Will of Stephen Girard
Stephen Girard was born in Bordeaux, France, the son of a sea captain. He died December 26, 1831. His immense wealth was accumulated in Philadelphia, where he spent the greater part of his life.
It was during the financial panic of 1810, that Girard loaned the government of the United States five million dollars, when it could not be had elsewhere; this, it is said, exhausted his entire fortune.
Girard was also something of a farmer, and Girard College is located on what was formerly his farm; it was there that he labored with his trees and his flowers. History says that a large, shaggy dog followed him in his travels, and that each of his ships which went to sea, carried one.
By his will, he left large sums for the betterment of humanity; it is stated that up to that time, it was the largest amount ever given away by an individual philanthropist in the history of this country, if not of the world. While his gifts to charitable and other institutions in the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania were numerous and large, he is best known by a bequest of two million dollars for the founding of Girard College; besides this sum, there was a residue of a large amount which also went to this college. This endowment fund now amounts to sixteen million dollars, and the income is over one million dollars a year.
That famous section of this famous will, with reference to clergymen, which has produced so much discussion, is set out in full below. The injunction with reference to ministers and ecclesiastics holding office or entering the premises is still at least outwardly respected.
The heirs of Girard attempted to break his will; their argument was partly based on the provision with reference to religion: the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the will, notwithstanding the contestants had the assistance of Daniel Webster.
Girard College has an attendance of over two thousand boys: the scope and plan of the Institution has been greatly enlarged, and it has met with marked success in its ability to place many of its students in permanent and often valuable commercial positions.
The section in question is as follows:
“Article XXI. Section 9. Those scholars, who shall merit it, shall remain in the College until they shall respectively arrive at between fourteen and eighteen years of age; they shall then be bound out by the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of Philadelphia, or under their direction, to suitable occupations, as those of agriculture, navigation, arts, mechanical trades, and manufactures, according to the capacities and acquirements of the scholars respectively, consulting, as far as prudence shall justify it, the inclinations of the several scholars, as to the occupation, art or trade, to be learned.