Albion College

Methodists obtained a charter for Spring Arbor Seminary from the Territorial Council of Michigan in March 1835. Later the institution was established in Albion on land donated by Jesse Crowell, a leading Albion pioneer and benefactor. In 1841 the cornerstone was laid for the first building, and in 1843 the institution opened as the Wesleyan Seminary. In 1861 the power to confer degrees was obtained and the school named Albion College. Support from the Methodist church, a large endowment, and private sources have contributed to its growth as a strong liberal arts college.