The college was envisioned by Henry Carter, and launched with the help of W.P. Cunningham, Leroy Jackson and Dr. W.L. Roberts in 1859. All of whom settled in the area from the eastern United States and sought to model the school after schools of familiarity, such as Harvard. During this time people of means in Iowa sent their children out of state for higher education and finishing schools. They took it upon themselves to change this and started one of the first colleges in Iowa. They started fund raising and received a boost from Chicago businessman Chancy Bowen, agreeing to name the college The Bowen Collegiate Institute. The name was changed to Lenox Collegiate Institute in October 1864 and to Lenox College in 1884, after a donation from James Lenox. Lenox, one of the most wealthy men in New York, was known for his avid collecting of rare books and for founding the first library in New York City. The college went through many changes in these years as it grew. Buildings were expanded and added, including a girls dormitory. The college was one of the first co-educational schools in the country. The college would attract many students from across the country and Europe. In the beginning the school had an emphasis in Medicine, Law, and Political Science. Over the years as buildings were added, so were additional courses. Some majors offered by the college include, Literary Arts, Societies, as well as a revolutionary Agricultural Sciences course that they developed in partnership with Iowa State University. The college also had the first YMCA west of the Mississippi which would inspire athletics. It would play host to spirited debate and revolutionary ideas despite operating under strict adherence to the social rules of the day. This environment created alumni that would go on to help shape the country. After the impact of three wars, the college's operations trickled to a halt in 1944, an effort to reopen in 1946 was short lived. The college got new life as a high school when it was donated to the community. Next, it would operate as an elementary to the children of Hopkinton and surrounding areas, for over 30 years children of the community created memories and treasured stories here. Many reminisce about growing up in this beautiful school with it's amazing architecture and four acre play ground.
