THE NEW UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
One of the leading educational institutions of the country located in Chicago. It is the outgrowth of an attempt, put forth by the American Educational Society (organized in Washington in 1888) to supply the place which the original institution of the same name had been designed to fill.
The following year Mr. John D. Rockefeller of New York tendered a contribution of $600,000 toward the endowment of the enterprise, conditioned upon securing additional pledges to the amount of $400,000 by June 1, 1890.
The offer was accepted, and the sum promptly raised in addition a site covering four blocks of land in the city of Chicago was secured. Two and one-half blocks being acquired by purchase for $282,500, and one and one-half (valued at $125,000) donated by Mr. Marshall Field. A charter was secured and an organization effected, Sept 10, 1890.
The Presidency of the institution was tendered to and accepted by Dr. William R. Harper. Since that time the University has been the recipient of other generous benefactions by Mr. Rockefeller and others. until the aggregate donations(1898) exceed $10,000,000.
Of this amount over one-half has been contributed by Mr. Rockefeller while he has pledged himself to make additional contributions of $2,000,000 conditioned upon the raising of a like sum, from other donors by Jan. 1, 1900. The buildings erected on the campus prior to 1896 included a chemical laboratory costing $182,000, a lecture hall, $150,000, a physical laboratory $150,000, a museum $100,000, an academy dormitory, $30,000, three dormitories for women $150,000, two dormitories for men $100,000 to which several important additions were made during 1896 and 1897.
The faculty embraces over 150 instructors, selected with reference to their fitness for their respective departments from among the most eminent scholars in America and Europe. Women are admitted as students and graduated upon an equality with men. The work of practical instruction began in October, 1892 with 589 registered students, coming from nearly every Northern State and including 250 graduates from other institutions to which accessions were made during the year raising the aggregate to over 900.
The second year the number exceeded 1,100 the third, it rose to 1750 and the fourth (1895-1896) to some 2,000, including representatives from every State of the Union, besides many from foreign countries. Special features of the institution include the admission of graduates from other institutions to a post graduate course, and the University Extension Division, which is conducted largely by means of lecture courses, in other cities, or through lecture centers in the vicinity of the University, non-resident students having the privilege of written examinations. The various libraries embrace over 300,000 volumes, of which nearly 60,000 belong to what are called the "Departmental Libraries," besides a large and valuable collection of maps and pamphlets.