Mercer University was founded in 1833 by the Georgia Baptist Convention to train Southern clergy. By the time the institution opened, state Baptist leaders, had broadened the college’s original vision to include any students desiring formal higher education. There were 39 students enrolled in that first class, only seven of whom were ministerial students. During the Civil War, Mercer University managed to stay afloat, unlike so many other institutions. However, the war took its toll and Mercer emerged impoverished and barely functional. In 1870, the university was relocated from Penfield to Macon. Discussions about the relocation began before the war and were resumed soon afterwards due to the college’s dire financial situation resulting from the war.