Blackburn College established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn, a Presbyterian minister who helped raise funds for the school. By 1855, instruction began at the college. Within two years (1857), the school was chartered as Blackburn Theological Seminary, and the first unit of University Hall was erected. By 1862, several buildings had been developed for study on campus including space for the "Blackburn Academy" an organization for a campus grade and high school. From 1837 until 1864, the school only admitted male students. During 1864, the first woman attended Blackburn, and thus radicalized the movement of admitting female students. In 1864, the school had also been recognized and established as a four-year institution.
