The Hartford Seminary saw its beginning in 1833 when a group of Congregational ministers formed the Pastoral Union of Connecticut to train ministerial leadership for the churches. Its evolution over the years brought it to a restructure of its program to phase out pre-ordination education and focus upon the leadership development of laity and clergy; educational outreach; parish research; and Islamic and Christian-Muslim relations. In 1990 the Hartford Seminary became the first nondenominational theological institution in North America to name a female president.