Is College in Your Future?

[illflem]

A TRUE STORY OF REMEMBRANCE, ARROGANCE,

AND MISJUDGMENT



A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and 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 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 for every person who has 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, and 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 plant 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 president's 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 son's name; Leland Stanford, Jr. 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 for them or to them. "

------ Malcolm Forbes

 

[Joe G.]

If you want to read a good book about railroading and where Leland Stanford got his money try "Nothing Like It In the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869" by Stephen E. Ambrose.

 

[klenger]

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them. "

Very good words. Sort of like "respect others".

 

[Will24]

I like

 

[merryman]

When I was in High School and working at a grocery store, a co-workers husband was sales mgr. at the local Chyrsler dealership. One evening when he came to pick her up he told us that morning a real hayseed (bib overalls, straw hat with the little green plastic piece in front-----looked like he did not have two nickels to rub together), came in and began looking at cars.

He seemed taken by a Imperial and asked whether they happened to have another just like it. They did. He said he would take the two of them. When asked how he would pay he said by check.

As the sales guy was writing him up and after they got his name and such, the sales mgr sneaked into a back room and called the guys bank. When he asked whether the guys check would be good for the amount of the two Chryslers, the bank manager's reply was, "If he writes a check for your entire dealership it will be good"

Turned out he was one of the wealthiest guys in the area. You often can't tell the book by the cover.



Vaughn

 

[lschultz]

I didn't even graduate HS

I remember back in 87 or 88 when I went to Sturgis. There was Malcom Forbes riding around and walking down the streets talking to people just like he was one of them. Had one of his balloons there that was made to look like a motorcycle(Harley).

 

[JConley]

Generaly you have two types of people, The ones that have money, and the ones that want you to think they are rich. You dont get rich spending money...

 

[JR2]

I used to work at a Sams Club (owned by Walmart). The managers used to tell us that Sam Walton, who started walmart and was one of the richest men on earth, drove a 1964 ford pick up till the day he died. He never saw any reason to get rid of something that worked. That truck is now in the Walmart headquarters in ARK... .

 

[krohn]

Very true JConley, sorta reminds me of my old boss who used to brag about buying $150 shirts,shoes and pants. He told me that people respected him more and would more willingly want his business..... BULLS*%#!!! I'm not going to respect someone for buying a $150 shirt, I'm going to laugh at them becuase he couldve bought a better shirt for 1/10 of the price God people are stupid!!!And I'm DEFINATELY not going to take my business to some uppety dressed businessman just because he has filthy rich clothes on. I'm going to go somewhere where they do the job right. Just my thoughts, sorry for venting.

 

[DennyDay]

Harvard-The rest of the story!

Now the rest of the story - - -



When the Board of Regents of Harvard got wind of what had happend, the University President was removed in disgrace.



Run out of Boston on a rail, he wound up at the Dodge Brothers plant in Michigan looking for work.



Knowing nothing of the former university presidents backround, the Dodge boys felt he was a little better educated than most of the assembly line applicants, and brought him to the front office where he was immediatly put in charge of keeping warrantee costs to a minimum.



The effects of the ex-university president with poor people skills and little common sense are still felt by Dodge customers today.







Denny



Well, it made a good story!Oo. Oo.

 

[The patriot]

The old couple in the story remind my of my parents a little.

If you saw them in public, you'd think they're really poor.

My Dad has rosatia (sp? it's a skin condition) so his face is always red. Makes him look like a drunk.

The funny part is, they will not buy something for themselves. They drive old used cars, buy used cloths, etc. etc. but if you're out with them, they will buy you whatever you want.

I've been trying to convince them to spend a little. Buy a new car, etc. but they wont.

When they were made, God broke the mold.

Eric

 

[scbrown]

My father in law buys all of his clothes at Mejier or Kmart. He finally decided to buy something nice for his wife and went to a Jaguar dealer and told them he wanted the top of the line Jag.

When filling out the paper work they asked him for his monthly income when he told them they said, no not yearly and he assured them that was his monthly income. Approx. 90K. Of course after having to prove it to them they did everything for him including the manager delivering it to his house.

My in laws spend no money on anything and look like it.

It took my mother in law several months before she was no longer embarrassed to drive that car.

 

[98rammer]

Originally posted by JConley

Generaly you have two types of people, The ones that have money, and the ones that want you to think they are rich. You dont get rich spending money...

My mom and i live in scarborough, maine which is getting to be more of a yuppy town. it's been hard, since i know what it's like to have been dirt poor for many years. my aunt though, is one of those people that are described above. she and her husband make about $100k a year, which is a comfortable living, but they spend it on stuff to make them look even more rich. she looks down to people who make less than her too (although my mom now makes more than her, it's a different situation)



this is a little stereotypical, but i find that a lot of the people who make $200,000 a year are snobs. and yet, i know millionaires who don't act like snobs at all.



Tom

 

[TomGolden]

My theory on that subject:



People who make a fair amount of money, but are not rolling in it, they feel like they have to show the common man that they have a "better" standard of living, yet at the same time, they know they still can't affor dit all, so they just go on wasting it all in the vain attempt to look like they have it all... .



Those who are rolling in the dough know they can afford whatever they want at any time, so they don't feel the pressure to have to continually show it.



I make a reasonably good living, and if you look at my truck, it shows to a good extent... but I know all too well that neither financial nor social position has anything to do with what sort of a person you are. Money and power can not change a truly good person, but for the person who is not well grounded in their approach and outlook on life, well... ... money is the root of all evil for them.