This is a great story and was sent to me as true...

It's a bit of a long read, but interesting, IMO.

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 & probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge.

"We'd like 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 you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she said to him!

He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, and 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 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 and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here 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 name, Stanford 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.

A TRUE STORY By Malcolm Forbes !

 

I like that story, sure shows how ignorant some people can be.

 

Nice story, and good lesson, but don't believe it.

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/stanford.htm

 

Thats a cool story. Its sad how people judge everyone by the way they look.

 

OFF TOPIC


Did snopes.com ever figure out what the deal is with that Progressive snot is anyway?

ON TOPIC


I think that is a wonderful story, even if it is just "Chicken Soup" stuff.

 

While this is not true, I know a particular set of a bank "president" and his silent partner. They had a customer appreciation party for their big clients (corporate owners, builders, business owners). The son (currently the bank president) kept his sunglasses on the whole time, because he didn't want to be there, this was "his daddy's thing". When the old man leaves the bank, so will at least 1/2 his business, due to the kids attitude. Then it will just be a small town bank. One of the richest people I know, dresses as a slob, most times when he goes out in public, just to give away money. Last year, he gave away $100,000.00. I reserve the right to judge someone as dangerous or not, not what kind of person they are, otherwise, what would I have done with Ford owners, when I started out with a 68 Old's Cutlass (I miss the old girl)?

 

Hmm that is true about the whole starting off with a different vehicle. My first vehicle was a old datsun truck, and although I always have been a ford fan, I hope no one judges me too harshly about my datsun

 

I liked the moral of the story; that's why I posted it.

 

Great story and a great lesson for us all! Thanks Ben!

 

An old friend of mine's dad worked in sales at a Chevy dealer. An old black man in shoddy clothes walked in and asked how much for the vette in the showroom. Laughingly the man was told that he would sell it to him "today" for $30K. The man came back in a litle while with a paper bag full of cash. He got the vette.

Many years ago I worked at an Exxon refinery. Union job, lots of overtime, and made really good money. I stopped at a Ford dealer to look at a Mustang in their used car lot. The salesman proceeded to lecture me about credit ratings and affording such a car on a gas station salary. I went down the road and bought a new 91 a day or two later, putting about 50% down. I drove by the first dealer frequently and just smiled to myself....

 

A few years ago I went into a slightly upscale furniture/electronics store in our town to buy a matching CD player for my stereo system. Being a tradesman with faded blue jeans and a little dirt under my finger nails; the saleslady dumped me after about 2 mins. when a suit and tie clad customer showed up in the department.
When another sales rep. approached me, I said "I'll take that one." I gave her a nice big smile as we walked by to the check-out; knowing that she just blew her commission.

 

yeah nymo, i had a similar experience many many years ago with a car salesman when i was stationed in phoenix afb. he didn't want to show me a car i was interested in because i was dressed in levis and a worn shirt. so i went down the street to a different car lot and told my story to the salesman after i signed the papers for my shiney 1950 ford and he said "that salesman must be new or stupid because i treat every one that comes on the lot as a sale." words to live by!