Famous Givers and Their GiftsBolton, Sarah Knowles
History
Famous Givers and Their Gifts
Bolton, Sarah Knowles
Philanthropists
To the Trustees of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of
San Francisco, $10,000, with the hope expressed by him, "that the
trustees of said society may organize such a system as will result in
establishing similar societies in every city and town in California, to
the end that the rising generations may not witness or be impressed with
such scenes of cruelty and brutality as constantly occur in this State."
To found in San Francisco "an institution to be called The Old Ladies'
Home," $100,000. For the erection and the maintenance of that extremely
useful public charity, Free Public Baths, $150,000. These baths went
into use Nov. 1, 1890.
For the erection of a monument to be placed in Golden Gate Park, "to the
memory of Francis Scott Key, the author of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,'"
$60,000. This statue was unveiled July 4, 1888.
To endow an institution to be called the California School of Mechanical
Arts, "to be open to all youths born in California," $540,000.
For statuary emblematical of three important epochs in the history of
California, to be placed in front of the San Francisco City Hall,
$100,000.
To John H. Lick, his son, born in Pennsylvania, June 30, 1818, $150,000.
The latter contested the will; and a compromise was effected whereby he
received $533,000, the expense of the suit being a little over $60,000.
This son, at his death, founded Lick College, Fredericksburg, Penn.,
giving it practically all his fortune. It is now called Schuylkill
Seminary, and had 285 pupils in 1893, according to the Report of the
Commissioner of Education. A family monument was erected at
Fredericksburg, Penn., Mr. Lick's birthplace, at a cost of $20,000.
Mr. Lick set aside some personal property for his own economical use
during his life. After all these bequests had been attended to, the
remainder of his fortune was to be given in "equal proportions to the
California Academy of Sciences and the Society of California Pioneers,"
to be expended in erecting buildings for them, and in the purchase of a
"suitable library, natural specimens, chemical and philosophical
apparatus, rare and curious things useful in the advancement of
science, and generally in the carrying out of the objects and purposes
for which said societies were respectively established." Each society
has received about $800,000 from the Lick estate. These were very
remarkable gifts from a man who had been a mechanic, brought up in
narrow circumstances, and with limited education.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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