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Show .. , , r TZ NOWLEDGE is, in every try, the surest basis of public lTo the security of a free con- - . -stitutionritr contributes by those who are intrusted with the public administration that every valuable end of government's best answered by the enlightened confidence of the people and by teaching the people themselves to know and value thefrowiTrights . . . and to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness. George Washington hap-pines- s. Wsehnigtcn and Lllnlvrslty, Lading-toV., named in honor of the Father of Ht Courrtry and Gerreret Robert C. -- Lee, who was the Institution's -- Bret"T"LIZT president . First President r; & Made Possible Two of ' Americas Outstanding Universities by His Financial Assistance By Julia Goode Eagan Bi- - DURING the George Washington Celebration, which has just passed into history, almost ' . ' every phase of the life of the Father of His Country has been emphasized with varying degrees of elaborateness and detail soldier, surveyor, planter, patriot, gentleman, statesman and President! ' But one phase)' that of educator and patron of arts and letters, has been somewhat overshadowed by his remarkable attainments in other fields- - Yet this phase is one of the most significant and in his entire career, and it is timely to recall it to the world as another anniversary of his birth ap- period ol what was known as schools and academies. -- While President Washington was considering the matter of which school to choose as his beneflclary, he received a communication frorp the trustees of Libert; Hall Academy in Rockbridge Virginia- .- The letter comCounty, mended the President's generosity, and presented the claims of liberty Hall Academy to his attention and patronage. Liberty Hail Academy, now known as Washington and lee University, was one far-reachi- proaches. .George Washingtons collected writings show him a thinker lines far in advance of most of his contemporaries, but his interest in education was by cno means confined to theory alone. Washington donated gen . erously to Transylvania College and ether educational institutions, subscribed 7 Portrait of George Washington which was painted from life 50 annually for the instruction of poor by GilberStuart in 179S children of Alexandria, while Washington and Lee University, coept hut to accept It withreserva- - ftxxtas the United States In Virginia, and George Wash-- lions. Government in 1790 by an act of Con of in the ington University, City His friends made many and varied gress, and during these early years was General Knox proposed in the process of building. The interest .Washington, have the distinction suggestions. that General Washington accept the gift, and pride of the country was focused of having been actually endowed and use the proceeds for the benefit of upon it, and a part of President Washby Americas first President, the widows and children of Virginia offiington's ideal for it included making it a along-education- . - It I V XT - d . w became-produciiv- -- -- sh nVh 1 4k fcu.Wdbm "T not until was 1821 that the found- - -- '- rr ' the Rev. Luther Rice, a missionary, had formed an to buy land for the use of a college Clty which the President had provided had become worthless, a number of hie friends, inspired by his spirit, decided te with their means and In - : the-wish- 122.200. great educational center such as in later years it has become. Mr. Jefferson's The Idea the President. He wives and children of his faithlul offidecided at once to make a bequest of cers who had sacrificed for the Colonies the fifty shares of Potomac stock to the proposed university to be erected to the greatly appealed to Washington.-B- ut he believed it would be a more construcFederal City. He felt constrained, howtive and lasting aid to them should he ever, to consult the 'Legislature of Virput the money into a common cause. ginia concerning the disposal of its gift More definitely, he favored offering the , to him. particularly concerning the tolls or dividends arising from these James River stock. shares for 'the establishment ol two TN REPLY, Uie Virginia Legislature schools, to benefit particularly the children of those men who had fallen in commended the erection of a unlver- defense of the rights and liberties at sity in the capital city, and approved the America. endowment of it with the fifty shares of He planned that one of these schools Potomac stock. It then requested that should be located on the Potomac Rlvdr the President appropriate the 100 shares and the other on the James. , When the of James River stock to a seminary In such place, to the upper country as 'he Legislature of Virginia learned his desires hi the matter, it changed the act to may deem most convenient to a majority permit him to apply the proceeds to any of the inhabitants thereof. The best,' object of a public nature. In such manstep for President Washington to deterner and under such distributions as Ilia mine was which particular school or . said George Washington by deed during academy to the upper country should George Washington University, Washington, 0, C tha founding-o- f his life, or by his last will and testareceive his endowment - which was made possible by our Bret President ment, shall direct. There the matter This upper country,1 or Valley of lay, quiescent, for the next decade. beta most had for Virginia, the settled, part, by Scotch-Iris- h Presbyterians. In TT7HEN Washington had been Presi- -' , the first decades of the eighteenth cenhouses and of the most famous Institutions of learn- ' dent for six years, the