Founded in 1863 by two Americans, philanthropist Christopher Rhinelander Robert and Cyrus Hamlin, to offer an "American style" education under the Ottoman Empire, Robert College has been in operation longer than any other American-sponsored school outside the United States. The school and its sister institution, The American College for Girls (founded in 1871) have over the years educated many of Turkey's leading citizens since the Republic was founded in 1923, including two Prime Ministers, many cabinet-level ministers, ambassadors, and leaders in medicine, law, business and the arts.