Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands visited Calvin University in West Michigan on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. Her visit began at Heritage Hall, which houses one of the largest collections documenting migration from the Netherlands to the United States. Princess Laurentien then planted a red oak tree in front of the DeWit Mansion, near the spot where the Queen of the Netherlands had planted a tree years earlier.
The university was founded by the Christian Reformed Church just 19 years after the denomination had been established by Dutch Calvinist settlers from the Netherlands. In the 1840s, Calvinist immigrants seeking greater religious freedom migrated to West Michigan. As of 2010, 5.1% of Michiganders were of Dutch descent.
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