Normal College (later Indiana State University), partly to relieve some of the pressure. To make Tippecanoe County stand out, various locals stepped up with offers of land and money. By 1869, Tippecanoe's bid was up to nearly $400,000 in cash, land, and bonds, but the legislature still stalled. Then, Purdue stepped forth with $100,000 of his personal wealth. His only conditions were for the college to be located in Battle Ground and for his surname to be associated with it. After some more negotiations, when the name of the university was chosen and he was added to the board of trustees, Purdue's donations were raised to $150,000 (equivalent to $2.9 million in 2019) and of land. The negotiations also allowed the new board of trustees to choose the site of the university and on May 6, 1869, the General Assembly established the institution in Tippecanoe County as Purdue University. Classes began at Purdue on September 16, 1874, with six instructors and 39 students. Death He died of an apparent stroke on September 12, 1876, aged 73, on the first day of classes of the third academic year at the university he had helped found. Purdue's grave is located on the university's main campus. A bachelor, he had no heirs so his estate was tied up in litigation for years after his death. References Citations Sources Kriebel, Robert C. The Midas of the Wabash: A biography of John Purdue. Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2002. Lafayette Savings Bank Scott, Irena McCammon. Uncle: My Journey with John Purdue. Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2008. External links John Purdue online exhibit, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Purdue University Businesspeople from Indiana Philanthropists from Indiana People from Lafayette, Indiana People from Ross County, Ohio People from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania 1802 births 1876 deaths 19th-century American philanthropists 19th-century American businesspeople