(1884–90). He made a fortune, and, with his wife, founded and endowed Leland Stanford, Jr., University (1885) in memory of their only son (who died in 1884 at age 15). He served in the U.S. Senate (Rep., Calif.; 1885–93), but had an undistinguished career as a senator ...
Leland Stanford (born March 9, 1824, Watervliet, New York, U.S.—died June 21, 1893, Palo Alto, California) was an American senator from California and one of the builders of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. Stanford is often grouped with the 19th-century entrepreneurial tycoons wh...
After the death of his only son, Leland Stanford Jr., at 15, Stanford and his wife decided to use their wealth for the betterment of society. They founded Stanford University as a tribute to their late son, opening the university's doors to "all children of California" in 1891....