When it comes to Stanford University, everyone knows that it is a top university in the world, but do you know how it was established?

As a famous private institution, there is a widely circulated story about Stanford University: Two hillbilly couples went to Harvard University and offered to donate money for Harvard to build a building in memory of their dead son. The president of Harvard proudly said that it would cost 7.5 million yuan to build a building, and then he sent them away in a few words. So, the couple built their own university, which is today's Stanford University.

Let's go into the Stanford Museum (Cantor Art Center) to find out. Stanford is not only a first-class university, but also has a first-class art center. The most representative one is the works of the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Leland Stanford was born in New York State, studied law and became a lawyer. In 1852, Mr. Stanford and his family immigrated to California with the "gold rush" and started their rich career. He co-founded the California Pacific Railroad Company, which became railroad tycoon. He has served as governor of California and senator of Congress. Obviously, Mr. Stanford was a social elite at that time, not a hillbilly.

In p>1884, when the Stanford couple and their son were traveling in Italy, their 15-year-old only son Leland Jr. died of typhoid fever. A few weeks later, unable to shake off their sadness, the couple decided to use their wealth to do something for all the children in California, and to commemorate their son in the best way, and the plan to set up a university came into being.

Stanford told his wife, "All children in California will be our children in the future." This sentence later became a historic saying of Stanford University. The school is named after their son: Leland Stanford Junior University.

Subsequently, the school was inaugurated on October 1st, 1891. Stanford's founding purpose was different at that time. Men and women were in the same school and did not belong to any religious faction. The motto of the university is "Let the wind of freedom blow hard". The beauty of Stanford campus lies in its ingenious combination of nature and humanity, and it is embedded with human landscape in the forest, ranking first in the evaluation of the most beautiful campus in the United States.

The Stanford couple didn't adopt a child and didn't designate an heir. Their assets are the school's fund, which is in full charge. For more than 1 years, Stanford University has cultivated "children of California" like "parents", and has become many leaders and outstanding scientific and technological talents. Did this story touch you? Welcome to share:)