Miami University Miami University ( informally known as Miami , Miami U , Miami of Ohio , and MU ) is a coeducation al public research university located in Oxford , Ohio , United States . Founded in 1809 , although classes were not held until 1824 , it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio , founded four years after Ohio University . In its 2012 edition , " U . S . News & World Report " ranked the university 3rd for best undergraduate teaching at national universities , and 90th in the overall rankings . Forbes also ranked Miami University as 34th among U . S . public universities and 1st among public universities within Ohio . Miami ' s Division I sports teams are called the RedHawks . They compete in the Mid - American Conference in all sports except ice hockey , in which the team is part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . Miami is nicknamed the " Cradle of Coaches " for the star - quality coaches that have trained through its football program and in early 2012 Miami trademarked the phrase . Its men ' s basketball team has appeared in 16 NCAA basketball championships , reaching the Sweet Sixteen four times . Miami ' s ice hockey team finished runner - up in the 2009 national championship game . History . Old Miami . The foundations for Miami University were first laid by an Act of Congress signed by President George Washington , stating that an academy should be located Northwest of the Ohio River in the Miami Valley . The land was located within the Symmes Purchase ; Judge John Cleves Symmes , the owner of the land , purchased the land from the government with the stipulation that he lay aside land for an academy . Congress granted one township to be located in the District of Cincinnati to the Ohio General Assembly for the purposes of building a college , two days after Ohio was granted statehood in 1803 ; if no suitable location could be provided in the Symmes Purchase , Congress pledged to give federal lands to the legislature after a five - year period . The Ohio Legislature appointed three surveyors in August of the same year to search for a suitable township , and they selected a township off of Four Mile Creek . The Legislature passed " An Act to Establish the Miami University " on February 2 , 1809 , and a board of trustees was created by the state ; this is cited as the founding of Miami University . The township originally granted to the university was known as the " College Township " , and was renamed Oxford , Ohio in 1810 . The University temporarily halted construction due to the War of 1812 . Cincinnati tried to move Miami to the city in 1822 and to divert its income to a Cincinnati college , but it failed . Miami created a grammar school in 1818 to teach frontier youth ; but , it was disbanded after five years . Robert Hamilton Bishop , a Presbyterian minister and professor of history , was appointed to be the first President of Miami University in 1824 ; the first day of classes at Miami was on November 1 , 1824 . At its opening , there were twenty students and two faculty members in addition to Bishop . The curriculum included Greek , Latin , Algebra , Geography , and Roman history ; the University offered only a Bachelor of Arts . An " English Scientific Department " was begun in 1825 which studied modern languages , applied mathematics , and political economy as training for more practical professions . It offered a certificate upon completion of coursework , not a full diploma . Miami students purchased a printing press , and in 1827 published their first periodical , " The Literary Focus " . It promptly failed , but it laid the foundation for the weekly " Literary Register " . The current " Miami Student " , founded in 1867 , traces its foundation back to the " Literary Register " and claims to be the oldest college newspaper in the United States . A theological department and a farmer ' s college were formed in 1829 ; the farmer ' s college was not an agricultural school , but a three - year education program for farm boys . William Holmes McGuffey joined the faculty in 1826 , and began his work on the " McGuffey Readers " while in Oxford . By 1834 the faculty had grown to seven professors and enrollment was at 234 students . Alpha Delta Phi opened its chapter at Miami in 1833 , making it the first fraternity chapter West of the Allegheny Mountains . In 1839 , Beta Theta Pi was created ; it was the first fraternity formed at Miami . Eleven students were expelled in 1835 , including one for firing a pistol at another student . McGuffey resigned and became the President of the Cincinnati College , where he urged parents not to send their children to Miami . In 1839 Old Miami reached its enrollment peak , with 250 students from 13 states ; only Harvard , Yale , and Dartmouth were larger . President Bishop resigned in 1840 due to escalating problems in the University , although he remained as a professor