In 1897, James M. Davis, a wealthy Quaker businessman, seeing a full page advertisement in a St. Louis newspaper offering the Garfield University campus for sale, said to his wife,

“Anna, I believe this is our chance to give a college to the world.”

The story is better told by Edmund Stanley, the first President of Friends University, in the publication, Friends University Alumnus 1901-1910:

“The history of Friends University could not be written without making special mention of James M. Davis of St. Louis, and James A. Allison of Wichita. Through Mr. Allison’s influence largely the sale was made, and Mr. Davis became the possessor of “Garfield University,” property that represented the expenditure of almost half a million dollars. No sooner was the transfer made than he set to work to interest the Friends of Kansas and Oklahoma in the establishing of a Friends College. The entire holding, was offered as a gift to the Friends of Kansas yearly meeting on condition that they establish and maintain a college. The proposition was accepted and the college was opened in September 1898.

E. STANLEY.”

(Excerpts from pg. 11-12 of FU, Photos on page 11)