Generally considered the first college in America for the higher education of women, Vassar College in New York is incorporated in January.
The college’s founder, Matthew Vassar, a Baptist layman, was born in England and at the age of four immigrated to New York with his family. Assuming his father’s brewing business, Matthew amassed a large fortune. Much of his wealth he contributed to Baptist work, including the construction of a new house of worship for his congregation, the First Baptist Church of Poughkeepsie.
The bulk of his fortune, however, Vassar determined to devote to the higher education of women. One month after incorporating Vassar College, Vassar assembled his handpicked board of trustees and transferred $400,000 to them.
Many of the original 28 members of Vassar’s board of trustees were Baptists, including educators with backgrounds at Rochester Theological Seminary, Newton Theological Institute and Brown University. Among the trustees were Rufus Babcock (president of the American Baptist Publication Society) and Ira Harris (United States Senator). Milo P. Jewett, former publisher of the Alabama Baptist, was also a founding trustee and served as the school’s first president. Succeeding Jewett as president was founding trustee, Baptist educator and devoted abolitionist John H. Raymond.
While incorporated in January 1861, Vassar College did not open its doors until the fall of 1865, months after the Civil War ended. Today, Vassar is a coeducational institution of roughly 2,500 students (link).
Sources: Matthew Vassar Biography and A Brief Guide to Vassar’s Charter Trustees.
