On October 9, 1701, a group of ministers created what would become Yale University in Connecticut. The school was originally founded to train clergy in the Puritan tradition. Over time, it expanded into a broader institution of higher learning with programs in law, science, the arts, and other fields. Yale became one of the leading universities in the United States and joined Harvard and Princeton as an Ivy League school. It produced many political leaders, judges, writers, and scientists. The school helped shape intellectual and public life in the United States for centuries.