through 1844 . He was replaced as President by George Junkin , former President of Lafayette College ; Junkin resigned in 1844 , having proved to be unpopular with students . By 1847 , enrollment had fallen to 137 students . Students in 1848 participated in the " Snowball Rebellion " . Defying the faculty ' s stance against fraternities , students packed Old Main , one of Miami ' s main classrooms and administrative buildings , with snow and reinforced the snow with chairs , benches and desks from the classroom . Those who had participated in the rebellion were expelled from the school and Miami ' s student population was more than halved . By 1873 , enrollment fell further to 87 students . The board of trustees closed the school in 1873 , and leased the campus for a grammar school . The period prior to its closing is referred to as " Old Miami " . New Miami . The university re - opened in 1885 , having paid all of its debts and repaired many of its buildings ; there were forty students in its first year . Enrollment remained under 100 students throughout the 1800s . Miami focused on aspects outside of the classics , including botany , physics , and geology departments . In 1888 , Miami began inter - collegiate football play in a game against the University of Cincinnati . By the early 1900s , the state of Ohio pledged regular financial support for Miami University ; enrollment reached 207 students in 1902 . The Ohio General Assembly passed the Sesse Bill in 1902 , which mandated coeducation for all Ohio public schools . Miami lacked the rooms to fit all of the students expected the next year , and Miami made an arrangement with Oxford College , a women ' s college located in the town , to rent rooms . Miami ' s first African - American student , Nelly Craig , graduated in 1905 . Hepburn Hall , built in 1905 , was the first women ' s dorm at the college ; by 1907 , the enrollment at the University passed 700 students and women made up about a third of the student body . Andrew Carnegie pledged $ 40 , 000 to the building of a new library for the University . Enrollment in 1923 was at 1 , 500 students . The Oxford College for Women merged with Miami University in 1928 . By the early 1930s , enrollment had reached 2 , 200 students . The conservative environment found on campus called for little change during the problems of the Great Depression , and only about ten percent of students in the 1930s were on government subsidies . During World War II , Miami changed its curriculum to include " war emergency courses " ; a Navy Training School took up residence on campus . During wartime in 1943 , the population of the University became majority women . Due to the G . I . Bill , tuition for veterans decreased ; the enrollment at Miami jumped from 2 , 200 to 4 , 100 students . Temporary lodges were constructed in order to accommodate the number of students . By 1952 , the student body had grown to 5 , 000 . In 1954 , Miami created a common curriculum for all students to complete , in order to have a base for their other subjects . Miami experimented with a trimester plan in 1965 , but it ultimately failed and the university reverted to a quarter system ; by 1964 , enrollment reached nearly 15 , 000 . To accommodate the growing number of students , Miami University started a regional branch of the University at Middletown , Ohio in 1966 and Hamilton , Ohio in 1968 . Miami founded a Luxembourg branch , today called the Miami University Dolibois European Center , in 1968 ; students live with Luxembourgian families , and study under Miami professors . In 1974 , The Western College for Women in Oxford , was sold to Miami ; and President Shriver oversaw the creation of the well - respected and innovative Interdisciplinary Studies Program known as the Western College Program . The program was merged into the College of Arts & Science in 2007 . The newest regional campus , the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center opened in 2009 . Organization and Administration . Miami University ' s endowment was valued at US $ 376 million in 2009 . Students . Overview . Miami ' s student body consists of 14 , 872 undergraduates and 2 , 395 graduate students on the Oxford campus ( as of Fall 2011 ) . The class of 2013 comes from 39 U . S . state s and 13 countries ( 65 countries are represented in the whole student body ) . Despite attempts by the University , Miami is known for its low level of diversity ; the student body is 85 % Caucasian . Politically , its student body is more conservative than those of comparable universities . For the undergraduate class of 2012 , Miami received 15 , 009 applications and accepted 80 % of them . 