Northwestern University founded in Illinois

Background. The foundation of Northwestern University traces to a meeting on May 31, 1850, of nine prominent Chicago businessmen, Methodist leaders, and attorneys who had formed the idea of establishing a university to serve what had been known from 1787 to 1803 as the Northwest Territory. Although they affiliated the university with the Methodist Episcopal Church, they favored a non-sectarian admissions policy, believing Northwestern should serve all people in the newly developing territory by bettering the economy in Evanston.

Charter and Establishment. On January 28, 1851, the Illinois General Assembly granted a charter to the Trustees of the North-Western University. This made it the first chartered university in Illinois. The charter included an exemption from property taxes, a provision that distinguishes it from other private universities with statutory exemptions.

Evanston Development. Evanston, Illinois, is home to Northwestern University, which was founded in 1851 before the city's incorporation. John Evans bought 379 acres of land along Lake Michigan in 1853, and Philo Judson developed plans for what would become the city. In 1854, the founders of Northwestern submitted plans to the county judge for a city named Evanston after John Evans, one of their leaders.