After the death of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., in 1884 on a trip in Italy, the elder Leland turned to his wife and said, "The children of California shall be our children." They founded in their son's honor Leland Stanford Junior University, which opened in 1891. After the elder Leland's death on June 21, 1893, Jane effectively took control of the university. The university suffered severe financial hardship because of Jane's poor management ability, and the trustees advocated a temporary closure of the university until tax and legal issues could be resolved, but she insisted for it to remain in operation. From 1893 to 1898, she collected $10,000 per month from the University, as the remaining co-founder. The estate left probate in 1898.As the remaining founder, she wielded a great deal of legal control over the university until her death.