30 % of those accepted enrolled . For the class of 2013 , 39 % of students ranked in the top 10 % of their class . The middle 50 % range of ACT scores for first - year students is 24 - 29 , while the SAT scores is 1110 - 1280 ( old scale ) . Rankings . " U . S . News & World Report " ranked the university ' s undergraduate program 90th among national universities , and 39th among public universities . " U . S . News " also ranked the university 3rd for best undergraduate teaching at national universities . " Forbes " ranked Miami 183rd in the United States among all colleges and universities and listed it as one of " America ' s Best College Buys " . In March 2010 , " BusinessWeek " ranked the undergraduate business program for the Farmer School of Business at 16th among all U . S . undergraduate business schools and was ranked 6th among public schools . " Entrepreneur " ranked Miami ' s Institute for Entrepreneurship 15th among undergraduate programs in the nation . " The Wall Street Journal " ranked Miami 22nd among state schools for bringing students directly from undergraduate studies into top graduate programs . The " Journal " also ranked Miami ' s accelerated MBA program ninth globally . Miami ' s accountancy program received high marks from the Public Accounting Report ' s rankings of accountancy programs ; its undergraduate and graduate programs ranked 12th and 15th respectively . In 1985 , Richard Moll wrote a book about America ' s premier public universities where he describes Miami as one of America ' s original eight " Public Ivies " , along with the University of Michigan , UC Berkeley , University of Virginia , College of William and Mary , University of Texas , University of Vermont , and the University of North Carolina . Miami also receives high marks for its beautiful campus . Newsweek rated Miami No . 19 , in its 2012 list of Most Beautiful Schools . Undergraduates . Miami is a large , primarily residential research university with a focus on undergraduate studies . Miami University has six academic divisions — the College of Arts & Science , the Farmer School of Business , the School of Engineering & Applied Science , the School of Education , Health , & Society , the School of Creative Arts , and the Graduate School . The College of Arts & Science is the oldest and largest college at Miami , with nearly half of the undergraduate student body enrollment . The college offers 56 majors , 48 minors , and 2 co - majors ( Environmental Science and Environmental Principles & Practice ) . Ten of the 11 doctoral degrees offered by Miami are provided through the College of Arts & Science . Miami ' s Farmer School of Business is a nationally recognized school of business that offers eight majors . The school also offers graduate MBA , accountancy , and economics degrees . The Farmer School of Business ( or FSB ) is housed in a state - of - the - art , LEED - certified building . " " The FSB building , opened for classes in 2009 , was designed by leading revivalist architect Robert A . M . Stern . The School of Engineering & Applied Science offers 12 accredited majors at the Oxford campus , and moved into a new engineering building — a $ 22 million - dollar facility — in 2007 . The school also offers master ’ s degrees in Computer Science and Paper & Chemical Engineering The School of Education , Health & Society – formerly known as the School of Education and Allied Professions – offers 26 undergraduate degrees spanning areas from teacher education , kinesiology and health to educational psychology , and family studies and social work . As of fall 2009 , nearly 3 , 500 full - time and part - time undergraduates were enrolled in the school . Miami ' s School of Creative Arts comprises four departments — architecture and interior design , music , theatre , and art . Each department has its own admission requirements separate from the standard admissions requirements for the University . Art majors choose a concentration in areas such as ceramic s , metals , photography , printmaking , sculpture , graphic design , and interior design . Music majors specify either music performance or music education . Graduate students . Miami offers master ' s degrees in more than 50 areas of study and doctoral degrees in 12 , the largest of which are doctoral degrees in psychology . In order to enroll in graduate courses , students must first be accepted into the Graduate School , and then into the department through which the degree is offered . Although tuition for the Graduate School is roughly the same as for an undergraduate degree , most of the graduate programs offer graduate assistantships as well as tuition waiver . Athletics . Miami ' s NCAA Division I - A program offers 18 varsity sports for men and women . The RedHawks , the name of Miami ' s collegiate sports teams , participate in the Mid - American Conference ( MAC ) in all varsity sports , except ice hockey , which competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . Miami ' s athletic teams were called The Miami Boys , The Big Reds , The Reds , or The Red and Whites until 1928 when Miami Publicity Director R . J . McGinnis is credited