Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/56

30 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO so much interested in the Yale movement to take Professor Harper away from the Seminary at Morgan Park, why he wrote to Mr. Goodspeed on the subject, and why the latter began at this early date to write to Mr. Rockefeller proposing the establishment of a new University of Chicago. Mr. Goodspeed's answer to the letter quoted above was the first approach made to Mr. Rockefeller on the subject of a new University, and throws light on an interesting moment in the life of Dr. Harper. After a statement relating to Dr. Harper and the invitation to Yale, and a proposal that he should assume the presidency of the Old University of Chicago, now about to close its doors, and re-establish it at Morgan Park, a statement which is quoted in the chapter on "The First President," the letter continued as follows: There is a profound interest felt by very many Western men in the re- establishment of the University. The time has come, we believe, when the hope of saving the old property has been generally given up, and when a feasible plan of re-establishing the work in a new location will be welcomed. We, who are connected with the Seminary, feel that the destruction of the University would be an unspeakable calamity, that this great center is the place above all others for building up a great and powerful University. We believe this feeling is very general, and a clear-cut, practicable plan, with a competent leader, would be hailed with interest by the denomination and receive liberal co-operation The circumstances seem to us to point to Dr. Harper as the providential man. Yale is pressing him for a decisive answer. They have just written urging him to accept within 20 days. We feel that matters are in a very critical shape. We want to save him to our denominational work (and to the Seminary as far as possible) and we want to save our University and re-establish it. We know that he has all the qualifications to lead in this undertaking, immense capacity for work, great abilities as a scholar, boundless courage, eminent gifts as an organizer and administrator, fitness for reaching men and securing their confidence and help, and that he is a born teacher, who can call students about him and command their love and admiration and get all the work out of them of which they are capable. He would make a live institution and in a few years crowd it with students. We feel tremendously in earnest in this matter. We could easily excuse ourselves and say "we are only responsible for the Seminary and others must look after the University." But we are not able to do this, and feel as great an anxiety about our University work as about the Seminary We are getting our own work on solid ground and we cannot sit down and congratulate ourselves and see the University perish.