▁college ▁and ▁conserv atory ▁of ▁music ▁in ▁App leton , ▁Wisconsin . ▁F ounded ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁the ▁school ▁held ▁its ▁first ▁classes ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁Lawrence ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁college ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁be ▁founded ▁as ▁a ▁co ed uc ational ▁institution . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁study ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Science ▁Foundation , ▁Lawrence ▁ranked ▁ 2 8 th ▁nation ally ▁in ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁gradu ates ▁who ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁ear n ▁doctor ates ▁in ▁science ▁and ▁engineering . ▁Lawrence ▁is ▁consist ently ▁ranked ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁tier ▁of ▁national ▁liberal ▁arts ▁colleg es ▁by ▁U . S . ▁News ▁& ▁World ▁Report . ▁ ▁History ▁Lawrence ' s ▁first ▁president , ▁William ▁H ark ness ▁Sam pson , ▁founded ▁the ▁school ▁with ▁Henry ▁R . ▁Col man , ▁using ▁$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁provided ▁by ▁phil anth rop ist ▁Am os ▁Adams ▁Lawrence , ▁and ▁matched ▁by ▁the ▁Method ist ▁church . ▁Both ▁found ers ▁were ▁ord ained ▁Method ist ▁minister s , ▁but ▁Lawrence ▁was ▁Epis cop al ian . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁originally ▁named ▁Lawrence ▁Institute ▁of ▁Wisconsin ▁in ▁its ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁char ter ▁from ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Territ orial ▁Legisl ature , ▁but ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Lawrence ▁University ▁before ▁classes ▁began ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁ ▁Its ▁oldest ▁ext ant ▁building , ▁Main ▁Hall , ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8