史丹佛大學 (MSN相簿:63-94張)


 


去年去史丹佛大學後,用英文寫過一次,現在用中文再寫一遍。


下面這個故事相信很多人都看過,不過史丹佛大學的官方網站上就有澄清,這只是個勵志故事,和創辦人沒有關係。創辦人史丹佛先生在1852年和太太到加州淘金,後來又進入鐵路事業,做得很成功。他在1861被選為加州州長,1885做了美國參議員,非常有錢。他的獨生子在十五歲時因為傷寒發燒,死於義大利的佛羅倫斯,從未上過哈佛,也不是死於意外。為了紀念兒子,他們在1981年創立史丹佛大學,學校全名是 Leland Stanford   Junior University。


 


下面的連結是史丹佛大學校方澄清的部分,請看最後一部分 Dispelling an Urban Myth,我亦轉貼在中文故事的下面。


http://www.stanford.edu/home/stanford/history/begin.html#myth


史丹佛大學成立的啟示

好幾年前,哈佛的校長對人的錯誤判斷,付了很大的代價。

 一對老夫婦,女的穿著一套褪色的條紋棉布衣服,而她的丈夫則是穿著布製的便宜西裝,也沒有事先約好,就直接去拜訪哈佛的校長。

校長的祕書在片刻間就斷定這兩個鄉下老土根本不可能與哈佛有業務來往。先生輕聲的說:「我們要見校長。」祕書很不禮貌的說:「他整天都很忙。」女士回答說: 沒關係,我們可以等。」

過了幾個鐘頭,祕書一直不理他們,希望他們知難而退,自己走開。他們一直等在那裡。

祕書終於決定通知校長「也許他們跟您講幾句話就會走。」校長不耐煩的同意了。校長很有尊嚴而且心不甘情不願的面對這對夫婦。

女士告訴他:「我們有一個兒子曾經在哈佛讀過一年,他很喜歡哈佛、他在哈佛的生活很快樂。但是去年,他出了意外而死亡。我丈夫和我想要在校園裡為他立一紀念物。」

校長並沒有被感動,反而覺得可笑,粗聲地說:「夫人我們不能為每一位曾讀過哈佛而死亡的人建立雕像的。如果我們這樣,我們的校園看起來會像墓園一樣。」

女士很快的說:「不是,我們不是要豎立一座雕像,我們想要捐一棟大樓給哈佛。」

校長仔細的看了一下條紋的棉布衣服及粗布的便宜西裝,然後吐一口氣說:「你們知不知道建一棟大樓要花多少錢嗎?我們學校的建築物超過七百五十萬元。」

這時,這位女士沈默不講話了。校長很高興,總算可以把他們打發了。只見這位女士轉向她丈夫說:「只要七百五十萬就可以建一座大樓?那我們為什麼不建一座大學來紀念我們的兒子?」她的丈夫點頭同意。而哈佛的校長覺得很混淆和困惑。

就這樣,史丹佛先生夫人(Mr. and Mrs. Leland tanford)離開了哈佛,到了加州,成立了史丹佛大學(Stanford University)來紀念他們的兒子。

You may have heard a story that a lady in "faded gingham" (Jane Stanford) and a man dressed in a "homespun threadbare suit" (Leland Stanford) went to visit the president of Harvard, were rebuffed, and as a result, went on to found their own university in Palo Alto. This untrue story is an urban myth, and Stanford's archivist has prepared a response for those desiring more information:


For what it is worth, there was a book written by the then Harvard president's son that may have started the twist on actual events.

Leland Stanford Junior was just short of his 16th birthday when he died of typhoid fever in Florence, Italy on March 13, 1884. He had not spent a year at Harvard before his death, nor was he "accidentally killed." Following Leland Junior's death, the Stanfords determined to found an institution in his name that would serve the "children of California."

Detained on the East Coast following their return from Europe, the Stanfords visited a number of universities and consulted with the presidents of each. The account of their visit with Charles W. Eliot at Harvard is actually recounted by Eliot himself in a letter sent to David Starr Jordan (Stanford's first president) in 1919. At the point the Stanfords met with Eliot, they apparently had not yet decided about whether to establish a university, a technical school or a museum. Eliot recommended a university and told them the endowment should be $5 million. Accepted accounts indicate that Jane and Leland looked at each other and agreed they could manage that amount.

The thought of Leland and Jane, by this time quite wealthy, arriving at Harvard in a faded gingham dress and homespun threadbare suit is quite entertaining. And, as a former governor of California and well-known railroad baron, they likely were not knowingly kept waiting for too long outside Eliot's office. The Stanfords also visited Cornell, MIT and Johns Hopkins.

The Stanfords established two institutions in Leland Junior's name -- the University and the Museum, which was originally planned for San Francisco, but moved to adjoin the university.

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