James Wallace
Irish-American benefactor
About James Wallace
Lived 1821 – 1885 (aged 64). James Wallace was an American.
James Wallace (8 April 1821 – 22 July 1885) was an Irish-American benefactor, best known for his major donations that led to the founding of German Wallace College (1864–1913) and the present Baldwin Wallace University.
Life Wallace was born in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, Ireland and died in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, US.
He arrived in the US in 1846. He became a wealthy businessman, operating a stone quarry in Berea, Ohio. In the 1850s, he gave land and money to the Baldwin Institute to fund the education of the local German workforce and establish teaching in German. The German department at the Baldwin Institute subsequently became the German Wallace College in 1866.
Wallace was the third mayor of Berea, Ohio (1853–54), and has been awarded a "Grindstone Heritage Award" by the town.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped James Wallace's
Frequently asked questions
Who was James Wallace?
Irish-American benefactor
When was James Wallace born?
James Wallace was born on 8 April 1821.
When did James Wallace die?
James Wallace died on 22 July 1885.
What nationality was James Wallace?
James Wallace was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: James Wallace (benefactor)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Wallace. https://biography.guide/james-wallace-1821/
MLA: "James Wallace." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-wallace-1821/.
Chicago: "James Wallace." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-wallace-1821/.
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