"Davenport University debuted in Grand Rapids in 1866, just 16 years after the city was incorporated. Following many decades of growth and transformation, Davenport has become a leading institution of higher education with campuses across the state of Michigan helping students achieve their career goals in business, technology and health professions.
Founded as Grand Rapids Business College by Conrad G. Swensburg, a Union Army veteran fresh out of service following the Civil War, the college held its first classes on Jan. 25, 1866, with 16 students registered for courses in bookkeeping, penmanship, business law and arithmetic – the standard office skills of the day."
