-----Original Message-----
From: Krishnarao, Pinnamaneni 
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 10:20 AM
To: Kaminski, Vince J
Subject: FW: An interesting story Abt. Stanford University ...


>>A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a 
>>homespun 
>>threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston. They walked 
>>timidly, 
>>without an  appointment, into the  Harvard University President's 
>>outer 
>>office. The secretary could tell in a  moment that such  backwoods, 
>>country 
>>hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even  deserve 
>>to  be in 
>>Cambridge. She frowned. "We want to see the President," the man 
>>said 
>>softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll 
>>wait," the 
>>lady  replied.  For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that 
>>the 
>>couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't, 
>>and the 
>>secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the 
>>President, even 
>>though it was a chore she always regretted. "Maybe if 
>>they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him.  
>>He 
>>sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance 
>>obviously didn't have 
>>the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses & 
>>homespun suits 
>>cluttering up his outer office. 
>> 
>>The President, stern-faced 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. 
>>And 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 for 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 & a half million dollars in the physical plant at  
>>Harvard."  For 
>>a moment, the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could 
>>get  rid 
>>of them now.  And 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 President's face  wilted in   confusion and 
>>bewilderment.  And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, 
>>traveling to 
>>Palo Alto,  California   where they  established the university 
>>that bears 
>>their name, a memorial to a son that  Harvard no longer  cared 
>>about.  And 
>>that was the story about Stanford University. 
>> 
>>MORALE: Don't judge anyone by their looks or for how they 
>>dress...respect 
>>everyone and  you will never regret! 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

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