Stanford, Leland, 1824–93, American railroad builder, politician, and philanthropist, b. Watervliet, N.Y. After practicing law in Wisconsin, he went (1852) to California, where he became a successful merchant. He served as governor (1861–63) of California and was one of the four founders of the Central Pacific RR. He was its president until his death, and he personally served as superintendent during part of its construction. He was also president (1885–90) of the Southern Pacific RR. From 1885 to his death he was a U.S. Senator. He founded and endowed Stanford Univ. Stanford University, at Stanford, Calif.; coeducational; chartered 1885, opened 1891 as Leland Stanford Junior Univ. (still the legal name). The original campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted . David Starr Jordan was its first president.
..... Click the link for more information. as a memorial to his son, Leland Stanford, Jr. His wife,

Jane Lathrop Stanford, 1825–1905, b. Albany, N.Y., shared in founding the university and continued to aid it after her husband's death.

Stanford, (Amasa) Leland

(born March 9, 1824, Watervliet, N.Y., U.S.—died June 21, 1893, Palo Alto, Calif.) U.S. entrepreneur, a builder of the first transcontinental railroad. He practiced law in Wisconsin before settling in Sacramento, Calif., where he built a successful retail business in mining supplies and became active in local politics. He served as governor of California (1861–63). He invested heavily in the plan to build a transcontinental railroad, and when the Central Pacific Railroad was organized in 1861 he became its president (1863–93). During his tenure its track was built eastward to join that of the Union Pacific at Promontory, Utah (1869), and he played a major role in further railroad development in California and the Southwest. From 1885 to 1893 he served in the U.S. Senate. He and his wife, Jane, founded Stanford University in 1885.

Stanford, (Amasa) Leland (1824–93) railroad builder, government official; born in Watervliet, N.Y. He practiced law in Wisconsin and then moved to California (1852) where he ran a general store. Successful in business, he became governor of California (1861–63), and more importantly, a founder and president of the Central Pacific Railroad (1863–93). He openly used his political power and ties to assist his railroad's development. After the transcontinental linking with the Union Pacific Railroad (1869), he built up the Southern Pacific Railroad; he eventually joined it with the Central Pacific to form the Southern Pacific Company, which he served as president (1884–90). He made a fortune, and, with his wife, founded and endowed Leland Stanford, Jr., University (1885) in memory of their only son (who died in 1884 at age 15). He served in the U.S. Senate (Rep., Calif.; 1885–93), but had an undistinguished career as a senator primarily interested in keeping the government from interfering in his railroad operations.