The dream of establishing a college in Ashland grew among members of the German Brethren Church. In March 1877, a meeting at Maple Grove Brethren Church considered creating a college in Ashland, and a town meeting in June led residents to agree to help raise $10,000 for it. On February 20, 1878, the charter and by-laws were approved and the campus site was chosen. Ashland College opened in 1879 with two buildings, eight faculty, and 60 students, and in 1881 four male students made up the first graduating class. The college's athletes, once known as the Titans, became the Eagles in 1933. Purple and gold had been the school colors since 1900, and eagle statues became the institution's most visible tradition. These statues, once the official mascot of the J.I. Case Co., began appearing on campus in 1941 with the arrival of Louise, which stood in front of Old Founders Hall until the building burned down. Additional statues, taken by students at night, arrived over the next two decades from as far away as Illinois and Pennsylvania. In 1965, the Case Company donated the 20-foot eagle that had stood at its Columbus headquarters, and Old Abe now greets visitors at the Physical Education Center alongside 20 smaller, personalized eagles.