Leland Stanford Jr. | |
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 Leland Stanford in 1872 | |
| Born | Leland DeWitt Stanford (1868-05-14)May 14, 1868 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 1884(1884-03-13) (aged 15) Florence, Italy |
| Known for | Namesake ofStanford University |
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Leland Stanford Jr. (May 14, 1868 – March 13, 1884), known asLeland DeWitt Stanford until he was nine,[1] was the only child of American industrialist and politicianLeland Stanford and his wife,Jane. Following his death fromtyphoid at age 15, Stanford became the namesake ofStanford University, which is officially called Leland Stanford Junior University.
Stanford was the only child ofCalifornia GovernorLeland Stanford and his wife,Jane Stanford (née Lathrop). His mother was 39 and his father was 44. They had an 18-year childless marriage until Stanford was born.[2]
Stanford caughttyphoid two months before his 16th birthday on aGrand Tour ofEurope with his parents. Stanford originally fell ill inAthens, and his parents rushed him toItaly for medical treatment, first toNaples, then toRome, and eventually toFlorence, where Stanford died after weeks of a condition that alternately improved and worsened.[3]
Leland Stanford Sr. told his wife that "the children of California shall be our children."[4][5][6] To honor their son, once they returned to the United States, the Stanfords devoted their fortune to a memorial in his name, Leland Stanford Junior University, which opened its doors in 1891.
Leland Stanford Jr. is interred beside his parents at theStanford family mausoleum on the Stanford campus. After the death of his father on June 21, 1893,[7] his mother guided the development of the university until her death on February 28, 1905.
Although the university is generally referred to as "Stanford University" or "Stanford," its official name is still "Leland Stanford Junior University," as it can be seen on the universityseal.[8]
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