by Ben Canning
In my years here at Stanford I have heard the myth regarding the founding of Stanford University several times. Like many students, I took it as being fairly accurate, however I have recently learned the true account of this university's history. This revelation has led me wonder what would cause such a story to be so widely believed.
Unlike other other top universities in the country such as those in the Ivy League, Stanford is a relatively new university. Stanford was founded in 1891 in comparison to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton which were founded in 1636, 1701, and 1746 respectively. These universities have a long tradition in this country, dating back to its days as a colony. As a result these three universities have 100 to 200 extra yeas of history, connections, stories, and tradition.
If someone says, "Harvard," one is immediately connected to a wealth of thoughts and ideas. Just the word alone elicits ideas of wealth, brilliant youth, future world leaders, current world leaders, powerful old alums, secret societies, tradition, and a rich history as the first institution of higher education in the United States. If someone says, "Yale" or "Princeton," one is immediately connected a plethora of similar images, thoughts, and ideas. Many of the most renowned presidents of the United States have hailed from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
If someone says, “Stanford,” what does the word represent? I would argue that it depends largely on who is hearing it. To a Stanford student the word could represent their new home, their life, and a top academic institution that strives to differentiate itself from the uptight aura surrounding the Ivy League schools. To an outsider it elicits similar images as “Harvard,” brilliant youth, future world leaders, current world leaders, and powerful alums. These connections have made several students afraid to announce where they go to school, sometimes called dropping the S-Bomb after Harvard’s similar use of the term “H-Bomb.” Many students avoid dropping the S-Bomb for fear of being labeled as a genius and being treated as is they were not normal, but the fear is not universal.
Although “Stanford” seems to connect people to images of brilliant youth and future leaders, it does not seem to carry with it an aura of tradition and mystery due to the fact that it only recently became recognized as an academic powerhouse in the United States. Due to the lack of tradition and history behind the name, Stanford students have attempted to create their own. The myth about Stanford’s origins is just one example of students trying to impress upon the school a sense of mystery and tradition, while other examples include Full Moon on the Quad, and the Mausoleum Party. At the same time, it is my impression that many Stanford students pride themselves on not being an Ivy League school. They enjoy the California weather, the relaxed atmosphere, and the air of craziness and excitement as opposed to the stale air of being uptight, stuck up, and overly competitive that is often associated with schools in the east. This is portrayed in the myth by the president laughing at the Leland and Jane, and by Admit Weekend’s dedication of hours of programming to the topic. On top of this Stanford students have started many other traditions that don’t carry an air of mystery, but rather one that tries to affirm that Stanford students don’t just sit around and study; they have fun, participate in ridiculous activities, and are just as much of a typical college student as any other person. Examples of this include Exotic Erotic, Tree Week, the Bearial during Big Game Week, Gaeities, Secret Snowflake, and a variety of other activities.
Proceed to Dropping the S-Bomb
Back to Stanford University: Changing Lives Since 1891
