Yale Bulletin
and Calendar

April 12-19, 1999Volume 27, Number 28




























What's in a name?
Would 'Ial' sound as sweet?

The following information about Elihu Yale was extracted from the talk by Yale archivist Judith Schiff and retired professor Bruce Stowe on April 5 at Sterling Memorial Library.

* Although he never came to New Haven, Elihu Yale was the grandson of Ann Boyd Yale Eaton, whose second husband was Theophilus Eaton, one of the founders of New Haven Colony.

* A devout "son of the Church of England," Elihu Yale made his gift of books to the "Academy of Dissenters" in New Haven in the hopes that if the Congregationalist ministers there became better educated about religion, their allegiance would change. Apparently, his strategy worked. In 1722 the Yale College rector and two principal tutors were fired by the Congregationalist trustees for their Anglican leanings, and several other area ministers went back to the Church of England because of what they'd read in the books donated by Elihu Yale.

* After returning from India, Elihu Yale divided his time between his mansion in London, where he was known as the "Nabob of Queen Square," and the old family estate of Plas-Grono, near Wrexham, Wales, where he was named high sherriff.

* Elihu Yale named Yale College as one of the beneficiaries to his vast fortune in his will. However, his wife, reportedly unhappy that Elihu Yale had an affair with another woman, had the will broken in the House of Lords, so Yale College inherited none of its namesake's wealth.

* While the school's first New Haven building was named after Elihu Yale, it wasn't until it was formally chartered in 1745 that the institution was officially designated as Yale College.

* In Welsh, the name "Yale" was originally spelled "Ial." The family took its name from the Ial region of Wales, where the country's armed forces were traditionally brought together.

* In Wales, "Elihu" would have been pronounced with a long "i" and the accent on the second syllable; however, the name is often pronounced with a short "i" and the accent on the first syllable.


T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Actress to talk about her art in Maynard Mack Lecture
Older workers help Yale Program on Aging reach out . . .
Campus honors man who gave Yale its name
What's in a name?
Endowed Professorship: Physicist Grober is appointed to Barton Weller chair
Policymakers to consider prospects for economic and social development . . .
Alumna Congresswoman to speak at AACC's anniversary event
Feminist Friedan will take part in 'Women and Freedom' conference
Conference to examine how life has changed in Connecticut
Music student recitals to be held off-campus


Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events| Bulletin Board
Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff
Public Affairs Home|News Releases|E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page