John Purdue (; October 31, 1802 – September 12, 1876) was a wealthy American industrialist in Lafayette, Indiana, and the primary original benefactor of Purdue University. Early life Most details of Purdue's early life were either not recorded or lost. He was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, to Charles and Mary Short Purdue. He had eight sisters and no brothers. Sometime after 1813 (possibly as late as 1823), the family moved to Ross County, Ohio. During the move, the second oldest daughter, Nancy, died, and shortly after the move, his father died. Shortly thereafter John was apprenticed to an Adelphi merchant, and his mother and at least a few of his sisters moved north and settled near Westerville, Ohio. Teacher From 1823 to 1831, he was a school teacher around Ohio and in Michigan. Businessman As stated in the 1979 Marion County History Book, on March 13, 1831, he bought a farm in Salt Rock Township in Marion County, Ohio. He sold the same on August 20, 1832, at a profit. He derived additional gain from collecting a commission in taking his neighbor's hogs to market. Purdue developed a farm products brokerage that covered the Adelphi, Worthington and Columbus area. In 1833, he and Moses Fowler opened a general merchandise store in Adelphi. On December 9, 1834, Purdue purchased of land in Indiana from Jesse Spencer for $850 which he partially paid for in store goods. The land that he bought lies northeast of the intersection of Creasy Lane and McCarty Lane in Lafayette, Indiana. In 1838 or 1839, Purdue and Fowler liquidated their Ohio holdings and permanently moved to Lafayette. Once there, they opened a dry goods business on the courthouse square. Purdue continued to gain wealth and prestige over the next several years. Most accounts show a man devoted to leading a good civic life, donating time, money, and expertise to various local projects including a bridge over the Wabash River, a railroad from Lafayette to Indianapolis and serving on various boards. In 1844, Fowler and Purdue ended their association. In 1847, a group of five merchants, including Purdue, completed a wooden toll bridge across the Wabash. On October 20, 1852, Purdue and four others were appointed as the first trustees of the new Lafayette City Public School. While various tax-related lawsuits crippled the new statewide public school budget, Purdue and others privately helped keep Lafayette's afloat. By