Lawrence University is celebrating 175 years since its founding in 1847.
The private liberal arts college has grown up alongside the city it calls home. Even the names are reflective of a marriage: Lawrence named in honor of founder Amos Lawrence, and Appleton in honor of his wife, Sarah Appleton Lawrence.
It was on January 15, 1847, that Lawrence Institute was granted a charter, one year before Wisconsin became a state and six years before Appleton would be incorporated as a village (later a city). Since then, Lawrence and Appleton have been intertwined, with the university now providing an annual economic impact of more than $70 million as it anchors the eastern edge of the city’s downtown.
The university offers students from Appleton to Auckland, Neenah to Nanjing access to a transformative, world-class education. In addition, it gives local residents free or inexpensive access to a bevy of arts performances, academic interactions and sporting events. Its students frequently partner with nonprofits and public schools across the region for an array of community outreach, and, as anyone visiting campus can attest, it provides gorgeous vistas along the Fox River in all seasons.
Situated on 84 acres, the Lawrence campus now includes 60 instructional, residential, recreational and administrative facilities. It is built on land purchased from the Menominee tribe, the ancestral homelands of the Menominee and Ho-Chunk people.
Lawrence also owns a 441-acre estate, known as Björklunden vid Sjön, located along the shores ofLake Michigan in Door County. It serves as an educational retreat for Lawrence students and is home to a series of popular summer seminars open to the public.
Brilliance from the outset
When Lawrence was founded in 1847, it became one of the first co-educational colleges in the country. In 1874, the Conservatory of Music was established. In 1913, the institution adopted the name Lawrence College to underscore its commitment to undergraduate liberal education. And in 1964, Lawrence again assumed the name Lawrence University when it was consolidated with Milwaukee-Downer College for Women.
Lawrence today remains what it has been for much of its history — an undergraduate college of the liberal arts and sciences with a Conservatory of Music. With an enrollment of nearly 1,500 students, it continues to honor the vision of its founders and build on the heritage of excellence in undergraduate education. It is annually ranked among the nation’s best private colleges, drawing students from nearly every state and 40 countries.
Through the years, Lawrence has educated students who make incredible impacts on the world. Among its alumni: Thomas A. Steitz (1962), the 2009 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry; Louis B. Butler Jr. (1973), the first African American to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court; ABC News journalist Terry Moran (1982); actor Campbell Scott (1983); opera star Heidi Stober (2000); author Madhuri Vijay (2009); and current Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford (2013).
Watch for upcoming announcements of special events to celebrate Lawrence’s 175th anniversary.
711 E. Boldt Way •  Appleton, WI 54911 •  communications@lawrence.edu •  lawrence.edu
