On May 31, 1850, nine individuals gathered to begin planning a university that would serve the Northwest region.
In 1853, the Methodist Episcopal Church purchased a 379-hectare plot of land on the shores of Lake Michigan, 12 miles north of Chicago. They established a campus and developed the nearby land, naming the surrounding town Evanston to honor one of the university's founders, John Evans.
After the first building was completed in 1855, Northwestern University started classes in the fall, with a staff of two educators and ten students.
The Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the main denominations of Protestantism, founded by the Wesley brothers, who broke away from the Anglican Church to establish their own.
President Menase and others personally greeted Zhu Wencong and his companions at the school gate, all wearing expressions of deep respect.
Zhu Wencong's fame, now at its zenith, had made him a household name in America and the only god for the poor.
