History Lake Forest College

young hall, tallest building in city of lake forest, houses of humanities departments on campus

lake forest college founded in 1857 reverend robert w. patterson presbyterian alternative methodist northwestern university in evanston. named lind university after sylvester lind, had given $80,000 launch school. patterson , fellow chicago presbyterians established town of lake forest , university halfway between evanston , waukegan 2 years after chicago , milwaukee railway began service chicago. hired st. louis landscape architect almerin hotchkiss design town of lake forest university park @ center. hotchkiss used area s wooded ravines , forest guidelines plat park-like, curvilinear layout town.

lake forest academy, boys preparatory school , first project of university, began offering classes in 1858; collegiate-level courses began in 1860. mid-1860s, small new england-style village had been established academy building, presbyterian church , several homes. school had medical college 1859–1863, later split off , became part of northwestern university, known northwestern university feinberg school of medicine.

in 1865, name became lake forest university. in 1869 ferry hall, girls preparatory school , junior college, opened division of university. later merged lake forest academy in 1974.

in 1876 mary eveline smith farwell started lake forest college, coeducational division of university, under leadership of reverend patterson. in 1878, college hall (now young hall) built following fire destroyed former hotel being used classes.

the reverend james gore king mcclure arrived in lake forest in 1881 pastor of presbyterian church. under influence on next 50 years, college experienced large transition pluralistic graduate , professional emphasis singular undergraduate liberal arts focus, says lake forest college archivist art miller, co-wrote 30 miles north: history of lake forest college, town, , city of chicago. during time, college s theater group, garrick players, yearbook, , student newspaper, stentor, formed.

in 1890 lake forest established relationship chicago college of dental surgery, chicago s first dental school, serve dental department. affiliation ended in 1902.

the lake forest school of music opened division of university in 1916, incorporating , extending courses in music hitherto given in other departments. summer school of landscape architecture instituted in 1916.

by 1925, lake forest college split lake forest academy, , school s focus on undergraduate liberal arts. following world war ii, college experienced further growth, taking control of south campus , constructing alumni memorial fieldhouse.

in 1960, william graham cole, williams college, took on president , brought him eastern faculty , students, further diversifying campus. during time president, in 1965, school s name officially changed lake forest college. in march 2010, college received $7 million alumna grace groner.