Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/504

 440 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO prominent business men. As these conferences progressed the plan and purpose of the building gradually enlarged. The result appeared in a letter, quoted in part below, dated May 31, 1913, addressed to President Judson and read by him at the June, 1913, Convocation: DEAR SIR: Pursuant to our conversation, I write to say that I will pay to the Uni- versity of Chicago .... a total sum of three hundred thousand dollars for the construction .... of a building to be used as a social center and gym- nasium for the women of the University. It is understood that this building is to be a memorial to my deceased wife, Ida E. S. Noyes, and is to be known asthe"IdaNoyesHall.". . . . Yours very truly, LAVERNE NOYES When this letter was submitted to the Trustees they instructed President Judson, in conveying to Mr. Noyes their thanks for "this splendid benefaction to the cause of education and especially to the welfare of the women students of the University" to say further on their behalf: The Board, while deeply appreciating the magnitude of the gift, feels especially gratified that there is to be commemorated in the quadrangles of the University the name of a gracious and gifted woman whose rare qualities are well worthy of admiration and of emulation by successive generations of our young women. It would be difficult to overstate the satisfaction the promise of the Ida Noyes Hall gave to the women of the University, instruc- tors and students alike. What had been done for men was now to be done for women. Their interest in the plans was unbounded. They had had years of waiting in which to learn what they lacked and what they wanted. This information was now formulated and communicated to the architects, who, thus inspired, studied to make the plans in every respect as complete as possible. They were remarkably successful in doing this, but when bids were taken on these plans it was found that the cost would very largely exceed the financial provision made. The plans, however, promised a building so attractive architecturally and so completely meeting the purposes had in view that neither Mr. Noyes nor the Trustees could consent to modifying them. They were approved, and the