"Military fame & Glory is a fine thing for a well clad back & a full belly, but it is of less account to a hungry man than a lb of pork or a peck of beans."

"My Dear Grand Daughter. Your little letter came duly to hand and I was very glad to hear from you, and grand Ma was also very glad to hear from. I shall be very glad when I get through with the business here so I can go home and see you and your little brothers, and have you and them go with me up on the hill to see how the workmen get along with the building of the Cornell University where I hope you and your brothers and your cousins and a great many more children will go to school when they get large enough and will learn a great many things that will be useful to them and make them wise and good women and men. I want to have girls educated in the University as well as boys, so that they may have the same opportunity to become wise and useful to society that the boys have. I want you to keep this letter until you grow up to be a woman and want to go to a good school where you can have a good opertunity to learn, so you can show it the President and Faculty of the University to let them know that it is the wish of your Grand Pa, that girls as well as boys should be educated at the Cornell University."

"I went to Washington had an interview with Mr. Seward and the Russian Minister. They both agree that the Company done right in Suspending the work But Still think the line will be needed for Political reasons."

"Can you attend Church at Beeches tomorrow morning -- sit with me…I want to talk with you about several matters & shall feel obliged for such an interview -- If your wife's with you bring her"

"Dont forget about the missing documents in regard to the Library Dedication."

"White went to Buffalo last night, undecided yet which building to put up next."

"Mary writes she wants some money very much. I don't know why she always applies to me for money for I have none for her, nor any way to get any that I know of."

"I thought I would improve the dreary hours of this gloomy day in writing. Today commences the last quarter of the moon and if we have a rainy week this week, we may look for three weeks more rainy weather after that, according to the old calculations for the weather. This is a very lonesome day indeed and I don't know but I shall have the blues before night."

"I am often at Boston and spent Wednesday & Thursday at Cambridge, at Commencement, where they seem much interested in the Cornell University and called me out for a speech at the public dinner which I gave them…"

"Day before yesterday I spent delightfully with Prof. Agassiz…. I had long conversations with him regarding the merits of different candidates for Scientific Professorships. He was very full and explicit.

"He gave me very full information regarding collections. He thinks highly of the Newcomb Collection of shells at San Francisco and the Carpenter Collection at Montreal. I promised to send him the paper which you sent me for his judgement."

"Even if the difference in the lines of the two buildings is not detected at once it seems to me that the erection of a central building will bring it out. We are building for centuries and should not subject ourselves to the charge of stupidity from those who come after us. Now you had your way about the site -- yield to the majority in regard to this slight matter of the level. Your every wish regarding the contemplated institution has the sacredness of a command with me since your devotion to the great object has become so manifest, but I earnestly hope that you will concede this point. Every college so far is in the main an architectural failure. Do not let us risk the same failure by disturbing the continuation between the leading features of our plan as I feel we shall do by this difference of grades & architectural lines. Don't do it."

"Mr. Robertson…travelled with a man from the Chippewa Country from whom he learned that your agents in the land business are not considered sound…He said that it seemed to be the general impression in that section that the choice lots were not taken for you."

"I have been corresponding with Harris of Monroe Co. & with others regarding the Prof'ship of Agriculture…I am strongly inclined toward him.

"I am also corresponding with the West Point authorities & others regarding a Prof. of Civil Engineering & military tactics."

"I was some better yesterday and am still better today, but the Dr. says the action of the liver is not yet quite right. I think in the course of next week I shall be fully well again, and have passed a fit of sickness which I have in a measure been expecting and dreading the past 3 mo."

"I am decidedly better today and have just returned from a ride up to Cascadilla Place with Hon. Geo. D. Beers. Windows mostly in the building and scratchcoat will be on all the walls tomorrow."

"Hearing that you have been confined to your house by illness I feel quite guilty to think that I have neither been to see you nor written you…Now my dear friend let me beg and beseech you to take care of yourself. I don't think you realise how much depends upon you. In Heaven's name take things easily. Put the work on us younger fellows. Don't travel nights anymore, don't expose yourself to cold, don't ride in the front cars. If any man has earned a right to quiet and comfort you are that man.

"I learned the other day…that there is an opportunity to sell our remaining scrip at a good price. Let me urge you to do it…What we most want is a larger income now. Had we such an increase as that would give, we could at once take the lead…"

"Our mutual friend Colo. E. Jewett has repeatedly written to me in relation to the disposition of my Collection in Conchology to the Cornell University. My chief inducement in parting with the labor of over thirty years in collecting…is that they may have a permanent and secure resting place…. I would much prefer that it should go to my Native State of New York."

"Now I beg of you excuse me this time. I think it vastly better on every account, in fact I think it due myself that the first address in Ithaca should be my inaugural. After that I will speak & work there as much as you please."

"I have secured James Russell Lowell the foremost literary man in the United States as one of our Non. Resd't Professors."

"Again I say enlarge the list of Addresses for Circulars in every way possible. Have Finch enlarge his list of lawyers. I tell you that it is the best investment we can make. The main reason why the University of Michigan has 1500 students today, -- more than any other college in the land is that I forced through the policy of letting the people know what we could do for them."

