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

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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.

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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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DIR. FIELD The streetskrunning through this tract were vacated by the city coun- cil, making the University's land one unbroken piece, fronting south on the Midway Plaisance, having Ellis Avenue on the west and Lexington Avenue on the east. Washington Park is four blocks west and .T ack- son Park seven blocks east of the site. These parks, with the Plai- sance, which is also a park, contain a thousand acres. The annual meeting of the Ed- ucation Society in June, 1890, was held in Chicago and the board of the society adopted articles of incorpor- ation and a charter for the new institution. Un September 10 of the same year the University was incorporated under the laws of Illinois with the following trustees: E. NELSON BLAIQD, JUDGE JOSDPH M. BAILI-Lv FRANCIS E. HINCKLEY, WII,I,I.uI R. PI.-XRPER, PH HON. GEORGE A. PII.I,sIsU EDWARD GOODMAN, 1 .D., Rv, ALONZO K. PARRIQR, UD., J. W. MIDGI,I1:x', :XNDREXV RICLEISH, FRI-:D A. SMITH, FERD W. PECK, HERMAN H. IQOHLSAAT, CHARLES L. HUTQHINSON, ELI B. FELSENTHAI., MARTIN A. RYERSON, JUDGE DANIEL L. SHOREY, GEORGE C. VVALKER, C. C. BONVEN, ELIIIER L. CORTHIQLL, HENRY A. RUST, CI-I.xRI,Ias W. NEEDHAM. The trustees perfected their organization bv the election of the following officers: Pl'z'.S'1'zfCl1l . . . I '1're- P1 Fililllfllf . T1'eas1zrff1' . . . Nf'f01'rI'1'f1rg'Srr1'f'lIzljl' . . . E. NELSON BI.,xRIf3. BI.-XRTIN A. RYI-:RsoN. . . . CII.-IRLIQS L. HUTCHINSON. . JUSTIN A. SMITH. D.IJ. Cm-navponn'z'z1g and l z'11a11f1'a! Sefrelaljf. T, XV. GUOIJQIJFI.-D IJ IJ . . . , . . ln the charter of the University are two noteworthv sections. Ong ig .. , '4,. ,' '..f Y- - . that the object ot the corporation Is ' Fo proxide, nnpart and furnish oppor- tunities for all departments of higher education, to persons of both sexes 011