llars for the founding of Girard College. Besides
this was a residue of the estate which went also to Girard College, the
total value of which endowment has increased until it is now more than
sixteen million dollars.

At the time of the death of Girard his bequests to public institutions
had never been equaled by individual philanthropies in the history of
the world.

And since then, I believe, only two men have given as much for the cause
of education.

However, it so happened that no public statue nor material
acknowledgment of Girard's great gifts to Philadelphia and the State of
Pennsylvania was made--except at his own expense--until the year
Eighteen Hundred Ninety-seven, when a bronze statue of this great
businessman and philanthropist was erected on the north plaza of the
City Hall. This statue has no special setting and is merely one of a
dozen decorative objects that surround the square.

That particular clause in Girard's will which provided that no
clergyman, preacher or priest should ever be allowed to act as trustee
for the school, or ever be allowed to enter the school, is still
respected, outwardly at least.

The gatekeeper challenges you thus: "Are you a clergyman?" And those who
fail to say flatly, "No," are not allowed to enter.

Horace Greeley once approached the gate at Girard College wearing his
usual little white necktie, his spectacles and his beatific, innocent
smile.

"You can't enter," said the grim Saint Peter.

"Why not?" was the astonished reply.

"You are a clergyman!"

"The hell I am!" said Horace.

"Excuse me--walk right in," said Saint Peter.

The heirs tried to break the will, basing their argument on that item
concerning clergymen.

The Supreme Court upheld the will, finding nothing derogatory in it to
the Christian religion or public policy.

Girard did not say, "Christian clergymen"--he was opposed to all formal
religions.

Girard had very positive ideas on the subject of education, and he was
the first man in America to put manual training to a practical test as a
part of the school curriculum.

At Girard College there are now constantly more than two thousand boys,
who have a home and school advantages. There are certain grave dangers
about institutional homes for children, in that there is a strong
tendency to kill individuality. But certain it is that Girard College
has ever labored, and in a great degree succeeded, in minimizing this
tendency. It is the p