Washington University in St Louis

Main article: History of Washington University in St. Louis 19th Century Founding and early years William Greenleaf Eliot , first president of the board of trustees Washington University was founded in 1853 by 17 St. Louis business, religious, and political leaders concerned by the lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest . [ 3 ] State Senator Wayman Crow and Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot led the effort. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Crow secured the university charter , [ 6 ] and Eliot was named president of the board of trustees, with Crow serving as vice president. [ 3 ] Joseph Gibson Hoyt became the university's inaugural chancellor. [ 7 ] Unlike most American institutions, Washington University initially lacked a financial endowment and did not have the backing of a religious organization, wealthy patron, or government support. [ 8 ] Originally called Eliot Seminary , the name faced opposition from Eliot himself, who favored a nonsectarian identity for the institution. To address this, Eliot appointed a subcommittee consisting of himself and Samuel Treat to recommend a new name. [ 3 ] The subcommittee proposed Washington Institute , in honor of George Washington , the nation's first president , as the charter had been granted on his birthday, February 22. The board unanimously approved the proposal. [ 9 ] In 1856, the board officially amended the name to Washington University . [ 10 ]

Chartered as a university, it initially functioned primarily as a night school and did not have buildings, faculty, or established course offerings. Classes began on October 22, 1854, in the Benton Schoolhouse, a facility loaned by the public school board, which also covered utility costs and installed gas lighting for evening instruction. Tuition was offered free of charge. By the end of the first year, 270 students had enrolled, with ages ranging from 8 years old to 46 years old. The university hired four teachers from the public school system, two of whom later became the university's first full-time faculty members. In 1856, the university completed the first building on the three-acre site that it had purchased on Seventeenth Street and Washington Avenue. [ 11 ] Washington University remained located in downtown St. Louis for its first fifty years. [ 12 ] Smith Academy (1856) In 1856, Eliot and other trustees established a preparatory academic department for boys. [ 13 ] Admission was granted to boys aged ten and older who passed an exam in reading, writing, geography, and basic arithmetic. [ 14 ] In 1859, a preparatory female department was established. In recognition of Eliot's leadership, the university insisted on naming it the Mary Institute, in honor of his daughter. In 1879, the academic department for boys was named Smith Academy. [ 13 ] Washington University's law school (originally known as The St. Louis Law School) was the first undergraduate division of the university to admit women. In 1869, Lemma Barkeloo and Phoebe Couzins enrolled. Barkeloo passed the Missouri bar exam in her first year and did not complete the program, while Couzins earned her LL.B . in 1871. However, it wasn’t until 1886 that women were regularly admitted again to the law school. [ 15 ] In 1871, Eliot was named the third chancellor of Washington University. [ 16 ] Washington University Manual Training School (1906) In 1879, the St.

Louis Manual Training School of Washington University [ 17 ] became the first manual training school established in the United States. [ 18 ] Students' time was divided equally between manual training and schoolwork. [ 18 ] Facing declining enrollment in the 1870s, the university sought to strengthen ties with local preparatory schools, and, by 1880, graduates from select high schools could enter by certificate rather than examination. The college also introduced the Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph.B) degree as a more flexible alternative to the traditional Bachelor of Arts , with the Ph.B. placing greater emphasis on science, history, and English. Lectures and written exams replaced traditional oral recitations, and completing a senior thesis became a requirement for graduation for the Ph.B degree. [ 19 ] Admitting women had a greater impact on enrollment than any academic reforms. After a unanimous faculty vote, the first woman enrolled in the undergraduate college in 1870; by the 1890s, women were the main drivers of the college's enrollment growth. [ 20 ] During Eliot's chancellorship, student organizations at Washington University rose and fell quickly due to a lack of institutional support. [ 21 ] Athletics were especially unstable, with clubs like baseball and rowing repeatedly forming and disbanding, though individual sports gained steadier traction with the building of gyms and hiring of instructors. A major shift occurred in 1890 when the Washington University Athletic Association (established in 1884) embraced intercollegiate football . [ 21 ] In 1890, the number of prescribed courses for the Bachelor of Arts degree was 40 of 45. By the end of 1892, Washington University had reduced the number of prescribed courses to 8 out of 38. This shift in policy also led to the abolition of alternative degrees like the Ph.B. and contributed to the creation of many new courses.

[ 22 ] Washington University's decision to purchase a tract of land for a new campus was driven by the rapid growth of St. Louis and the decreasing availability of suitable locations. The land was acquired for $185,000 (equivalent to $6,474,000 in 2024) , with financing arranged through a loan and the sale of University stock, backed by private guarantees. The university then enlisted Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot to design the campus, beginning with two landscape plans in 1895 and marking the beginning of the architects' broader influence. [ 23 ] In 1897, the university formally announced plans in its catalog to move the Undergraduate Department to a new site northwest of Forest Park . [ 24 ] Olmsted's praise of the site led the board to agree to buy the land without conditions. Olmsted also recommended acquiring additional land along Skinker Boulevard, which was completed in 1899 with help from Robert Brookings , and advised that future construction emphasize aesthetics. Their proposals included holding an architectural competition and grouping buildings in quadrangles, with the main building facing east from the ridge. [ 25 ]