with coining the term Redskins . The athletic teams continued to be known as the Redskins up through 1997 when the Oklahoma - based Miami tribe withdrew its support for the nickname ; the board of trustees voted to change the nickname to the RedHawks . The current athletic director is Brad Bates , who was promoted to the position in November 2002 . Miami University has never won a national title in any team sport , except in synchronized skating , which is not an NCAA - recognized sport . The school has earned the nickname " Cradle of Coaches " for producing star football coaches . Football . Miami University has a rich history of football . Miami is known as the Cradle of Coaches for its quality football coaches that leave its program ; Ben Roethlisberger , a quarterback from Miami , has gone on to be a two - time Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Miami ' s football team plays in Yager Stadium , a 24 , 286 - seat football stadium on campus ; they formerly played in the now demolished Miami Field . The current coach is Don Treadwell , who was hired December 29 , 2010 . The RedHawks compete each year against the Cincinnati Bearcats for the Victory Bell , a tradition that dates back to 1888 . Basketball . Miami has appeared in 16 NCAA basketball championships and have four sweet sixteen appearances , most recently in 1999 . The team competes in Millett Hall and was coached by Charlie Coles , a 1965 graduate of Miami , for 16 seasons until he retired on March 5 , 2012 . His replacement is John Cooper . Men ' s ice hockey . Miami ' s men ' s varsity ice hockey team started in 1978 coached by Steve Cady . The RedHawks made the NCAA national title game in 2009 , but lost in overtime to Boston University after leading much of the game . The current head coach is Enrico Blasi , who has a total record of 262 - 169 - 46 after 12 seasons . Since the Mid - American Conference does not include Division I men ' s ice hockey , Miami competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) . It is one of three schools from the MAC in the CCHA along with Bowling Green State University and Western Michigan University . However , starting with the 2013 - 2014 season , Miami will begin competing in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference , which will also include Colorado College , University of Denver , University of North Dakota , University of Minnesota Duluth , and University of Nebraska Omaha . This brand - new conference may also add additional teams in the future . The men ' s ice hockey team plays at the Goggin Ice Center . The center contains two rinks : a practice rink and Steve Cady Arena , which is used by the hockey team . The arena has a seating capacity of 3 , 200 , and it replaced the Goggin Ice Arena in 2006 . Synchronized skating . Miami ' s synchronized skating team began in August 1977 as a " Precision Skating Club " at Goggin Ice Center . The program achieved varsity status by 1996 . The Miami University senior synchronized skating team are the 1999 , 2006 , and 2009 U . S . national champions . Miami won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships , the first medal ever won by Team USA for synchronized skating . The collegiate - level team has won 14 national titles ; Miami created a junior - varsity level team beneath the senior level . Vicki Korn , after serving as the coach of Miami ' s program for 25 years , announced her retirement in May 2009 . The current head coach is Carla DeGirolamo . A 2003 graduate of Miami , Carla skated with the program all four of her undergraduate years and then spent seven seasons as an assistant coach . Greek life . Miami is nicknamed the Mother of Fraternities for the number of fraternities that started on its campus : Beta Theta Pi ( 1839 ) , Phi Delta Theta ( 1848 ) , Sigma Chi ( 1855 ) , and Phi Kappa Tau ( 1906 ) . However , Alpha Delta Phi ( 1832 ) was the first fraternity on campus . Delta Zeta , founded in 1902 , is the only sorority alpha chapter on campus . The Miami Triad refers to the first three fraternities founded at Miami : Beta Theta Pi , Phi Delta Theta , and Sigma Chi . The Triad is sometimes celebrated with parties at other universities such as the University of Kansas . As of Fall 2009 , there are 2 , 036 sorority members and 1 , 492 fraternity members . . Miami University ' s office of Greek affairs was endowed with a $ 1 million dollar gift from Cliff Alexander , a Miami University alumnus and a member of Sigma Nu ; Miami believes this gift will support the Greek program well into the next century . Miami currently hosts about 50 different fraternities and sororities governed by three different student governing councils . Miami ' s fraternities and sororities hold many philanthropy events and community fundraisers . A spate of sorority sanctions on three different occasions in the 2009 – 10 school year reached national news for the actions that