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Extract from address
Rev. E. H. Capen, D. D., President of Tufts College
After the death of Charles Tufts, I made several calls on Mrs. Tufts, who told me several incidents in connection with the founding of Tufts College. One of these was his remark of “putting a light on the hill,” which has become famous. She told me, also. that Mr. Tufts was one day at work in a large field, when, becoming weary, he lay down under a tree and fell asleep. He dreamed of the great institution now planted on College Hill. This was a prophetic dream, and the fulfillment of it was not realized at the time when related by Mrs. Tufts. The founding of the college was no mere accident, for as early as 1840 Mr. Tufts had made plans for such an institution. In 1847 Samuel Frothingham, Sylvanus Cobb, and Mr. Tufts, with others, were incorporated for the purpose of establishing the Tufts institution for learning. This was several years before Tufts College was thought of.
