The First State Convention of Baptists was held in Atchinson in June 1860. The suggestion was made at to the Convention that the Ottawa Indians might endow a land grant for the creation of Roger Williams University, the charter of which was approved on February 27, 1860. In October 1860, the Territorial Legislature convened at Lecompton and were ready to petition to charter Roger Williams University, locating one acre of ground to the university along with tax exemption. The university would grant degrees in liberal arts, science, medicine, law and theology.
References
Haworth, B. Smith. (1957). Ottawa University: its history and its spirit. Ottawa: Ottawa University.
LePage, Samuel. M. (1929). Ottawa University: a short history. Ottawa: Ottawa University.