were involved . Sorority members of Miami ' s Alpha Xi Delta chapter and their dates at a formal held at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center urinated throughout the venue , swore at staff , and attempted to steal drinks from the bar ; two other incidents involving the Pi Beta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha chapters at Miami involved similar behavior . University President David Hodge called the behavior " deeply troubling " and " embarrassing " , and vowed that " we are determined to live up to our values " in response to the incidents . Organizations and clubs . Miami University has over 400 student - run organizations . Aside , from the university ' s student newspaper ( see below ) , the university ' s oldest and longest - running student organization is the Miami University Men ' s Glee Club , founded in 1907 . It is estimated to be the 16th oldest Glee Club in the nation and is one the largest of its kind . Associated Student Government ( ASG ) is the student government of Miami University . It has an executive branch run by a student president and a unicameral legislature in the student senate . In campus - wide elections , students have a spending cap ; in a recent change , the president and vice president run on a ticket and as of 2012 must create a political party . The current ASG President is John Stefanski . Media . Miami has a variety of media outlets . The student - run newspaper , the " Miami Student " , was founded in 1826 and claims that it is the oldest university newspaper in the United States . The undergraduate literature and art magazine , " Inklings " , is available in print and online . RedHawk Radio ( WMSR ) is Miami ' s only student radio station . Miami University Television ( MUTV ) is available on cable in Oxford , Ohio . Campus . Miami ' s Oxford campus is located in Oxford , Ohio ; the city is located in the Miami Valley in Southwestern Ohio . Development of the campus began in 1818 with a multipurpose building called Franklin Hall ; Elliott Hall , built in 1825 , is Miami ' s oldest residence hall . Miami has added campus buildings in the style characteristic of Georgian Revival architecture , with all buildings built three stories or less , or " to human scale " . Today , the area of Miami ' s Oxford campus consists of 2 , 000 acre s ( 8 km ) . Oxford , Ohio is a college town , with over 70 . 0 % of the residents attending college or graduate school . All first - and second - year students are required to live on - campus and all dorms are three stories or less . Miami gives students the options of choosing from 35 theme - based living learning communities ( LLCs ) ; all of the halls on - campus participate in the LLC program . An LLC focuses on a certain theme , such as " Governmental Relations " or the " Technology and Society Program " , which allows students to live with people who have similar interests to themselves . Each residence hall has its own hall government , with representatives in the Residence Hall Association and the student senate . Notable people . Miami alumni are active through various organizations and events such as Alumni Weekend . The Alumni Association has active chapters in over 50 cities . A number of Miami alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government , law , science , academia , business , arts , journalism , and athletics , among others . Miami University is one of four schools that have graduated both a U . S . President and a Super Bowl winning quarterback . Benjamin Harrison , the 23rd President of the United States , graduated from Miami in 1852 . Charles Anderson , the 27th Governor of Ohio , graduated from Miami in 1833 . Chung Un - chan , the previous Prime Minister of South Korea , received his master ' s degree from Miami in economics in 1972 . Other current politicians include U . S . Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington and U . S . Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin . Rita Dove , a Pulitzer Prize winner and the first African - American United States Poet Laureate , graduated summa cum laude from Miami . Miami has been nicknamed the " Cradle of Coaches " for the success its coaches and athletes have had outside of the university . John Harbaugh is the current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens . Paul Brown , the partial founder of both the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals and a head coach for both teams graduated from the class of 1930 . Bo Schembechler was a Miami graduate and coached at Miami before moving to coach the Michigan Wolverines for twenty years . Miami alumni that play in professional sports leagues include Dan Boyle of the NHL , Andy Greene of the NHL , Ryan Jones of the NHL , Alec Martinez of the NHL , John Ely of the MLB , golfer Brad Adamonis , and Super Bowl - winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the NFL .