cpbaby
03-05-2003, 05:03 PM
True Story:
The woman in a gingham dress and the man in a homespun suit got
off the train in Boston and made their way to the office of the
president of Harvard University. They did not have an
appointment. They entered the outer office where the secretary
looked at them with disdain, taking in the gingham dress and
homespun suit.
"What can I do for you?" she snapped.
"We wish to see the president" the man said quietly.
"He's busy all day" she snapped again.
"We'll wait" said the man.
Hours passed, and the secretary began to fidget. "These people
had no right to be here taking up valuable time."
Finally she could stand it no more and doing the chore she always
regretted, she interrupted the president of Harvard University.
"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she
said to him.
He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance
obviously didn't have time to spend with them, but he detested
gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer
office. The president, stern faced and with dignity, strutted
toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended
Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But,
about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I
would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The president wasn't touched...He was shocked.
"Madam, he said gruffly, "we can't put up a statue to every
person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would
look like a cemetery."
"Oh no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a
statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress
and homespun suit, then exclaimed,
"A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building
costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the
physical buildings here at Harvard." For a moment the lady was
silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them
now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that
all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our
own.?
Her husband nodded.
The presidents face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr. and
Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo
Alto , California where they established the university that
bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that
Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat
those who they think can do nothing.
The woman in a gingham dress and the man in a homespun suit got
off the train in Boston and made their way to the office of the
president of Harvard University. They did not have an
appointment. They entered the outer office where the secretary
looked at them with disdain, taking in the gingham dress and
homespun suit.
"What can I do for you?" she snapped.
"We wish to see the president" the man said quietly.
"He's busy all day" she snapped again.
"We'll wait" said the man.
Hours passed, and the secretary began to fidget. "These people
had no right to be here taking up valuable time."
Finally she could stand it no more and doing the chore she always
regretted, she interrupted the president of Harvard University.
"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she
said to him.
He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance
obviously didn't have time to spend with them, but he detested
gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer
office. The president, stern faced and with dignity, strutted
toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended
Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But,
about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I
would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The president wasn't touched...He was shocked.
"Madam, he said gruffly, "we can't put up a statue to every
person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would
look like a cemetery."
"Oh no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a
statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress
and homespun suit, then exclaimed,
"A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building
costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the
physical buildings here at Harvard." For a moment the lady was
silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them
now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that
all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our
own.?
Her husband nodded.
The presidents face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr. and
Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo
Alto , California where they established the university that
bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that
Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat
those who they think can do nothing.