Excerpt from Johns Hopkins University Circulars, Vol. 21: March, 1902 The founder made no effort to unfold a plan. He simply used one word, - university, - and he left it to his succes sors to declare its meaning in the light of the past, in the hope of the future. There is no indication that he was interested in one branch of knowledge more than in another. He had no educational fad.' There is no evidence that he had read the writings of Cardinal Newman or of Mark Pattison, and none that the great parliamentary reports had come under his eye. He was a large-minded man, who knew that the success of the foundation would depend upon the wisdom of those to whom its development was entrusted; and the Trustees were large minded men who knew that their efforts must be guided by the learning, the experience, and the devo tion of the Faculty. There was a natural desire, in this locality, that the principal positions should be filled by men with whom the community was acquainted, but the Trustees were not governed by an aspiration so provincial. They sought the best men that could be found, without regardto the places where they were born, or the colleges where they had been educated. So, on Washington's birthday, in 187 6, after words of benediction from the President of Harvard University, our early counsellor and our constant friend, the plans of this University were publicly announced in the President's inaugural speech. Looking anxiously forward to the accomplishment of so desirable an object as this is (in my estimation), my mind has not been able to con template any plan more likely to effect the measure, than the establishment of a University in a central part of the United States, to which the youths of fortune and talents from all parts thereof may be sent for the comple tion of their education, in all the branches of polite literature, in arts and sciences, in acquiring knowledge in the principles of politics and good government, and, as a matter of infinite importance in my judgment, by associating with each other, and forming friendships in juvenile years. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.