Show college for poor white orphans guard girard college at philadelphia pa is an institution for the voca dional education and maintenance of poor white male orphans as the donor of the trust fund expressed it the college was founded under the will ot of stephen girard and opened january 1 1848 1843 by a pro vision in the will no ecclesiastic missionary or minister of any sect whatever Ahat ever is permitted to hold of fice in this institution or to enter its premises at any time or for any reason that provision should how ever not be interpreted as a re upon any sect or person on the contrary the founder s desire was as he himself stated simply that the minds of the boys reared by the institution should be kept free from the confusion of denom controversies so that on their entrance into active life they may adopt such religious tenets as their natural reason may enable them to prefer the purest prin caples of morality were to be in stilled into the minds of the schol ars |