Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Scrapbooks Collection Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Scrapbooks Collection GEORGE EASTM. OBSER VES Kodak Magnate Describes SIXTY-NINTH A 'IVERSARY Self >$ George Eastman is quietly celebrat ".wA.-cTt*./*} At 70 As "Miserable ing his 69th birthday today. Now one' Moron' of the industrial and philanthropic leaders of the nation, at the age of six v he came to Rochester with his family j As Matters from Waterville, N. Y., where he was; Regards Musical born 1854. From then on July 12, for! Liberal Education Is Great Thing for Enrichment of many years his story waa that of mul ~ titudes of other hard-working, poor; Life, Enabling One To Enjoy Benefits of but ambitious young men of his . , CivilizationMany Born Unfitted for ] period. Mis first job paid him $3 a ^ week and It was not until 1874 that he College Education. became interested in photography. *\<sfr&<\' Disappointment after disappoint "All I'm to do is to work out my own salvation." ment assailed him, frequently it trying seemed as though nothing could keep This is the explanation given this morning by George Eastman for his gifts of $15,000,000 to educational institutions announced yesterday and prior contributions to educational and philan thropic causes, amounting in all to over $58,000,000. GEORGE EASTMA1 Mr. Eastman has definite ideas on education. He discussed them this morning, giving particular attention to musical educa 69 AGE tion, for music has been Mr. Eastman's hobby for years. Of the YEARSvOF $15,000,000 which he distributed yesterday, $3,000,000 went to increase the endowment of the Eastman School of Music. dak His Magnate Spends Birthday Mr. Eastman believes that as industrial development brings at His Office-Here Since shorter working hours for all people, the question of how leisure is to be disposed of will become a greater and greater social problem. It is here that music will play its role. his George Eastman la celebrating T am not a mu3teian," Mr. East be the object of liberal higher edu ixty-nlnth birthday to-day by pass Mr. Eastman CIOIU.I KA8TMAN. man said, "I come pretty near to be cation, said: ing the day much as usual. He ar "To enable a man to the ing a miserable moron, because I am enjoy rived at his office at the usual time his hlp of fortune off the rocks, but benefits of civilization; to make him there an<i unabel to whistle a tune, to carry a and spent most of the day pejtoeeeraace, pluck brains pulled appreciate what's going on around Mr. Eastman was born in Water him through his troubles into safe tune or to remember a tune. him". He came waters. ville. N. Y . July 1*. 1854. "But I love to listen to music and "Does if aid him in Ordinary busi of 8 with his to Rochester at the age Ths industrial aide of Mr East- in listening I've come to think it a ness pursuits, or do you believe that parents. George Washington Eastman uan's activities is closely bound up necessary part of life. In other it unfits him for business?" Mr. His and Marls Ktlbourn Eastman. with his progress In philanthropic words, for a well rounded life one Eastman was asked. father died less than a year later. Uf work slong educational lines. To dste must have music. Furthermore "It ought to train his mind, teach left was not easy sailing for the boy. i>ia benefactions, frequently anony- music offers the best way of using him to use his mind to better ad the fatherless at so early an age, but iouh. sre believed to total about $40,- time. As leisure increases through vantage. That's what it ought to do. which marked tli? hulk of which has force and determination 000. ooo. gone shortening work hours, the use of (whether it does or not depends up his later career ^elped him to sur into higher education. The bright music becomes more and more on the man and the influences he is mount the many difficulties encoun prospects of the University of Roch necessary. There are no drawbacks under. almost to his to tered in his youth. ester sre due entirely music. You can't have too much "You asked me whether or not I to the Mr Kaitfnn's connection with the generosity, which, however, of It. There is no residual bad ef thought a college liberal education of la a well known photographic Industry began about Itlatens Rochester fect like overindulgence in other unfitted a man for business. I'll tell 1874. Its developments alnca then,\Htory things. you that I do not think all men are largely due to the genius and lnitia However many other institutions, Despite Mr. Eastman's large gifts fitted for college education. f" the >f Mr. Eastman, are' well known. .inch as the Massachusetts Institute of Massachusetts' Institute of "I think many men are born un his Mu<-h of the wealth which has ac- Technology, are deeply In his debt for Technology donations to that fitted for such education. I think to en instituion oal f-rued to him has been devoted great sums given thrm for their $11,000,000 he holds as time goes on colleges will be no parlcular for philanthropic and educational move nts or for specific purposes xbrief techincal edu forced to pick their students with Dental and cation as opposed to education in ments. - ^ Others tike the Dispensary the more i iii am care, because by accepting of Music are his own arts and sciences. men unfitted to receive a college ed "One is not fciore >ns. important than ucation they are barring out other the hevsald other", this morning. men who are fitted." "One helps the other. educa. Many Mr. Eastman's gift of $1,500,000 tors along lines have technical told for the college of women of the Uni mo that a man ought to have a versity of Rochester has elicited con liberal education before studying siderable comment and some sur technical subjects. McLauren (The prise. Mr. Eastman was asked what head of Boston Tech) told me that he thought about education for he would be glad if all his students women and whether or not be had be at least a year or two in a lib lieved in co-education, e eral arts replied college," succinctly: But Mr. Eastman believes that "I believe in the education off liberal education is a great thing in women. With it to be and of ought co-edu-i Itself, for the enrichment of cational or separate, far be it from HA>. Asked what he conceived to me to say. - Coolidge, Dawes and Edison Felicitate George Eastman^f}'7ld Birthday To-day IRTHDAY TODAY President's Tribute EXECUTIVE OFFICE _eventy-three Rapid City, South Dakota George Eastman at seventy-three can look back over a life of unequalled service to his Editor Democrat and fellow men. The Chronicle, development of a pastime into a world wide business Rochester. X. Y. gave him his opportunity to serve; and it is no small part of the recogni to with tion his I am glad join service has brought that he has ap the many friends of Mr. plied the same thought and attention to his Eastman in extending benefactions that he has to the development of his business. congratulations on his The result is that his of birthday. gifts large sums seventy-third of money have definitely and sensibly advanced His has been a life of the welfare of his fellow men by enlarging self-effacing service; the their opportunities for economic well-being, by record of which will be a expanding their opportunities for health, and memorial. by widening their opportunities for enriching lasting their leisure. Calvin Coolidge And the last is perhaps the most signifi cant, for with the steady progress that is being made in increasing the income and the leisure of the average citizen of the 'United States the problem of the most profitable use of leisure has become important. What Mr. Eastman has made possible for the people of Rochester in music alone will have effects more far-reaching than now can be foreseen. The tributes that come to him to-day are well merited, and, considering the varied view of points the distinguished men who pay them, it is perhaps not a mere coincidence that they epitomize his life: Mr. Edison touches the heart of his business success when he points to his "patient, persistent and untiring labors in the development of the wonderful film which has been so essential to the success of the motion picture"; Vice-president Dawes touches the scope and effect of his benefactions when he says that "his interest in music, art and education has done much to make this country of ours a better place in which to Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Scrapbookslive," and CollectionPresident.Coolidge strikes the key note of his character when he commends his life of "self-effacinfe" service. The kindly feeliftg that the average Roch- esterian has for Mr. Eastman as a man prob is more ably general than Mr. Eastman or his closest friends suspect; the national recog nition that his sound philanthropy and modest character have inspired is indicated by the tributes of the nation's leaders. President Praises His 'Lite of Self -effacing Service'; Work Mmup Edison /py HaiUd-by """^ ; \ _ Dawes and President Criolidge, Vice-President Ceorge Eastman^i A.