regretted to do.

"Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave,"
she told him. And he sighed in exasperation and nodded.

Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to
spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and
Homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.

The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the
couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that attended
Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here.
But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my
husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him,
somewhere on campus".

The president wasn't touched he was shocked. "Madam," he
said gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who
attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look
like a cemetery."

"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly, "We don't want to erect a
statue. We thought we would like to give a building to
Harvard.

The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham
dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do
you have any earthly idea how much a building costs?

We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical
plant at Harvard".

For a moment the lady was silent. The president was
pleased. He could get rid of them now.

And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that
all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our
own?"

Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in
confusion and bewilderment.

And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to
Palo Alto, California where they established the University
that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no
longer cared about.

You can't judge a book by the cover....

Don't look at people with your eyes....

Look at them with your heart...

posted 11-07-2001 10:52 AM         

Marty

posted 11-07-2001 07:00 PM         

IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE FINALLY HIT....... STRIKE THREEEEEE....!!!

No, not hurting for material. This was sent to me and enjoyed the reading so I posted.

If I find something I enjoy or sent to me that I have not seen posted here, I will post it. I don't recal this story ever been posted on POA???

Anyhow, thanks for the update.... By the way, where did you find the info you just talked about??

posted 11-07-2001 07:23 PM         

Dan

Dan,,,,

lol,,,,,,,,,,,

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See me WAX a Roush
See me WAX a Cobra