Founders' Day

Join us in celebrating Rio's Founder's Day through our 36-hour Day of Giving Campaign by making gifts to support one of five projects across campus.

Founders' Day of Giving | University of Rio Grande

Rio's history traces back to Nehemiah and Permelia Atwood, who were inspired by Ira Haning, a Free Will Baptist minister, to invest in creating a college in southern Ohio. After Nehemiah's passing in 1869, Permelia Atwood took on the mission to bring this vision to life. In 1873, she established an endowment and donated 10 acres of land to found Rio Grande College, which officially opened on September 13, 1876 - which is officially known as Rio's Founders' Day.