The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land-grant University under the Morrill Act of 1862. The school—aptly named the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College—was established with the intent of training students in the disciplines agriculture and engineering. The University admitted 24 students in 1873, and in 1878 the first class of 6 students graduated. That same year, the University expanded its courses to include the humanities and sciences.  In light of its expanded focus, the college changed its name to "The Ohio State University".  

Today, more than 59,000 students are enrolled to study at one of Ohio State’s eight campuses.  When people speak of Ohio State, they are usually referring to the Columbus Campus—the main campus, and the largest, with a student population of more than 57,000. Students tend to congregate around The Oval, a large green space at the heart of the campus. Located at the West end of the Oval is Thompson Library, a historic and beautiful building that may be considered the heart and soul of the university.

The William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library, named for Ohio State’s fifth president, was originally completed in 1912. Since then, it has been renovated three times—including a recent three-year renovation that took place from 2006-2009. 

Current students are treated to a classic, yet modern structure. It features a coffee shop, eleven stories of study space and book-stacks, and the truly magnificent Grand Reading Room. 

Adjacent to the library, on the South side of The Oval, is Orton Hall. Orton is another one of the university’s iconic structures, having opened in 1893. It is named for Dr. Edward Orton, Sr., the university’s first president and leading professor of Geology from 1873-1899. Fittingly, Orton Hall—which is constructed from forty different types of stone indigenous to Ohio—now contains the Orton Geological Museum.  Like Orton, two other buildings located on The Oval—Hayes Hall and University Hall—are a part of the National Register of Historic Places, having been added in July of 1970. 

Another notable campus landmark is the Ohio Stadium.

Affectionately known as “The Horseshoe,” Ohio Stadium has been home to the Ohio State football team for 92 years. It is the fourth largest football stadium in the United States with a capacity of more than 105,000. The stadium is an icon for the University, ripe with tradition, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

At the end of each football game, the crowd joins the Ohio State Marching Band and the football team in a round of “Carmen Ohio,” the school’s Alma Mater. The song was written by a freshman on the train ride home from Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1902, after the team suffered a humiliating 86-0 defeat at the hands of their rivals:

Oh! Come let's sing Ohio's praise,


And songs to Alma Mater raise; 


While our hearts rebounding thrill,


With joy which death alone can still. 


Summer's heat or winter's cold, 


The seasons pass, the years will roll; 


Time and change will surely show 
how firm thy friendship O-HI-O.

Last week, the Ohio State Board of Trustees ushered in a new chapter of the University’s history by announcing Dr. Michael Drake as the University’s 15th President. For the past 9 years, Dr. Drake served as the Chancellor at the University of California at Irvine.  Welcome, Dr. Drake!