Both the college and the town of…
September 1833 CE
Both the college and the town of Oberlin are founded in 1833 by a pair of abolitionist Congregational Christian ministers, John Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart, whose vision is for both a religious community and school.
The ministers name their project after Jean-Frédéric Oberlin, an Alsatian minister whom they both admire.
The college, founded on September 2, is built on five hundred acres (two square kilometers) of land specifically donated by the previous owner, who lives in Connecticut.
The motto of the new college is "Learning and Labor.”
The words are taken literally: tuition at Oberlin College is free, but students are expected to contribute by helping to build and sustain the community.