" we want to see the president," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secrets snapped.
"We'll wait," the woman replied.
For hours the secretary ignored them hoping they'd become gradually discouraged and go away. They didn't. The secretary gradually grew frustrated and finally she decided to disturb the president:"maybe if you just see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He sighed and agreed.
The president stern faced and haughty strutted toward the couple. The woman began to speak: " we had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard and was happy here. 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. "Madam," he said "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and then died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery"
"Oh no," she 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 threadbare suit, then exclaimed: " A building! Do you have any idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the buildings at Harvard."
For a moment she was silent. The president was pleased he could get rid of them now. But she turned to her husband and said, " Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we start our own?" Her husband nodded and they left.
The president's face clouded in confusion and bewilderment; Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away and eventually travelled to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university that bears their name -a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
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