Which university was established first, Vanderbilt University or Bowdoin College?
Vanderbilt University:  Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the South. Bowdoin College: Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine. Bowdoin College:  At the time Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Bowdoin College