Towards the end of the war, the men began to solicit funds to accomplish this dream. With some donating as much as a year’s salary to the cause, they were able to collect more than $6000. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of a school that they located in Jefferson City, Missouri, and named Lincoln Institute. Richard Baxter Foster, a former 1st Lieutenant in the 62nd Infantry, became the first principal of the newly established institution. On September 17, 1866 in an old frame building in Jefferson City the school opened its doors to the very first class. In 1870, Lincoln Institute received a $5000 appropriation from the state of Missouri for teacher training. College level work was added to the curriculum in 1877.