Religious Figure, Educator. He was the co-founder of Oberlin College in Ohio and founder of Olivet College in Michigan in the early 19th century. From their beginnings, these institutions were dedicated to the ideals of education for all, regardless of gender, race, or ability to pay and to work for the betterment of the community. This was done in pre-Civil War America, where it was against the law to teach slaves in some states in the South. Oberlin College became the first co-educational college in the United States. Born the son of United States Congressman Zebulon Rudd Shipherd, his education was carefully planned in private schools to prepare him for college. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont for a short time. Before entering college, he had a confessed religious realization. In February of 1822, he accidently took potassium nitrate, which had a toxic effect, damaging his vision and the lining of his stomach. With his loss in vision, he left his studies at college. In 1824 he married Esther Raymond, and after his marble business failed and their infant daughter died, he decided to enter the ministry. After beginning theological studies, he had to hire a person to read the text. Like his father, he was a close follower of the Presbyterian minister, Charles Grandison Finney. At one point, Finney requested him to be his assistant, but that was not his calling. He began ministry work in Vermont, establishing Sunday Schools. In 1830, he received an honorary degree from Middlebury College in recognition of this work. With churches needed in the west, Shipherd was installed as pastor in Elyria, Ohio in February of 1831 and held many revivals. In October of 1832, he resigned as the church's pastor and after funding had been acquired, he and Philo P. Stewart traveled for eight months into the frontier with the goal of establishing a college that could church ministers in the west. In September of 1833, his wife and four sons joined him at the Oberlin colony. In a primitive building, college classes began in December of 1833 and the college was incorporated in March of 1834. He began the Congregational Church of Christ at Oberlin, which was organized in September of 1834. In June of 1836, he resigned as pastor due to ill health but had plans for more educational facilities in the west. After several failed attempts from the lack of promised funding, in November of 1843, he started Olivet College in a log cabin in Eaton County, Michigan. By early 1844, 39 missionaries, including Oberlin faculty, students, and alumni came to Michigan to start the second co-educational college in the United States. A colony was established at the site with new cabins, grit mills, and crops planted. An epidemic of Malaria ran through the colony with most becoming ill. Shipherd became sick with Malaria and died on September 16, 1844.