Ranken Technical College was founded in 1907 by David Ranken, Jr., as a private, non-profit educational institution to train students for employment in a variety of technical and mechanical occupations. Established with a foundation deed of more than $1 million dollars, Ranken began its first academic year in September 1909. David Ranken later added his entire fortune to the school’s endowment (at that time the largest charitable donation in St. Louis history) which, since then, has contributed to the substantial growth of the college and helped to reduce annual operating costs and tuition. Today, Ranken’s endowment fund significantly supplements the cost of students’ education.