 Still working to send part of the grant to the Agricultural College , on September 25 , 1864 , in Rochester , New York , Cornell announced his offer to donate $ 300 @,@ 000 ( soon thereafter increased to $ 500 @,@ 000 ) if part of the land grant could be secured and the trustees moved the college to Ithaca . White did not relent ; however , he said he would support a similar measure that did not split up the grant . Thus began the collaboration between Ezra Cornell and Andrew D. White that became Cornell University . 
