Macalester College was founded by Rev. Dr. Edward Duffield Neill in 1874 with help from the Presbyterian Church in Minnesota.
Edward had served as a chaplain in the Civil War and traveled to Minnesota Territory in 1849.
He became connected politically and socially.
He went on to found two local churches, was appointed the first Chancellor of the University of Minnesota and later became the first superintendent of public education for the state.
In leaving the University of Minnesota Board of Regents he desired to build a religious college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church that would also be open to other Christian church members
The original name of the college was called the Baldwin College and was affiliated with a Presbyterian secondary school called the Baldwin School.
Due to a large donation from Charles Macalester, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia, the institution was renamed Macalester College.
Charles donated a hotel called the Winslow House as the first permanent building to hold classes in.
With additional funding from the Presbyterian Church and from the new College's trustees, Macalester opened for collegiate courses in 1885 with five teachers, six freshmen, and 52 preparatory students.

In 1887 James Wallace joined the faculty and later became President.
He helped to stabilize the finances of the college and later advance the institution.
 During this time, Macalester created a focus on a liberal arts curriculum.

In fall 2008 Macalester publicly launched a $150 million campaign.
In 2009, construction was completed on Markim Hall, a new home for the Institute for Global Citizenship.
Plans called for the building to qualify for Platinum certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, a building rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council that evaluates the sustainability and environmental impact of structures across the nation.
In fall 2012, Macalester opened its renovated and expanded Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center.
Macalester College was founded by Rev. Dr. Edward Duffield Neill in 1874 with help from the Presbyterian Church in Minnesota. Edward had served as a chaplain in the Civil War and traveled to Minnesota Territory in 1849. He became connected politically and socially. He went on to found two local churches, was appointed the first Chancellor of the University of Minnesota and later became the first superintendent of public education for the state. In leaving the University of Minnesota Board of Regents he desired to build a religious college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church that would also be open to other Christian church members
The original name of the college was called the Baldwin College and was affiliated with a Presbyterian secondary school called the Baldwin School. Due to a large donation from Charles Macalester, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia, the institution was renamed Macalester College. Charles donated a hotel called the Winslow House as the first permanent building to hold classes in. With additional funding from the Presbyterian Church and from the new College's trustees, Macalester opened for collegiate courses in 1885 with five teachers, six freshmen, and 52 preparatory students.
In 1887 James Wallace joined the faculty and later became President. He helped to stabilize the finances of the college and later advance the institution.  During this time, Macalester created a focus on a liberal arts curriculum.
In fall 2008 Macalester publicly launched a $150 million campaign. In 2009, construction was completed on Markim Hall, a new home for the Institute for Global Citizenship. Plans called for the building to qualify for Platinum certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, a building rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council that evaluates the sustainability and environmental impact of structures across the nation. In fall 2012, Macalester opened its renovated and expanded Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center.
Macalester College