shares of the tury thousands of, these sturdy Scotch emlas as fcelLlog jn tft. colonics. It htd-he- n Janies River and Potomac River cam- -' People, who had colonized to Ireland. Until three years before the death of fished to Augusta County, Virginirfl in Academy"- - tailed esteem- - and pride to him touched him way-o- f by the Legislature-- of Virgtnle, Philadelphia." They rapidly free public schools. New sometimes Mount Pleasant Academy, Borne decision as to their deeply, but it placed him to somewhat spread ip to the mountains of Pennsyland was a Southern companion of Yale, ' England had taken the lead to this debestowal and use now became imperaof quandary. vania and Maryland, and overflowed In velopment, Maryland bad followed to - Harvard and Princeton. A lew years tive. Ha felt a delicacy' to accepting so valWashington consulted ' the best great numbers into the Shenandoah Val1685. and Virginia, likewise, 109 years -- later Us name was changed to Washuable and Important a gift for his own ' minds of the time, and finally Thomas ley and beyond. . With them to these later. But even after the In point ol time, it passage of ington Academy. his his adand of appreciaJefferson, State, Secretary personal emolument; rugged frontiefs they brought a pas- la fifth oldest of our Americaircoileges. these educational measures, little money deleven an vanced the idea of giving ail the stock tion made him feel greater siooate devotion to religion and eduoa- - - was secured through public taxation. In 1813 the title Washington Arid- for the establishment of a Nations! Uniicacy tn declining so beautiful an extloo, and this tppcr country was dotted The Sroteh-Irtstood for emy - , w as changed to Presbyterians Washington ' not only with the rude homes of these education, and to lieu of public schools versity to the District of Columbia. pression of tha Legislature's gratitude College by act of Legislature; and to and devotion to him. He determined to . The District of Columbia had been settler but W&h . their log meeting and college, became famous to the 1871, following the death of the tasti- - with Washington's proclamation of peace In 1783, on the eighth anniversary of Paul Revert s famous ride, and men and officer! returned to their homes without Pinal ara farthing In their pockets. ticles of peace were signed and at length the last British regulars in America sailed out of Hew Vork'Harbor. In the long hall of FTaunces Tavern, Washington bade his officers an affectionate farewell end turned his face toward Mount Vernon. He hoped that his active military career was over, and he looked forward to life oti his beautiful estate overlooking the broad Potomac. Here be could spend his days In restfulness and peace, enjoy the ease of a prosperous, cultured, country gentleman, and devote himself particularly to his favored pastime, agriculture. Mount Vernon needed him, and he needed Mount Vernon. Two yean after his return home and retirement to private life, the Legislature of Virginia, in recognition of hie services during the Revolution, presented him with. a gift of 100 shares in the James Rlver Canal Company and fifty shares in the Potomac River Canal Revolution--ende- will recall tog ol the proposed national university was undertaken, and by that time, unfortunately, the Potomac River Company had failed, and the stock endowment had become entirely valueless. At the time of Washington's bequest, the par value per share had been $444, or some -- rpHE American that when President deferred to of th Virginia Legislature to regard to the 109 shares of James River stock, the indorsed his plan of beLegislature queathing the fifty shares of Potomac stock for the establishment of a national university to the Federal city. After the death of Washington to 1799, bis will --was found to contain the promised be quest lor the establishment ol the uni; versity to the City of Washington tc which the youth of fortune and talents from all parts thereof might be sent for the completion of their Education to all branches of polite literature; to arts and sciences; in acquiring knowledge to the principles of Politics and Good GovernYOU ment" he cers killed in the Revolution in other -Words, establish a special penron. ' Lee, the name of Washington College was changed to its present corporate title of 'Washington and Lee Univer- -' 1819 Sinca-the-fu- ever of ACCORDINGLY, and thinking example In what he believed to be a substantial gift to this cause. John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State: William H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury; John C. Calhoun. Secre- - ' try oT War; William Wirt, Attorney General, and Return J. Meigs, Postmaster General, became patrons of the new college, and, together' with thirty-tw- o members .of Congress, contributed to a fund raised lor the purchase of tha land and development ol the work. Thus, while Washington's flft was materially disappointing. It was nevertheless tha means of bringing to peas this project which he held so dear. In addition to these- - two specific endowments," President "" Washington ' made suggestions relating to grants to kl which, became the fixed policy of the Government by tha enactment, to -- 1862, of the Morrill act granting lands. and it Unaionr in I60r--o to Include funds as well George Washington's great gift, to ed-ucatlon was his birthday gift to th Nation, and George Washington Univer-.si- ty In Washington, and ' Washington and Lee University to Virginia, tangibly immortalize the vision which the Father of His Country had of an enduring and enlightened democracy. by-t- cyrM p mw m- - |
