Born Jane Eliza Lathrop in Albany, New York, she married Leland Stanford on Sept. 30, 1850.
Upon the death of their only son, Leland Stanford Jr., Leland Sr. turned to his wife Jane and said, famously, "The Children of California shall be our children." They founded Stanford University in his honor. After Leland's death, Jane took control of the University, and it was at Jane Stanford's direction that Stanford University gained an early focus on the arts.
Research has recently unearthed the fact that Jane Stanford was murdered with strychnine in Hawaii while recovering from a previous murder attempt in California. She is buried at the Stanford family mausoleum on the Stanford campus.