Jane Stanford

Jane Stanford
Born	Jane Elizabeth Lathrop (1828-08-25)August 25, 1828 Albany, New York, U.S.
Died	February 28, 1905(1905-02-28) (aged 76) Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
Resting place	Stanford Mausoleum, Stanford, California
Occupation(s)	Social entrepreneur, philanthropist
Known for	Co-founder of Stanford University
Spouse	Leland Stanford ​ ​ (m. 1850; died 1893)​
Children	Leland Stanford Jr.
8th First Lady of California
In office January 10, 1862 – December 10, 1863
Preceded by	Maria Downey
Succeeded by	Mollie Low

Jane Elizabeth Lathrop Stanford (August 25, 1828 – February 28, 1905) was an American philanthropist and co-founder of Stanford University in 1885 (opened 1891), along with her husband, Leland Stanford, in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr., who died of typhoid fever at age 15 in 1884. After her husband's death in 1893, she funded and operated the university almost single-handedly until her unsolved murder by strychnine poisoning in 1905.

She was the eighth First Lady of California. Her husband served as governor from January 10, 1862 to December 10, 1863.