Lake Forest College

In the year of 1857, a new chapter in the field of education embarked as the esteemed Lake Forest College was founded by none other than Reverend Robert W. Patterson. His vision was to establish a beacon of Presbyterian alternative to the Methodist Northwestern University in Evanston. Initially, a gentleman named Sylvester Lind, bestowed $80,000 to bring Patterson's vision to life; naturally, the school was lovingly christened as Lind University after him.

But, the inception of Lake Forest, both as a town and a university, would not have been possible without Chicago Presbyterians who played a pivotal role. They meticulously planned the layout midway between Evanston and Waukegan, just two years after the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway initiated their service. Enthusiastically, they employed renowned St. Louis landscape architect Almerin Hotchkiss to infuse life into the town's design with the university park at its heart.

Interestingly, the cornerstone of the university was the Lake Forest Academy, a boy’s preparatory school which unveiled its first set of classes in 1858. A couple of years later, collegiate-level courses were introduced. By mid-1860s, bustling small New England–style village with an academy building, a Presbyterian church and many homes came to life. Adding another feather to its hat, the school hosted a medical college from 1859 to 1863, which eventually became a part of Northwestern University.

Evolving with time, the institution adopted the name Lake Forest University in 1865. Further, in 1869, under the able leadership of Fannie Ruth Robinson, the university welcomed Ferry Hall, a girls' preparatory school and junior college. Fun fact: Ferry Hall later merged with Lake Forest Academy in 1974.

A great milestone was achieved in 1876 when Mary Eveline Smith Farwell launched Lake Forest College, a coeducational division of the university. The Reverend Patterson spearheaded the initiative. However, it was in 1878, when the iconic College Hall, now known as Young Hall, was constructed post a devastating fire that engulphed the hotel serving as a temporary classroom.

With the advent of Reverend James Gore King McClure in Lake Forest in 1881 came a transformative era for the college. His influence helped the college shift its focus from a graduate and professional concentration to an undergraduate-centric liberal arts hub. Interestingly it was during this transition, we saw the budding of many student-led initiatives such as the Garrick Players, the yearbook, and the student newspaper, The Stentor.

Not content with its growing stature, the university in 1890 entered into a partnership with the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, thus marking its entry into the field of dental studies. Although the collaboration ended in 1902, just 14 years later in 1916, Lake Forest opened a School of Music along with a summer school of landscape architecture.

Eventually, in 1925, Lake Forest College made a breakthrough by separating from Lake Forest Academy and setting its eye solely on undergraduate liberal arts. The college experienced a significant growth after World War II by expanding to what is today known as South Campus and also developing the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

In 1960, President William Graham Cole emphasized the importance of diversity by introducing Eastern faculty and students to campus. Five years into his tenure, the school underwent yet another name change, becoming officially known as Lake Forest College. The college received a major boost in March 2010, when it was presented with a $7 million donation from an alumna, Grace Groner, marking a more promising future for Lake Forest College.