Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/257

 THE EARLIER BUILDINGS 225 million dollars had come. A little over one-half of the amount had been subscribed, and we seemed to be at the end of our resources. We were at a loss to whom to appeal. We knew that the family of Mr. Cobb had been encouraging him to do something for the University. At length they told us they feared the decision must go over to the autumn. On June 1 2 the writer of this history wrote Mr. Gates as follows: I then told Dr. Harper that we must take the matter into our own hands, and go and see Mr. Cobb. He said: "Mr. W. warned me against it, but we will go if you will take the responsibility." "I will, for we shall certainly fail if we delay." We went, found him, talked the whole case over fully, explained a number of things he did not understand, and left him apparently decided. He said he had thought he would write us a letter voluntarily proffering the subscription. This we encouraged. Two days later the Doctor met him on the street and told him we hadn't received the letter. The old man said he hadn't found time to write it, and, in fact, didn't know just how to go at it. .... Two days later, the old gentleman walked into the office with the letter signed, and another .... designating the recitation building now going up as the one to be called Cobb Hall. The following letter is the first of the two : CHICAGO June 9, 1892 To the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago: GENTLEMEN: I have watched with growing interest the progress of the institution, the care of which has been intrusted to you. As my years increase, the desire grows upon me to do something for the city which has been my home for nearly sixty years. I am persuaded that there is no more important public enterprise than the University of Chicago. It seems to me to deserve the most liberal support of our citizens, and especially does it seem important that the University should, just at this juncture, be enabled to secure the million dollars it is seeking for its buildings and equipment. I therefore hereby sub- scribe one hundred and fifty thousand dollars on the conditions of the million- dollar subscription, and put my proposed gift in this form that the securing of the full million dollars may be more certainly assured. The particular designation of the gift I will make later. Yours sincerely, S. B. COBB Later Mr. Cobb made a still further donation of fifteen thousand dollars, and the trustees gave his name to the hall. For more than twenty years Cobb Lecture Hall was the center of University life.