Ohio University

Charter and establishment

A university in the Ohio Country was first envisioned by Manasseh Cutler, credited as the school's founder along with Revolutionary War Brigadier General Rufus Putnam. In addition to being instrumental in its founding, Putnam was also an original trustee of the university. Putnam Hall is named for him. Cutler had served as a chaplain in the Continental Army. In 1787, a contract was made between the Board of Treasury of the United States and the Ohio Company of Associates, which set aside the College Lands to support a university. In 1797, settlers from Marietta, Ohio, traveled downstream on the Ohio River and up the Hocking River to establish a location for the school in the College Lands, founding Athens due to its location directly between Marietta and Chillicothe, Ohio.

In 1802, approval was granted by the government of the Northwest Territory for the establishment of the American Western University, but the school was not operated under that name. Ohio University was recognized by the new state on February 18, 1804, with its charter being certified by the Ohio General Assembly. It was the first university established in the former Northwest Territory. The first three students enrolled in 1809. The first two bachelor's degrees were granted in 1815.

19th century to present

Ohio University was closed between 1843 and 1848. Women were first admitted to the university in 1868. In 1874, the Ohio General Assembly created the new Ohio State University in Columbus as a land grant school upon passage of the Morrill Act of 1862. At that time some representatives proposed that both Ohio University and Miami University be demoted to preparatory schools. In 1880, it was instead suggested that Ohio and Miami be merged directly with Ohio State, but the 1896 Sleeper Bill, introduced by Athenian David L. Sleeper, the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, provided annual support for the university; this set the precedent for continuing state support of Ohio University. A second challenge was defeated in 1906.

The 20th century saw dramatic growth in student enrollment, academic offerings, and research facilities. Between 1955 and 1970, undergraduate enrollment tripled from 7,000 to 20,000. During this era, the campus grew, with the construction of 25 new dormitories located on two new residential college greens, with radio and television stations, research and classroom facilities, and the construction of the 13,000-seat Convocation Center arena. Ohio University ranks among the top 25 largest residential college campuses in the United States.

Ohio restructured its two colleges into five in 1935, establishing the colleges of Commerce, Fine Arts, and Applied Science in addition to the existing colleges of Arts & Sciences and Education. The graduate college was created in 1936, and the first PhD program was initiated in 1956 in chemistry. Starting mid–century, the university also began to establish regional campuses throughout southeast Ohio. The first, Ohio University – Chillicothe, was opened in 1946 to help eliminate post-World War II overcrowding on the university's main campus. The school began with 281 students, 70 percent of which were armed services veterans. Later campuses would come in 1946 at Zanesville, 1956 in Ironton and Lancaster, 1957 in St. Clairsville, and formerly Proctorville in 2006.

In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly referenced his Great Society initiative for the first time on the College Green, giving the university exposure across America and internationally. On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard was ordered to open fire on students demonstrating against the Vietnam War at Kent State University, killing 4 and wounding 9. At the same time, there were sit-ins and anti-war riots at Ohio University, even more intense than those of Kent State. This was partly due to the administration's refusal to close the university; instead of going home, many students from other Ohio universities that did close came to Athens to protest further. When the Ohio National Guard was called in to Athens, there was a 3-hour battle at the Baker Center, resulting in 23 injured and 54 arrested students. On May 15, the campus was closed.

Alden Library was completed in 1969. In 1975, Ohio established its medical school, known as the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Heritage is the only medical school in the state to award the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. In 1979, on the university's 175th anniversary, Chubu University of Japan donated 175 cherry trees. The Ohio University Innovation Center, a technology business incubator, started in 1983. The Ohio University Edison Biotechnology Institute was founded in 1984. In the Glidden administration, from 1994 to 2004, new construction included the Life Sciences Research Facility, Emeriti Park, Walter Hall, plus major renovations to Gordy Hall, Grover Center, and Memorial Auditorium; the expansion of Bentley Hall and Copeland Hall; and groundwork for the new Baker Center that opened in 2007. In the fall of 2012, Ohio University converted its academic calendar from quarters to semesters, after first having changed to quarters in 1967.

Other facilities

The Ridges, formerly Athens Mental Hospital, was acquired by the university. The Victorian styled area has since been re-purposed as a university complex of classrooms and administrative offices surrounded by a large nature preserve. Additionally, a new planetary observatory is located nearby.

Gordon K. Bush Airport

Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, a particle accelerator used for nuclear physics and astrophysics research.

The Athena Cinema, an on-campus, early art deco styled century-old movie theater owned by the university.