"Since Cornell University has been founded and has been receiving such munificent donations from yourself, I have though[t] how useful a twentieth part of this liberality would be in this new country, and how pleasant it would be if these two sister intitutions could look to a common Father and thereby the name of Ezra Cornell become as well and as thankfully know[n] in the west as in the east."

"What about the funds for Europe which I telgraphed you about last week, but which you did not answer. White says he wants $15,000 for Books and Chemicals abroad, instead of $14,000. Will you send me the other $1000, or must he get along with the $14,000? White says if only 14,000 is sent he will have to use $1000 of his own funds. My impression is that the $15,000 had better be placed at his disposal."

"…I will say some things to you which I must request…be considered confidential in relation to the 'woman' subject. I have no fancy for the agitation on the subject…"

"There is a rumour afloat that there has been a legacy left in England to the Cornells of New York and Connecticut supposed to amount to Sixty Millions of dollars."

"I have already got the foundation laid for a large amount of business for Photo Lathography, if we can do the work as well and cheaper than by Old processes…I have also launched a move to remove various restrictions from our college Land Scrip Entries, and to get certain importations for the Cornell University free of duty, And to get a waggon road provided for from [Brurette] Falls to Lake Superior to be paid for by a grant of pulic lands along the route…. I judge by what I see with my eyes & ears that "Andy" was thoroughly alarmed as to his situation when he got the reports of the first days proceedings of the Impeachment Court. Previously he regarded himself safe from conviction…. Andrew Johnson is a bad man, and the American people know it."

"You asked me if I thought there was money coming to us. Indeed I think there is for it is not likely that Ezra Cornell would be so anxious to enquire out the relatives and desire all the information possible according to the laws of England."

"Your sentiment as expressed by Prof. White. I say Amen to 'An institution where any person can find instruction in any study.'"

"Have tried to shake of thoughts of the University -- but -- 'Distance lends enchantment to the view' & I think of little else…. Have decided to go personally & make the purchases of Apparatus & Chemicals at Heidelberg, Darmstadt… & Berlin."

"…the election of Weaver is first rate. He is a true man. Knows what education should be & knows what we are striving to be…. I have been hard at work every day & have saved several thousand francs by prowling around the books shops of the Latin Quarter instead of buying of Agents…. If it is possible ie if it is not absolutely impossible I want the Univ. to put 5000 dollars more at my disposal…. There are elaborate models of every important organ -- an ear for example two feet long -- price 150 fr by wh. a hundred students can learn more in an hour than from text books in a month."

"I met Prof. Henry and Baird of the Smithsonian Institute yesterday, they hail the Cornell University with joy. Their building is nearly restored from the ravages of the fire and will soon be in full beauty and usefulness again. The Patent Office is becoming a miracle of groth and expose of inventive talent. The buildings are six or eight times larger than when I worked there in 1844 and they are more crowded now than then. There was some 17,000 patents issued last year, and will probably be 20,000 issued this year. This shows the great inventive wealth of this country."

"…sorry to hear that you are sorely pressed for funds. I can hardly realize what satisfaction it can be to be wealthy and at the same time hard up, yet there are other & perhaps more simple problems that I have failed to solve."

"I find that they are about as much at sea regarding details of instruction in Agriculture here as we are in America…. This is confidential for it would be a serious injury to me on many accounts were the impression to be spread now that I am about to remove to Ithaca. I want a good comfortable place & absolutely healthy. I will sacrifice my own comfort, health, time, property & political purposes to the Cornell University, but there is one thing I will not sacrifice & that is the health of my wife & children -- so keep my interests in mind. I don't want to buy a place. I hope to put up something to suit me by & by, but I want a decent place for…my family on the hill."

"…the Royal Agricultural College at Hohenheim which was the institution I most wished to see. [Professor Rueff] especially dwelt upon the liberty allowed students there. They study just what they please -- making out a course for themselves (You see I have underscored the points where their practice is a working out of my theory.)"

"I want if possible to avail myself of [the Whiting Farm] cannot you help me to accomplish it?"

"As to the Prof. of Veterinary Surgery &c. Prof. Pancoast, of Philadelphia told me of a young Englishman studying at the Imperial Veterinary College at Alford. He is a fine fellow, good practically & theoretically and stands fifth in a large class which is good for an Englishman among Frenchmen."

"My dear Mr. Cornell I have secured Goldwin Smith late Prof. at Oxford University as our Prof. of English & General Constitutional History. I have secured James Law of Belfast as Professor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery…. Am hard at work on the book purchases & am getting together a nobel collection."

"There is a general feeling of insecurity among those of us who occupy the upper floors of Cascadilla, and both Pres'd White and myself have ordered Rope Ladders for escape in case of fire: but I have not thought it necessary to ask their formal cooperation in the request I now make of you: That a Fire Extinguisher of medium size be placed in the center of each of the floors -- and that a proper number of persons be instructed in their use."

"I also deeply sympathize with [the firemen] in the hardships and vexation arising from the false alarm of the other evening which called them forth at midnight, and regret exceedingly that the folly of thoughtless youth should thus multiply their labors…. Please accept the enclosed hundred dollars for the firemen of Ithaca as a small token of my regard."