Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1914 [PAGE 132]

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130

rariVEBSiTY

OF ILLINOIS.

[October 8,

We have thought it desirable to make an allotment of a definite sum from the educational fund to each of the several State universities with which the testator had associations through his own education or through his later residence or property interests. Acting upon this principle, it is our wish, with your approval, to allot to the University of Illinois the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) for the scolastic year 1912 to 1913, for the purpose of providing scholarships for meritorious students at your institution to be selected by yourself. Such students would thereupon fill out such application blanks as that enclosed, which would be forwarded by them through you to u s ; and, carrying your approval as to the selection of the individual and as to amount of the scholarship to be awarded, would thereupon be approved by us as a matter of course and passed to the trustee of the estate itself as a warrant for payment. We should prefer to leave the initiative as to the distribution of this sum entirely in your hands, subject of course to the restrictions of the will, and request you to work out the details of the most efficient distribution according to your own judgment. Tou no doubt have a scholarship committee skilled in such matters who could bring wide experience and sound judgment to bear thereon. We would, however, in this connection make one or two suggestions: In the first place, it would seem to us desirable to make more than one scholarship of the total annual sum proposed, five hundred dollars ($500). We understand that cases are frequent in which $300, $200 or even $100 is ;all that stands between an enterprising young t .person and a college education—in. which he or she can supply the remainder by individual effort, by other scholarships, or from home sources. By making good the partial deficiency in a number of such cases more would seem to be accomplished than by paying the entire expenses of a single young man or woman. In the second place, it would 'seem to us desirable in the selection of beneficiaries •to b£- guided largely not only by the amount of learning the beneficiary will be: enabled to acquire, but by the probable use he or she' will make of it. Thus an earnest student but otherwise characterless young person would not probably make us : as large a return to society for the education acquired as would & forceful young man who might, through partial self-support or other commendable interests^ take a ; less> high rank in his 1 studies. = i Finally, where other considerations are equal, it would seeih to us desirable to give preference to a young man as compared with a woman. It is the purpose of the fund to provide that education which will in turn provide self-support. It is, of course, ia fact that a considerable majority of young women receiving a college education sooner or later marry, whereby their education ceases to be a f;act;6r m their support and drops from the rank of a necessity to that of a luxury— however desirable as such—and is ! to just that extent wasted. It is also, of course, a fact that a considerable majority of young men receiving* a college education sooner or later marry,, whereby their education becomes a factor ! in the support not only,.;of,^themselves,' but of their wives and children, and tends to raise the economic' and social standard of the family in their own and succeeding generations—and is to that extent multiplied. Any allotment of the Henry Strong Educational fund must be made year after year,, and rthe above five hundred dollars ($500) is hereby offered for the scholarship year 1912 to 1913 only. It is our intention, however, if this allotment works out satisfactorily to you and to ourselves, to continue it from year to year. If this plan meets your approval, we should be glad to hear from you to that effect as soon as convenient; and we will thereupon forward application blanks which you may use for the purpose of making nominations for sharing in that portion of the fund alloted to your institution. We should be pleased to receive any such nominations as soon as they can conveniently be made, as funds are now available for the ensuing scholastic year. A number of minor details of administration will have to be worked out, both in the matter of the selection of the beneficiaries, the times and amounts of payment to them of the schplarships awarded them, and some sort of record of the work done by them, while receiving such scholarships, which records the trustees of the fund desire to keep. Your suggestions upon these or any other lines are very earnestly invited. For convenience, your corespondence in this connection should be addressed to Gordon Strong, 209 South State Street, Chicago, 111. Very truly yours,

ELLA STRONG DENNISON, MART . STRONG SHELDON, JANET STRONG JAMESON, GORDON STRONG.

[ENCLOSURE.] Extracts from Will of HENRY STRONG, Deceased, Constituting an Educational Fund. .: 'VBekjg impressed with the value of education, literary, scientific, or mechanical, to every youngi person, male: or female, starting in life, I direct that my said trustee shall, in each year, set apart, out of what then remains of said net income, rents, and profits of the trust estate for such year, during the period from the time of my death until the time of the determination of all o f the trusts hereby created, six (6) per cent of said remaining net income, rents and profits, as