John Mahelm Berry Sill was born on October 23, 1831 in Black Rock, New York. In 1836 the Sill family relocated to Jonesville, Michigan, where Sill attended the district school and worked on the family farm. Sill's mother and father passed away in 1842, and for the next few years Sill worked on neighboring farms while attending school. In 1847, Sill founded the first Union School in Michigan with A.S. Welch; when the Michigan State Normal College was established, Welch was appointed the first principal, and Sill transferred with him to serve as assistant and continue his studies. Sill was one of the three persons who composed the first graduating class of 1854; Sill then took charge of the MSNC Department of English and the Model School. In 1863, Sill was appointed as the first Superintendent of the Detroit public schools. After two years, Sill resigned and accepted a position as head of the Detroit Female Seminary, a position he held for ten years. Finally, in 1886, Sill was elected as principal of the MSNC. Sill resigned in 1893 and was appointed as the Minister to Korea by the United States Department of State.