Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)'s photos with the keyword: Palo Alto

This is difficult to read, but it was interesting to run across a rectangle in the sidewalk with the inscription "George Goodman Artificial Stone Leland Stanford Jr. University 1890"; (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

Looking from the Main Quad in front of Memorial Church towards Green Library. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

A water fountain on one of the corridors off the Main Quad. The large panel near the top of the fountain has the words "Class of 1923" over the image of an ancient oil lamp. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

The architecture of the church, including the inside, is both impressive and inspirational. When I worked at Stanford in the 80's I didn't think very much about the symbolism of the church. Looking at it now though, it becomes more difficult to reconcile the dominance of the Christian imagery with the image of a world university consisting of a very diverse, international faculty and student body. The only saving 'grace' (bad pun) is to remind oneself that the dominance of the Christian symbolism represents a time from the past. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

Memorial Church. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

Green Library (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

How is that major universities become respected as hallowed institutions? Part of it is through architecture that suggests an environment of the contemplative pursuit of knowledge. To me, the long corridors and arches are particularly suggestive of that. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)

I worked on a research project at Stanford in the late 1980's as a statistical analyst. Having come from a blue-collar family, I was initially quite awed by the fact that I would be working at an institution as prestigious as Stanford. The symbolism expressed by the architecture continues to impress, though it didn't take long to discover that the majority of those working for Stanford were ordinary people with ordinary problems and ordinary skills. (Also see notes with nearby pictures of Stanford.)