Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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Faculty Members Miami .University. SAMUEL CHESTER PARKER, A. M ., 2 A E. University of Cincinnati and Columbia University. PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION. WILLIAM J. MCSURELY, B 6 11. Miami University. LIBRARIAN OF THE UNIVERSITY. ANNA JERUSHA BISHOP. SECRETARY OF THE UNIVERSITY. LEE ORA LANTIS, A M;',-B 6H. Miami University. PRINCIPAL OF THE ACADEMY'AND, INSTRUCTOR IN HISTORY. CHARLES H. JUDD, A'. M., PH. D,, XVesleyan University- and Columbia University, LECTURER ON EDUCATION. 27

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History of Miami University. Miami University is the oldest and most historic institution of higher learning in the Middle West. By an act of congress passed May 5, 1792, the President of the United States was authorized and empowered to lease to John Cleves Symmes a certain tract of land, a portion of which should be forever reserved for the support of an institution of higher learning. By an act of congress March 3, 1803, the legislature of Ohio was authorized to enter one complete township, west of the Big Miami, in lieu of the original township Within the Symmes, purchase, and the trust was vested in the legislature of Ohio, to be held forever for the purpose of education as set forth in the several articles, and for no other purpose whatsoever. Six weeks later the State of Ohio; on April 15, 1803, in accepting the trust passed an article entitled, iiAn .Act to Provide for the Locating. of a College Township in the District of Cin- cinnati? Under this act the lands of Miami University were located. Feb- ruary 17, 1809, the legislature of Ohio passed an act entitled: iiAn Act to Establish Miami University.H Under this act the University was established, the president andtrustees were constituted a body politic and corporate, the trust was accepted and administered upon, and provision made to lease the land for the term of ninety-nine years, renewable forever, subject to revaluation every fifteen years. In 1810 the legislature passed an act repealing the clause Which provided for a revaluation. In 1812 another act was passed which pro- vided that the actual settlers should, from a given date and forever after, pay a yearly rent of six per cent upon the purchase money. Thus by positive legis- lation, added to the act which repealed the law providing for a revaluation, the . University was forever hindered from securing an increased revenue from the lands of Oxford township. Under this limitation, the University lived until recent years, when the State of Ohio began the custom of annual appropria- tions. In February, 1896, the legislature of Ohio provided for a fund to be known as the iiOhio and Miami University Fund,H by levying an annual tax upon the property of the state. An act making an additional levy was passed by the legislature in March, 1902, to enable the trustees to establish a Normal schooliin connection with Miami University. The University is thus afforded a permanent and regular income and the State of Ohio has express ed its purpose to administer with reasonable liberality, the trust vested by the Congress of the United States. The support of the University is now provided for by the levies mentioned above, together with the income from the lands of Oxford township and the interest of certain invested funds. i The institution is situated at Oxford, Butler county, Ohio, on the Cin- cinnati, Hamilton 85 Indianapolis division of the Cincinnati, Hamilton 86 Dayton railroad tthe iiGreat CentralH Routei, and is about thirty-nine miles distant from Cincinnati, fourteen miles from Hamilton, and eighty-five miles from Indianapolis. 29