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

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In May, 1889, at the national anniversaries of the Baptist denomination in Boston, the Education Society formally determined on am effort to establish am insti- tution of higher learning in Chicago. On this action being taken. Mr. Gates pree sented a communication from Mr. Rockefeller, subscribing $600,090 toward an endow- ment fund, conditioned on the pledging of $400,000 by other good and responsible parties, on or before June 1, 1890, so much of this latter sum as should be required to he used for the purchase of a site and the erection of buildings. On June 5, 1889. a meeting was held in the Grand Pacific Hotel to inaugurate the movement in Chicago and the west for founding the new institution. Seventy men were in attendance. A college committee of thirty-six was appointed. This committee appointed me financial secretary, to eetiperate with Mr. Gates in seeking the $400,000 called for by Mr. Rockefeller's subscription. The work was begun at once and prose- cuted with diligence through the year. The subscriptions secured aggregated more than $550,000. Mr. Field gave a block and a half of land and sold us as much more for $132,500, these three blocks. extending from Fiftyvsixth Street along the east line of Ellis Avenue to the Midway Plaisanee, constituting the original campus. The original Board of Trustees was approved by the Board of the American Bap- tist Education Society, and the names of the trustees were made a part 01 the articles of incorporation. The incorporatm's were John D. Rockefeller, E. Nelson Blake, Marshall Field, F. E. Hinckley, Fred T. Gates, and Thomas W. Goodspeed. The first meetings of the Board of Trustees ttwo sessionst were held Julyr 9, 1890. The first meeting after the legal steps of incorporation had been taken was held on September 18,1890. At. this meeting, E. Nelson Blake was elected President of the Board. Dr. Wm. R. Harper was elected President of the University, and a letter was read from Mr. Rockefeller contributing $1,000;000 to the new University, as follows: $800,000 as an endowment for nen-pl-ofessional graduate instruction and fellowships; $190,000 as an endowment fer theological instruction in the Divinity School of the Universityethe Baptist Union Theological Seminary to become the Divinity School; $100,000 for buildings for the Divinity Scheoi. Dr. Harper accepted the presidency on February 16. 1891, and entered on his term of service July 1, 1891. On June 30, 1891, the gift from the Ogden Estate, which promises to aggregate $600,000, was made and became the foundation of the Ogden tGraduatet School of Science. Ground was broken for the first buildings-Cobb Hull and the divinity dormitor- ieswon November 26, 1891. On January 26, 1892, Dr. Harry Pratt Judson was appointed Professor and Dean of the Undergraduate Departments. In February of the same year, Mr. Rockefeller gave another million dollars. In the spring of the same year, a subscription of $1,000,000 was raised in Chi- cago in ninety days, betiveen April 10 and July 10. regarded at the time as :1 won- derful piece of work. At the annual meeting in June, 1892, Mr. Martin A. Ryerson was elected President of the Board of Trustees and has been continued in that office ever since. On the first day of October, 1392, the doors Were opened to students and the work of instruction and the real life of the Urmmrsitz,r began, the number of students the first year being 698. This, in bare outline, is the story of the beginnings of thinks in the University of Chicago. THOMAS W. GOODSPEED. 13

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THE BEGINNING OF THINGS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO HE first University of Chicago began the work of instruction in 1857 and suspended it in 1886. Debts had been contracted which could not be neithe except through the sacrifice of the property and life of the University. Nevertheless, it had done an important work, and had made such an imu pression on the denomination which had established and conducted it, that, on the closing of its doors, plans Were at once considered and elfm-ts at once begun for a new institution under the same denominational auspices. John D. Rockefeller had been for some years taking a liberal interest in the Baptist Theological Seminary, then located at Morgan Park, and now the Divinity School of the University. All of us here in Chicago, who dreamed of a new Univer- sity, turned in our thoughts to Mr. Rockefeller, and several of us wrote to him, asking his interest and assistance. In 1888 another force entered the field. Dr. Wm. R. Harper had been a teacher in the Theological Seminary at Morgan Park and had been called to Yale. He had refused the presidency of the old University, but was profoundly impressed with the need of a. great institution of learning in this city. In October, 1888, Mr. Rockefeller introduced the matter of such an institution to Dr. Harper, and asked his advice. Of course. Dr. Harper encouraged him to take the matter up. The two men met often and Dr. Harper urged the cause of Chicago. Mr. Rockefeller became so much interested that in November, 1888, he permitted Dr. Harper to invite me to visit New York and talk the matter over. We called, by appointment, early in the morning, and took breakfast with the family. The subject was fully gone over during the meal, Mrs. Rockefeller and other members of the family- joining in the discussion. Mr. Rockefeller finally said, iiI am interested in the matter and am willing to put a few hundred thousand dollars into it. Now, Mr. Goodspeed, what would you like to have me do? I would like to have you tell me just what is in your mind. Summoning all my reserves of courage, I made this answer: ttI would like to have you give us $1,500,000, on condition that we raise an additional sum of $500,000. This, I believe, with such encouragement from you, we could do. On this we rose from the table, Mr. Rockefeller making no response, either encouraging or discouraging. I returned to Chicago and my relation to the matter, for the time being, ceased. It so happened that in less than two years after the work of the'old University ended, the American Baptist Education Soeiety was organized, tin May. 188m and became the agency through which the new University of Chicago was founded. The new Society appointed Fred T. Gates its Corresponding Secretary. Mr. Gates made a comprehensive study of his wide field, and became convinced that the great work to which the Society should address itself was the. foundinp; of :1, new institution in Chicago. The Society endorsed his views and instructed him to devote himself to that object, which he was eager to do. In January, 1889, Mr. Rockefeller sought the advice of Mr. Gates with reference to Chicago, and was strongly encouraged in his purpose. He determined to make the new Education Society the agency for founding the institution. 12

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