Drexel University - Spartan Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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1 9' l 1, 5 l years elf nge that l1e wus Sl'lll hy st11g'1--1-11111'l1 l'1'11111 1'l1il11delpl1i11. to New Orleuus witl1 il ll1l'g'0 sum i11 g'11ld, illt l'2ll'l'Y illlll re111:1rlc11l1le illustr11ti1111 ol' tl1e 1llllC1'G11t1 strength :uid relia1hility of l1is Ull2l1'2lK'l01'. At tl1e end elf the dz1y's work, llllilill' the wise g'11id1111ee elf his faither he spout the 1-ve11i11g1s ut lltllllt' i11 the study 11l' lllll4lt' :1111l tl1e l1lllQlHlQ'0S. As 21 result, Mr. Drexel illlil his l11'11t'l1e1's were linguists und lllllS1t'lilIlS of 1111 111111111 ability. O11 Suudziys he wzillced to ll Slllllll t'lllll'l'lI 1111 the eutslcirls 11lf l,llllRltlL'llllllil, where l1e played the 111'g'z111, 1'L'0G1Vlllg' t'111' this service, lifty d11ll11rs 11 year. Ill 11111.tters 11t' discipline his l'11t'l1e1,' was ex11eti11g' butt just. fill 1111e 11e1'11si1111, e011- l11'2ll Y to his 1'2l1l'll0l'iS expressed desire, he 1-li111l1e1l El high l'e111-11 Zlllt-l Llfell. When llC had rc1'11vered f1'tllll the res11lt 11l' tl11- 111'1'i1le11t, l1e wus plllllSllCll. Nevertlwless, Nr. Drexel 111111 his ll1'OlllC1'S 1'L'UtlQlllZl'll the wiS1l11111 1111d justice elf their fliill3ll01',S e1111tr11l and the lllvillgl 111111111-1'11 for their Wtlll'il1't! which 111-tuzlted l1i111. 'l'hey ll01lti1'0tl uud revered hi111 111111e tl1e less for the ex:11'1i11g eure u'itl1 whi1-h l1e U1'llCl'6fl their lives. Al'te1' the death 11l' his l'illllt'l' ill 18113, Authouy J. Drexel with l1is lll'0lll0l' Pl1'2lllCiS A. Drexel 1'1111ti1u11-d the lJllSlll0SS. 'l'h1-y we1'e jtbilltld luter hy lll0il' b1'11ther -loseph NV. Drexel. 'lllll' Paris ll0llS0, Drexel, llurjes SL tle., wus 1-st11hlisl11-1l i11 1867 and the New York house, Drexel, M111'g'1111 N t'11., i11 1871. illll'illlf'lS A. Drexel 1lie1l i11 1885 leuvilig l1IlilltHly J. Drexel i11 00llll1ll'll' e1111tr11l 11K tl1e 11rig'i11:1.l house i11 l'l1il111lelpl1iz1. lt wus t'l11'1111g'l1 Alll'll0ll'V .l. Drexel that tl1e Drexel interests UXIHlll4l0Cl to w111'ld-wi1le 1li1ue11si1111s. The lliHltJ1'y ul' these lllll'I't'SlS is the story 11t' l1is lil'1-. The rise of tl1e l.'hil11- 1lel11hi:1 h1111se wus 1'l1:11'111't111'ize1l, us has heeu i11di1-:1te1l :1l111ve, l1y il, Si'l'l1plll0llS 11bse1'v11111'e uf tl1e SUllllllK'Sl llllllililllmlllill 111'i111'ipl1-s 11l' llillllilllg' :md ti11:1111'e. U111le1' tl1e lll1lSl7l!1',lqlll Q,'ll1tlilllt'l' 11if A11t,h1111y J. Drexel 11111l his lll'11lllt'1', l'll'illll'lS A. ljrexel, these pri11eiples were l1uilt' i11t11 tl1e very Sll'll1'llll't! 11lf tl1e lltIllS0. 'l'he husiuess 11lf llillllilllgf wus 1'CQ'Zll'Cl0tl us 11 public trust :uid Slliillltl lll01'Ul'tl1'L' IIUVUI' 2lSSlllll0 the 1'11st11111:11'y risks 11t' 1'11111111e1'1-i11l ClllL'l'- prises, 11111' 1-11t1-rtz1i11 Y0llllll't'S i11 uuy 1leg're1- llllt'Cl'l2llll. 'l'he Drexel h11us1-s, tl11'11ug'l111ut their 1-xiste111'1-, luive 2lll.lll1'01l sp111'11l11ti1'11 11eg'11tia1ti1111s. ,lu uetiye llll2lllt'l', they halve 1'1111li11e1l l'll0lIlSClX'0H 111 pi'11vi1li11g' 1'l'S0lll'K'US 'l'111' tl1e t'0llLlllCl1 11l' 11ri1'11t1- llllHlllUSH, 1'11r11111':1ti1111s, i11stituti1111s, 111111 g.1'0X'L!l'llllll'lll, ulwuys 11111111 :1 tl1111'1111g'l1ly Hllllllil husis. u1YllUlll'YCl' 111'1'usi1111s 111'11se, NYllt'll s11lve11t husiuess llltlll 111' lltlllt'lill'j' iusti- llll1t3llS were ll2ll'1l 11resse1l 111' llllgllll he 1-11111111-lle1l to sus111-11d 111' hreuk, nwiug to 111111111 in tl1e 11111111-y 1ll2l1'lit'l', the llll'1lllH were 11r1111111tly l'll1'lllHll0ll t11 save tl1e llltlll 111' the i11stituti1111 Il'1'U1ll 1lis1'r1-dit 111' lJ2llllil'l1lDl1'.Y. Mr. llrexel did this lllltl0l' ull lllillllltfl' 11l' l'11't'lllllSlQlllt'CS fl'tllll the lll1llllllL'Sl to these i11v11l1'i11g' tl1e S2ll'l'l'Y 111' 1'lllll 11t' very l2l1'g'0 1'111'p111'11ti1111s where, il' reliel' hud lK'Cll withheld, wi1l1-sp1'e11d 1lisust1-1' Wtillltl have l'11ll11w1-d. O11 the puhlie 1'l1111'111't1-1' ul' the lllilll, heur tl1e Wl1l'llS 11t' tl1e lute liishep 1'le11ry C. l'11tt1-1' who had lill0Wll llllll lung' 111111 lIllllll2llt'l'V. 'l'lll'S1' w11r1ls were 1ll'l1ll0llllt'0ll 1111 tl1e 111'1':1si1111 11lf il 1lll'llltll'lRll s1-1'yi1'e held i11 the Alltlllilldlllll 11l' tl1e ,Drexel Iuslitute 1111 the tw1-utieth 11lf -l2lllll2ll'.X', 1851-l. Nlr. Drexel wus tllSllllg,1'll1SlIl?ll :1h1u'e 11ll l1y il llltlflll ll0lllC- 111-ss i11 llllSlll0SS-Rl lciud Ill' li11:1111'i11l st:1t1-s111:111sl1ip itlllt'lll'tl witl1 tl1e li11est1 se11sihility 111111 -J

