Founding of Jefferson Seminary
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Founding of Jefferson Seminary. April 3, 1798, is the university's symbolic founding date. On this date, eight Louisvillians pledged financial support for a new school. The 1798 benefactors were: William Croghan, Alexander S. Bullitt, James Meriwether, John Thruston, Henry Churchill, Richard Anderson, William Taylor, and John Thompson. (Reverse) Founding of Jefferson Seminary - From this commitment to higher education came Jefferson Seminary, which evolved into University of Louisville. The Louisville Medical Institute opened 1837; merged in 1846 with Louisville College, an outgrowth of Jefferson Seminary. A law school was added, and the new entity named the University of Louisville in 1846.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
On April 3, 1798, eight Louisville citizens pledged financial support for a new school, a commitment the University of Louisville still treats as its symbolic founding. That pledge produced Jefferson Seminary, which fed into the Louisville College and the Louisville Medical Institute of 1837. In 1846 these strands merged into the newly named University of Louisville, soon adding a law school.
Why it matters
This modest 1798 subscription seeded one of the nation's oldest city-supported universities, part of the early republic's faith that a self-governing people needed higher education.
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Related people
- · William Croghan
- · Alexander S. Bullitt
- · James Meriwether
- · Richard Anderson
Themes & tags
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