How was Purdue founded?
In 1865, the Indiana General Assembly voted to participate in the Morrill Act, which stated that the federal government would turn over public lands to states that would then use the proceeds from their sale to maintain a college teaching agriculture and the “mechanic arts.” On May 6, 1869, the General Assembly came to the decision that a college would be created near Lafayette. Funds amounting to $150,000 were collected for the purpose from John Purdue, Tippecanoe County provided an additional $50,000, and residents in the area gave 100 acres of land. In December 1869, the Board of Trustees officially named the college Purdue University, honoring founding benefactor John Purdue, who was named a member of the board and was given the daunting task of building a new university. In August 1872, the University hired Richard Owen as its first president. Owen resigned in 1874 before classes ever started.
