” This is the first among a series of revenge stories grouped under my Sweet Revenge Stories. The material is sourced from the internet and other social platforms.”
Ramakanta Mahapatra
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 into the president’s outer office. They have not taken prior appointment though. They looked sad. They have lost their only child.
The secretary to the president of Harvard could tell in a moment that such ill-dressed country folks could not have any business at Harvard. They 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 reluctantly.
” Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes , they”ll leave .” She told him , and he sighed in exasperation and nodded.
Some one, of his importance obviously didn’t have the time for country bumpkins. The president, dignified and stern faced strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him , “We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he unfortunately died here. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere inside the campus ” .
The president wasn’t amused. 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 that , this place would look like a cemetery “.
” Oh, no ” the lady explained quickly , ” In that case, we would like to give a building in his name to Harvard.”
The president rolled his eyes. He glaced at the gingham dress and homespun suit , then exclaimed.
” A building ! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs ? We have spent over seven and a half million dollars in the physics lab at Harvard “.
For a moment the lady was silent.
The president was pleased. 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.
… …
Jane and Leland Stanford stepped out in grief and silence, out of Harvard Presidential chamber to Palo Alto.
In 1891, they established the Leland Stanford Junior University in memory of their only child Leland Stanford Junior.
( I have selected this story because there is always a comparison between these two most prestigious universities of America.)
Dr Ramakanta's Ideas 