Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/204

 174 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO a service of sixteen years. Mr. Ogden was much interested in the first University and was believed to cherish generous intentions toward it. It was, therefore, peculiarly fitting that his executors, Mr. Green and Mrs. Ogden, should interest themselves in his name in the new University which had taken the name of the former one, had adopted its alumni, and, commanding public confidence and giving every promise of permanence and growth as the old one had not, invited great endowments. Dr. Harper's first confer- ence with Mr. Green was held on January 10, 1891. It resulted so favorably that two days later Mr. Green wrote to Dr. Harper asking if the trustees would accept an endowment of from three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars for a scientific school "to be named by the donors." He requested Dr. Harper to draft in outline the scope of such a school as would seem to you best adapted to meet the requirements of the object in view, and to fit in with the other departments of the University As full and yet concise a reply to these inquiries as you can give at an early date will be appreciated, and may lead to such a foundation. On January 19 Dr. Harper assured Mr. Green that his proposal would be "most gladly and heartily accepted by the Board of Trustees," and that it had "been one of the cherished plans of those most intimately connected with the organization to devote special attention to the encouragement of scientific research." In an elaborate discussion of the scope and conduct of the school, he proposed that it should be a graduate school of science, that fellow- ships for advanced students be provided for as well as the support of professors, that provision be made for scientific investigation as well as instruction, more emphasis to be put on the ability of professors to investigate than on their ability to teach, that the school should include "at least the departments of Physics, Chemis- try, Biology, Geology and Mineralogy, and Astronomy," that the professors be given every encouragement to publish the results of their investigations, and that "the entire graduate work of the University in the subjects mentioned be done in connection with this school of science." These suggestions were entirely acceptable to the executors of Mr. Ogden's estate, and it seemed probable that favorable action would be taken without delay. But these