Jane Stanford (Lathrop)

(obt) ". . . it was not until two years after the gates of [Stanford] University were opened, when death deprived her of her husband in June, 1893, that all the strength in Mrs. Stanford's character became evident. With the policy of a great university to control, with the ideas of her husband left unsettled by his sudden death, she was compelled to take upon her own shoulders responsibilities that would have been too heavy for many men. Two striking instances of the fullness of her devotion to the University stand out above the rest. In the early days of the University its financial interests became involved in a suite with the Government, and pending the decision of the case in the Supreme Court the University was practically without funds for its maintenance. The situation at times grew so serious that the further existence of the University was threatened. Mrs. Stanford during these years of trouble braved the brunt of the storm. The University's capital was completely tied up, but there was one source of salvation: time and again she came forward with money from her own purse, and on several occasions made personal sacrifices to secure more funds. In the end, on March 2, 1896, the skies cleared, the suit was decided in favor of the University, and Mrs. Stanford had saved her husband's and her son's memorial to posterity.

On December 9, 1901, Mrs. Stanford endowed the University with the bulk of her fortune . . . By this magnificent gift Stanford was made the wealthiest university in the world . . ." - The Daily Palo Alto, March 1, 1905 -tcd

http://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford1905...

(f/g) Jane Elizabeth Lathrop Stanford Birth: Aug. 25, 1828 Albany Albany County New York, USA Death: Feb. 28, 1905 Honolulu Honolulu County Hawaii, USA

Educator. She was the co-founder of Stanford University with her husband, Leland Stanford. She and then President of Stanford, David Starr Jordan, rescued the University after Leland's death. (bio by: Bona Rae Villarta)

Family links:

Parents:

 Dyer Lathrop (1787 - 1855)

 Jane Ann Shields Lathrop (1803 - 1882) 

Spouse:

 Leland Stanford (1824 - 1893)

Children:

 Leland Stanford (1868 - 1884)

Burial: Stanford Family Mausoleum Palo Alto Santa Clara County California, USA Plot: Mausoleum, only open to the public on Community Day Maintained by: Find A Grave Originally Created by: Bona Rae Villarta Record added: Dec 06, 2003 Find A Grave Memorial # 8158227 -tcd

Another Reference Source:

Tittle: "Stanford Genealogy Comprising the Decendants of Abner Stanford, The Revolutionary Soldier"

Author: Arthur Willis Stanford

Printed By: The Fukuin Printing Co, Ltd, Yokohama

Date: 1906