Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/196

 1 68 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO To one who considers it attentively the Plan of Organization of the University will be seen to have been of itself a great step in expansion. A college had been founded. A million dollars had been added to the funds and the college had become the University. Prior to this doubling of the assets Dr. Harper had cudgeled his brains in vain to strike out a plan of organization. His mind and heart had from the start been fixed on a university. He had appeared to yield to necessity in beginning with a college. Actually, he had never yielded. He found himself unable to think in terms of a college. No sooner, however, had Mr. Rocke- feller added a million dollars to the funds than his mind became very busy. He could think fast and effectively in terms of a university. On September 22, 1890, only two weeks after the million had been promised, he wrote to Mr. Rockefeller : I am very anxious to see you in order to lay before you the plan of the organization of the University. When we last conversed [about a week before] you will remember that I told you that I had not been able to strike anything that seemed to be satisfactory. On my way from Chicago the whole thing outlined itself in my mind, and I have a plan which is at the same time unique and comprehensive, which I am persuaded will revolutionize university study in this country; nor is this only my opinion. It is very simple but thorough- going. This plan was outlined in the first Official Bulletin submitted at successive sessions of the board December 26 and 27, 1890, and approved and ordered printed and distributed. It did not look so formidable as it turned out to be. The Trustees were not edu- cational experts and had not studied with thoroughness questions of university organization. There was one man who was an expert and had devoted many years to the most thorough and compre- hensive study of these questions. This was Dr. A. H. Strong of Rochester who had conceived and planned a great university in New York City. The plan was submitted to him for criticism. He approved it, with minor criticisms, but he recognized at once its comprehensiveness and realized what it would cost. He wrote to Dr. Harper a full letter from which the following passages are taken : I shall be most favorably disposed to seeing the trial made, if only money enough can be got to give the scheme a fair chance. To carry it out fully