Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-08-13
THE OHIO STATE
l-1-19
Brief History of Ohio's University
Fifty Years of Educational Elf
cheney.

fiftieth anniversary of the institu-
TONS founding. Some of worlds !
foremost educators, State officials
and citizens CT Ohio will join in the
Golden Jubilee party which is being
planned on an extensive scale to
pay fitting tribute to States first
half century Of service in the field
of higher learning.
Governor James M. Cox will for
merly launch the celebration on We'd
nesday evening October 13, with an
address welcoming visitors on behalf
of the State. President William Ok
ley Thompson will give the welcom-
ing address for the University, after
which there will be a reception that
will eclipse in MAGNITUDE any pre-
vicus function in the history of the,
inst tuition,
Interesting features for the last
three days of the week are being
arranged by Alumni, Faculty and
Undergraduate Committees. One of
these will. be an allegorical pageant
depicting the founding and grown
Of the University, in which several
/ thousand young nTen and women will
participate.
Founded on October 13 1870
Ohio State University was founded
on October 13. 1870 when. following
the organization of the first Beard
| of Trustees several months previous
the location of the college was fixed.
1 This was a period in the life of the
c.untrv when science had come into
it, own and with if the technical
Lc~ o,,I
monselv wide reach Of knowledge to
/ the whole business of living.
| The necessity of the institution was
proposed about 1867 by the Hon.
RAJ 'ph Leete, of Ironton, who wrote
an article in which he stated that
''The State should resume control of
the educational trusts of Ohio Uni
/ versity and of Miami University and
uniting their funds with those deriv-
ed from the agricultural grants pro-
vided by the State for higher educa-
tioDal purposes, found a new ard
broad university, creditable 70 the
State. where Agriculture, the Me-
! chan'cal Arts and other Arts and
brs rches of Science as we'll be taught
This was opposed by both the univer-
sites in question ana many of the
denominaticnal schools. together with
prominent citizers of other states.
Urdaunted by this opposition. how
ever, the University Charter" was
! granted by the Legislature through
the passage of the Cannon Act on
!. March %, 1870 and on May II of
that year the first Board of Trustees
was organized. The ten years a.
| for the erection of a university, pro-
vided by the Morrill, Act which pass
! ed CONGRESS- on July 2, 1862. and
whose grant for OHIO was accepted
by the General Assembly on February
:, 8, 1864 would have expired in 1872.
Columbus Then Small Town
: The University was located in what
was then considered the country be-
yound the town of Columbus. Few
, homes were built north of the
: Union station and the Campus was
connected with the town proper by
; one road known as Worthington Pike.
| Workmen were still in University
Hall, now the Administration build
ing, when the institution opened it's
i doors as the Ohio Agricultural and
/; Mechanical College to a student body
of seventeen members on September
> IT, 1878.
> Josph Sullivan, one of the trustees
drew the plan for the basis of study
; to be pursued. The first Faculty OF
. seven members filed the following
:, chairE Geology, Physics and Mech
; anics. General and Applied Chemis
try, English and Modern Languages
Agriculture, Mathematics, Zoology
; and Ancient Languages.
E. DIR Ortop First President
IL DIR. Edward H. Orton, Phi. D., wht
had been drawn from Antioch Collier
: primarily to teach Geology was elect
!, ed first President Of the University
= Serving with him were: T. G. Men
6 denhall, Ii D., professor of Physics
- - Sidney A. Norton, Ii D.. Profess D
- of Chemistry; joseph Milliken, A. M
Professor of Modern Languages; n
&c s Townsend NJ D., Professor o
~ Agriculture. R. W. Mcfarland, 4
NJ Professor of Mathematics an
,. Civil Engineering: and j. H. Wright
~ A. NJ. Assistant Professor of Ancieu
ie LANGUAGES.
In 1873 the Institutions name wa
changed to the Ohio State Universit
because Of a strong statement mad
by President Orton stressing to tn
importance of avoiding a misrepr,
r. sentation of the school by its nam
Mt He declared that h7 the name Oh
Agricultural and Mechanical Co
lege, peonle were led TO believe tn;
Irt only Agriculture and Mechanics we
es. taught when the curriculum a"+1al
consisted of many more branches
study
Six men COMPRISED the first Grad
- ating class which received its d
4 grees on June 10. 1878 Bv n
time the UNIVERSITY had increased
buildings from .cre to three i+s st
dont enrolment from seventeen
three h17ndrag and nine and
Faculty. from seven to tve'va.
DIR. W o. Scott Pn"omes Praeida
DR. Orton res 'gned as Preside
with the CONCLUSION Of the kolfe,
vear of 1877 78 but at the parne
solicitation of the trustees retain
the nos'tion until June 81 1891 VIII
Dr. Walter Q. Scott was elected
succeed him.
When the second President assu
L tu u HlIOl u IllC OUiN6ESlbN-
particular place in the fe of hiof
education for which the institu4:
was fitted had been found. 1t
attained firm nosition as an ag
cultural and meohaniral col'epa 2
afforded superior facilities and {
vantages in the arts and sc enc
President Ortnn's successor rema
ed in charge for year onIY. no
ever. His eerlv resignati IN she
the 'ovalitv of the students end ST:
faced what was probably the m
critical period Of IFS career 7
school was left without powert
guiding hand at time when extel
Cd temporary stagnation mei
disaster.
First Great Crisis Passed
The crisis nassed with the elect
of the Rev. William H. Scot. Ii
Of Ohio University, IN the Pr&sidel
on June 21, 1893. DR.. Wi1liam
7. Scott was succeeded on Anril 10. :!