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Pastor Jasper Newton Field (1855-1929) presented the American Baptist Convention with a proposal made by the citizenry of Redlands, that they would provide 40 acres of land and $100,000 if it would raise a matching sum (between $240,000 to 500,000) and locate a university in their citrus-growing town, founded in 1888. The convention, seeking to create a stable learning center in fast-growing Southern CA, accepted Field's proposal. Because of his powers of persuasion and ability to lead, Field was chosen as the University of Redlands' first President. The convention commissioned Los Angeles architect Norman F. Marsh (1871-1955) in 1907 to lay out the campus plan and design several original buildings. Marsh had experience designing both schools and Baptist churches and would have been a natural choice for the church. Classes began 09/30/1909, but not on the unfinished campus but in the Redlands Baptist Church. At the opening of the school's campus on 01/27/1910, Marsh had completed three buildings, Administration Building, Bekins Hall and the President's House.

PCAD id: 18938