University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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field of Work the conviction .vvas forced upon him that the society should undertake, as its first great Work, the founding of a strong institution in Chicago. In December, 1888, the matter Was brought before the board of the society, which approved of the effort to establish a vvell-equippediinstitution in Chicago, pledged its hearty co-operation, and instructed its secretary to use every means in his power to originate and encourage suchfa movement. Mr. Gates soon after entered into communication with Mr. Rockefeller and, encouraged by him, thenceforth gave himself with untiring fdevotion and great Wisdom to the Work of founding the University of Chicago. - Early in 1889 he secured the appointment of a committee of nine prominent men- REV. AIR. GATES Drs. VVilliam R. Harper, E. Benjamin Andrews, Alvah Hovey, Henry G. lVeston, J. F. Elder, Samuel WV. Duncan, H. L. Morehouse, James .M. Taylor and Hon. Charles L. Colby, who made an elaborate report on the scope of the proposed institution, the location, the funds' required fm- ZL Substzmtiul foundation and other points. This report afterwards formed the basis for further action. At the anniversary of the Education Society held in Boston, in May, 1880. the society formally resolved to take immediate steps toxvard flag founding of a well-equipped college in the City of Cliicagoj- flNf, make it i ' V ' ' 'V' V Y, . -. f V ,. . . possible to carry out this purpose Mr. lxotliefcller at once made a subscription

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istorical Sketch niversitxg of hicago mwmwrrwrsw of the -X D i f of Illinois in 1857 begin the work of instruction in 1858 and continued it until 1886 when its l tst class was Ofraduated and it succumbed to the financial difficulties which had attended Muff M M 1 the greater part of its history So profound however was f ' 1 1. ,Z ' , Q Q 4 ,Qfjff HE first University of Chicago was chartered by the legislature f1il72 ' lfTl ' ji . . . . . . H. . ' L fi ll 1 of .. F - -If ' ' . . Z N ' 234 X, ff gy - 9 5 :agp - I - - Q . f f- 1 i W? e I x -gb Qfrfyw 111 .62 i L 7 C za C i the conviction that the City of Chicago was the proper place for a great seat of learning that no sooner had the first insti- tution closed its doors than interest began to be manifested in the foundation of the new University. Happily for the practical outcome of this interest it was felt by men whose means were commensurate with their views and sympathies. In the fall of 1888 Mr. John D. Rockefeller, whose attention had been called to the matter by Dr. G. W. Northrup and others, sought opportunities of conference with Prof. William R. Harper, of Yale University, regarding it, and finally entered into communication with Rev. F. T. Gates, Secretary of the American Baptist Education Society. This society was formed at Wasliington, D. C., in May, 1889, and Mr. Gates was elected its corresponding secretary. In looking over his wide

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of S600,000 toward an endowment fund, conditioned on the pledging of 3400,000 more before .Tune 1, 1890. Immediately following the action in Boston and the announcement of Mr. Rockefellerls subscription, early in June, 1889, a meeting was held in Chicago, and a college committee of thirty-six was appointed to co-operate with the society in the effort to meet the condition proposed. This com- mittee appointed Rev. Thomas W. Goodspeed to assist Mr. Gates in raising the 95,400,000 required. Although this project was considered impossible by REX. MR. GOODSI Ll.I many wise men, these two immediately entered upon their labors and within the prescribed period carried their work to success, accomplishing more than was required of them. They secured, a little more than S400,000 in subscrip- tions to be paid in money, about 315,000 in books, scientific collections and apparatus and a site for the institution valued at S125,000. The site, consisting of a block and a half of land, was donated by Mr. Marshall Field, Chicago's great merchant prince and noble-minded philan- thropist. Two and a half additional blocks were afterwards purchased for 52823-500, thus providing a site of four blocks, or about twenty-four acres.