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V ' rig! E ?'4':: 15,- I -'W ire:-.'-Q -- V , 'Sb . ,,.4, . , . . The Drexel Institute -'I' 79 --W9' 'N 1: -' ' Tijii.- If e' ' sl Q .F

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lifted to the most exalted conception of great responsibilities and opportunities. Tl1ere is no test of character at once so searching and so linal as the possession, in whatever kind, of great power .... Here was a man who, holding a great power, wielded it for the greatest good, who held up the weak, who sustained the public credit, who befriended tottering fortunes and enterprises, who put life beneath the very ribs of death and set tl1e corpse upon its feet again-and all this in a fashion of such modest and unobtrusive naturalness, if I may say so, that we who saw him or knew of his doing these things never saw how great they were until he himself was taken away from us and we beheld them in their true light. And thus it was that Mr. Drexel became, not only in this community, but also in two hemispheres a strong and benetieent moral force. Every honest enterprise was stronger because it knew it could count upon his sympathy. Every equivocal illld dubious enterprise, every shrewd and unscrupulous man was weaker because he knew that he would have to reckon with Mr. Drexells unbending honesty and his uncompromising equity. ,Knaves dreaded his searching eye, and knavish undertakings were the weaker because he lived to detect a.nd designate them. This was his moral power, and 111en felt it everywhere and with unceasing force all the way lo the end. In Mr. Drexel's private life there shone honor, sincerity, justice, magnanilnity and modesty. Ilis habits of life were simple and many of tl1e1n were formed in his youth under the tutelage of his father. Thus was formed, we are told, his habit of lunching on hard crackers and cheese in his oflice. Punctuality in self and in those who dealt with him was a major requirement of Mr. Drexel. IVhat a privilege it must have been to have enjoyed the direct interest and guidance of such a man! For it was his especial delight to guide and watch the development of the young men with whom he was associated in business. Ile was a keen judge of char- acter yet was hc tolerant and patient. Many churches of varying denominations, hospitals, dispensaries, homes, benevolent organizations as well as 1na.ny individuals have reason to remember his benelicence. In conjunction with his friend Mr. George W. Childs he established the Childs-Drexel home for aged printers at Colorado Springs. Unassuming and modest, he avoided all display: to occupy a conspicuous position in public caused him exquisite pain. When he was tendered the post of secretary of the treasury of tl1e United States, he declined. The home life of Mr. Drexel was most beautiful and inspiring. Mrs. Drexel , daughter of John Rozet, a Philadelphia merchant of French birth, was a woman of beautiful character and many accomplishments. She died on the twenty-seventh of November, 1891, just before the opening of the Institute which occurred in February, 1892. The atmos- phere of the home had all the charm of an older civilization. It was the father's chief pleasure to spend his evenings at home in his music room, which was furnished witl1 two pianos, where, with his daughters, he played duets and quartettes from the old masters. He inherited the artistic temperament and tastes of his father, as was evidenced by his 6