This true story took place in America at the end of the 19th century.
A woman and her husband got off the train in Boston with the intention of going to Harvard University. They were dressed modestly: she was wearing a cotton dress and he was wearing a simple suit, not exactly of the best quality. They approached the secretary of the president of Harvard University, without having an appointment. The secretary immediately realized that they were from the countryside and assumed that they were farmers – believing that they could not have anything to do with Harvard.
“We would like to speak to the president,” the man said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry, he is very busy,” the secretary replied.
“We will wait,” the woman replied.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that they would eventually become discouraged and leave. But they did not leave, which increased the secretary’s frustration.
Finally, she decided to bother the president, although it was a task she preferred to avoid. “Maybe if you talk to them for a few minutes, they’ll go away,” she told the university president. He grimaced in disappointment and agreed. With a frown but with dignity, she strode majestically toward the waiting couple.
The woman said, “We had a son who went to Harvard for a year. He loved Harvard and was happy here, but a year ago he died in an accident. My husband and I would like to build something on campus in memory of our son.”
The president didn’t seem interested. “Ma’am,” he said, “we can’t put up a statue for every person who went to Harvard and died. If we did that, this place would look like a cemetery.”
“Oh, no,” the woman said quickly, “we don’t want to put up a statue. We thought we’d be happy to donate a building to Harvard University.”
The president looked at them in disbelief. He looked at the dress and the simple suit they were wearing and exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any idea how much a building costs? We’ve invested over seven and a half million dollars in buildings here at Harvard!”
For a moment, the woman was silent. The president thought that maybe now he could get rid of them.
The woman turned to her husband and said softly, “A university costs so little? Why don’t we build our own, from scratch?”
Her husband agreed.
The president’s face darkened with confusion and amazement.
Mr. Leland Stanford and his wife rose and left, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they founded the university that bears their name, Stanford University, in memory of a son who Harvard was no longer interested in.
Leland Stanford Junior University was dedicated in 1891, in Palo Alto. “Junior” in honour of the son of the wealthy landowner. This was their “memorial”.
Today, Stanford University is one of the most prestigious in the world, rivaling Harvard.
MORAL:
HOW EASILY ONE CAN BE WRONG IN JUDGING BY APPEARANCES!
DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!