Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/205

 FIRST STEPS IN EXPANSION 175 hopes were disappointed. There were many heirs to be consulted. There were legal difficulties to be surmounted. Mr. Green was one of the foremost citizens of New York City, executor of other great estates, and active in important public enterprises. Dr. Harper, very naturally, hoped to see the beneficent proposals of Mr. Green carried out in the shortest possible time. But that gentleman, having many other things on his hands, could not be hurried. Months passed before anything definite was learned. It was not until the annual meeting of the University Board, June 9, 1891, that there was "an interesting and encouraging statement by Dr. Harper in regard to the probable gift for a scientific depart- ment." Throughout the month of June every means possible was employed to secure definite action by the executors. On June 24 President Harper visited New York and called on Mr. Green to urge that the formal designation of the fund be made, and left him with the assurance that this would be done at once. On June 29 Leighton Williams wrote him the following note: Much to our disappointment there is another hitch. We thought every- thing was settled last Friday However, all will be well yet. All I want to say is, .... stand your ground. Mr. Green really means to do as he has said. It is only his disposition to delay and make the best terms he can. What Mr. Green was particularly anxious about was to secure permanent representation on the Board of Trustees. The question proved a very difficult and troublesome one. It was not settled, but on the last day of the month Mr. Green wrote to President Harper a full letter which began with the welcome statement: The executors and trustees, under the will of the late William B. Ogden, have decided to select the University of Chicago .... as the recipient of seventy per cent of the monies to be devoted to charities under the terms of Mr. Ogden's will. The letter concluded as follows: "The designation which the executors contemplate executing, upon the acceptance of this gift on the terms stated, will be sufficient to assure to the University" the seventy per cent above indicated. On July 9 the Board of Trustees accepted the proposed gift and in consideration of it undertook to organize and maintain the Ogden Graduate School of Science.