Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Vice President for Business and Finance

Both Northwestern University's Evanston Campus and the city of Evanston originated with the purchase of 379 acres from John H. Foster by the University's Trustees in 1853. Over the next twelve years the University opened its doors, the village of Evanston was platted, recorded and incorporated, and the University acquired additional real estate holdings. The Trustees purchased the Billings, Robinson, and Snyder farms and were made a gift of lands owned by Orrington Lunt. These holdings made Northwestern the largest land owner in and around Evanston.

The early Trustees, most notably Dr. John Evans, foresaw the growth of the area around the new university and urged that, although Northwestern needed the funds from real estate sales, there should be a portion of the holdings reserved from sale as a long term investment. These lands were to be leased to provide income while the property appreciated and the University's assets grew. This policy was followed well into the twentieth century.

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