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The forces that sparked the founding of Wheaton College began more than 165 years ago with a father’s wish to memorialize his recently deceased and much-loved daughter.
J. Richard Chase (Ph.D., Cornell University) came to Wheaton College in 1982 after serving twelve years as president of Biola. He reinforced Wheaton's commitment to its biblical foundations and oversaw a period of significant growth relating to endowment, buildings, and academic programs.
The Seminary opened its doors to its first class of students in April 1835. The Seminary’s original purpose was as an institution dedicated to the higher education of older girls. Looking back at the origins of the present-day Wheaton College honors the the legacy created 175 years ago.
Wheaton College, private, coeducational liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. Wheaton College began as a preparatory school, the Illinois Institute, built by Wesleyan Methodists in 1854. It became a college in 1860 and was renamed for an early donor, Warren L. Wheaton, who also cofounded.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jul 21, 2023 · Wheaton College was founded in 1860. Total enrollment is about 2,700. It became a college in 1860 and was renamed for an early donor, Warren L. Wheaton, who also cofounded the city of Wheaton.
Wheaton College was founded in 1860. Its predecessor, the Illinois Institute, had been founded in late 1853 by Wesleyan Methodists as a college and preparatory school. Wheaton's first president, Jonathan Blanchard, was a former president of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and a staunch abolitionist with ties to Oberlin College.
Organized in 1853 by Wesleyan Methodists, Illinois Institute was rechartered in 1860 as Wheaton College. Jonathan Blanchard came from Knox College to become Wheaton's first president, separating the school from any denominational support.
