The first president of Beloit was a Yale graduate named Aaron Lucius Chapin, who
served as president from December of 1849 until 1886,
under whose direction the college became widely known for scholastic achievement, and for its willingness to experiment with new
curricular approaches. The college remained very small for almost its entire first century, with the enrollment only topping
1,000 students with the influx of World War II veterans in 1945-1946. In 1964, the
college unveiled the "Beloit Plan", an entirely new approach to the school year which emphasized year-round education -- this
brought increased national attention to the college.Among Beloit's more notable alumni are Roy Chapman
Andrews, Robert Lee Morris, and Lorine Niedecker. Teresa Heinz Kerry holds an honorary
doctorate from Beloit College.