Many students have heard and believe a version of the following story of the founding of Stanford University.

Shortly before he was 16 years old Leland Jr. died of typhoid fever. After the tragic death of their son shortly before he was of college age, the Stanfords felt they should have a building constructed in his honor at Harvard University.

Clad in modest farm attire, the Stanfords went to the president's office where they were told to wait. After hours and possibly a full day of waiting while other visitors entered and left, the Stanfords were finally saw the president as he was leaving the office. The Stanfords seized this moment to reveal the purpose of their visit.

After quickly explaining their desire to have a memorial building or complex erected, the president of Harvard looked at the Stanfords and laughed. He insisted that they couldn't possibly want pay for the dedication of a bench, let alone a full building. The Stanfords pressed on, instead inquiring how much it would take to establish a univeristy like Harvard, including land, buildings, and the endowment. Humoring them, the president said it would cost at least $5 million. At this point, Leland turned to Jane with a smile and said, "Well, Jane, I think we could manage that, couldn't we?". At this point the Stanfords thanked the president of Harvard and left him agasp as they returned to California to start their own university.

However, as discussed on the official webpage of Stanford University History (the text is below), this is only an urban myth.

Dispelling an Urban Myth

You may have heard a story that a lady in "faded gingham" (Jane Stanford) and a man dressed in a "homespun threadbare suit" (Leland Stanford) went to visit the president of Harvard, were rebuffed, and as a result, went on to found their own university in Palo Alto. This untrue story is an urban myth, and Stanford's archivist has prepared a response for those desiring more information:

For what it is worth, there was a book written by the then Harvard president's son that may have started the twist on actual events.

Leland Stanford Junior was just short of his 16th birthday when he died of typhoid fever in Florence, Italy on March 13, 1884. He had not spent a year at Harvard before his death, nor was he "accidentally killed." Following Leland Junior's death, the Stanfords determined to found an institution in his name that would serve the "children of California."

Detained on the East Coast following their return from Europe, the Stanfords visited a number of universities and consulted with the presidents of each. The account of their visit with Charles W. Eliot at Harvard is actually recounted by Eliot himself in a letter sent to David Starr Jordan (Stanford's first president) in 1919. At the point the Stanfords met with Eliot, they apparently had not yet decided about whether to establish a university, a technical school or a museum. Eliot recommended a university and told them the endowment should be $5 million. Accepted accounts indicate that Jane and Leland looked at each other and agreed they could manage that amount.

The thought of Leland and Jane, by this time quite wealthy, arriving at Harvard in a faded gingham dress and homespun threadbare suit is quite entertaining. And, as a former governor of California and well-known railroad baron, they likely were not knowingly kept waiting for too long outside Eliot's office. The Stanfords also visited Cornell, MIT and Johns Hopkins.

The Stanfords established two institutions in Leland Junior's name -- the University and the Museum, which was originally planned for San Francisco, but moved to adjoin the university.

Back to Stanford University: Changing Lives Since 1891