Episode 1 of 2
Official Establishment
- When
- 1 February 1842
- Where
- Area that was to become the site of Salem, Oregon Country
The Oregon Institute was officially established on February 1, 1842, following meetings in Jason Lee's home where by-laws were adopted and trustees elected.
The establishment occurred in the area that was to become the site of Salem, in what was then the Oregon Country. Jason Lee, who had arrived in the Oregon Country in 1834, founded the college as the Oregon Institute. It was an unaffiliated outgrowth of the Methodist Mission, officially established on February 1, 1842, after by-laws were adopted and a board of trustees elected in his home.
Sources
- Willamette University Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-23
- Salem, Oregon Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.