On Oct. 1, 1891, Stanford University opened its doors after six years of planning and building on land acquired by former California Governor Leland Stanford, a lawyer, pioneeer and entrepreneur who was inspired by the Ivy League schools. In addition to land, the Jane Stanford, Leland’s wife who succeeded him after his death in 1893, provided a $11 million endowment to support the construction of the new university.

The first student body consisted of 555 men and women, and the original faculty of 15 was expanded to 49 for the second year. The universityﾒs first president was David Starr Jordan, a graduate of Cornell, who left his post as president of Indiana University to join the adventure out West.