In 1869, John Purdue donated a large sum of money to build a university in his hometown of West Lafayette. What has grown from that original school has become one of the most influential universities in the country, with one of the best aeronautical engineering programs in the world. Its Spaceflight Technology program has delivered 22 astronauts, more than any other university. Purdue is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university that has more than 200 areas of study.

The Purdue Boilermakers football team is a founding member of the Big 10 Conference. The football program began in 1891 as the “Purdue Eleven.” After soundly beating a rival team 44-0, the town newspaper of the losing team decided to insult the “burly” football players from Purdue by naming them “boiler makers.” The name became a source of great pride, and Purdue has continued to dominate in college sports, winning 78 conference championships. Purdue has produced several successful NFL players, including Drew Brees, Jim Everett, Bob Griese, and Len Dawson.

West Lafayette is located along the Wabash River in Indiana. Wabash Landing is the main commercial area. It is home to a variety of shops and restaurants in addition to a brewhouse, a skating center, and a movie theater. Purdue Research Park is located just north of the university and is home to several major companies.