Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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Old, New and Greater Miami HERE isn't room on this page to tell the whole story of Old Miamig about the hardships and struggles of those early days: about the students who tramped for miles through a wilderness of forest in the early history of this state to get an educationg about the sacrifices they made, and about the problems that faced Miami's first president, Reverend Robert Hamilton Bishop, and the brave little band of leaders who were pioneering a college in the middle west. In 1809 the Legislature of Ohio established, according to the terms of the Symmes Purchase, which had provided for a township of land to be reserved for educational purposes, Miami University, at Oxford, destined to become with- in a very short time the greatest educational factor west of the.Alleghanies. Due to a lack of funds the college did not open immediately, and for several years a Select School and then a f'Grammar School was established and maintained for the young people of the community. However by 1824 an adequate building had been constructed for college purposes and there was a respectable balance left for running expenses. In November of that year the history of Oltl Miami began. Miami was thoroughly in earnestg the old announcements read, Study hours five to seven A. M. and two to hve P. M., Prayers nine A. M. and eight P. M., Board one dollar to one dollar twenty-Hve per week, total expenses for the year ninety-three dollars. Those were rugged days: judge for yourself. One of the early Presidents was severely criticized for his strict discipline. Here are some of the rules he laid down for the student body: No student shall wear about his person pistol, dirk, stiletto, or other dangerous weapon. Any student who takes part in a duel withdead ly weapons shall be immediately expelled. UNO student, during term time, shall attend the balls, horse races, theatres, etc. The new college rapidly attracted a large patronage, particularly from the Ohio Valley and the Southern States, and become a leading factor in the educational development of the middle west. At Miami the new fraternity idea found its home in a newer section of the country and the fertile mind of her splendid undergraduate life so Hourished that in the course of time the Yale of the West became the rival of Union as mother of the'Greeks. Before 1860 three great national fraternities were founded: Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, and Sigma Chi. Benjamin Harrison and Whitelaw Reid were leaders in this early fraternity life. These men, and others of their caliber, who afterwards helped make national history, played an important roll in the literary societies of that day, The Erodelphian and Miami Union. These socities secured their own printing presses, hauling them for miles to Oxford, and were publishing a literary monthly in 1826 and a weekly paper in 1827. It was in the early days of Miami that Professor VVm. H. McGuffey and his brother, Alexander, composed their famous Eclectic Readers. Old Miami was always a center of sound culture and intellectual activity, religion and the slavery question being the subjects of the most heated discussion. Occasional sporatic attempts were made to introduce professional schools, and enlarge the scope of the institution: but during the entire time Miami was essentially an undergraduate college of liberal arts. In 1861 when President Lincoln called for troops Miami's response was electrical. Over two hundred students and graduates immediately rushed into all branches of service in both the North and South. The period of the Civil XVar at length developed serious results for the university, reducing resources and attendance in an ir- reparable way, so that it became necessary a few years later to close the doors of the college and allow a time for recuperation. In 1885 the era of the New Miami, greater and bigger than the Old, and yet carrying with it the influences and traditions established by the Old was initiated, classes were resumed and the board of trustees once more assumed active control. Robert White Macfiarland, a veteran tithe old order, was chosen as the first president of the revived Miami, and served until the future of New Miami was assured when he retired to give place to a younger man. Since then have followed Presidents XVarfield, Thompson, Tappan, Benton, and the present executive, Raymond Mollyneaux Hughes, of the class of 1893. In later years a considerable, though still an inadequate, subsidy from the State has made possible many important improvements. Since 1902 the buildings of the Ohio State Normal College have been located upon the Miami campus, and the administration of that important link of the State's system for Normal Education has been placed under the authority of the executive offices of the university. The institution has grown steadily since its reopening, until it has far surpassed the highest achievements of the earlier period in attendance, standards of scholarship, and breadth of infiuence. Today, after more than a hundred years of life, Miami is stronger, better and greater than ever. For the future we predict an era of even greater use- fulness the extent of which no one can foretell. The f'Greater Miami will continue to move forward to that goal of eminence toward which her progress was temporarily interupted by the great tragedy of 1873. . . . -- .ml -W.--v-,-1 ---ax--, .. W ,,m::- -..v ,W .....n. . W,-,,' ,, .. , fm- -wwf-. lD . 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lilw Iv I ' - . WMWlMMllH lMIM 1I1if1Vb 5' I lf.i..'iif.ii'i'l 'il,-1ii'i wisl132n1ii.I.3g-Ei. L...,Q, Q1 . Q..g,LL. Alumni Association LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE ,., , Y, . . . President ,,q...,.Q, ,,,,i,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, . .L arl F. Basler, 09 of C IIICIHHHU 1 Adelia VV. Cone, '07 of Oxford Vice-Presidents 7w7,,v ,7o7, - ' Dr. W. lVICSl'1L1I'l6y, '56 of OXf0Ffl l B. H. Brown, '68 of Oxford Secretary ....................,.. ,..........v.........,..,.......,...,........ .................... C. D. Boyd, '08 of Middletown Executive Committee i,o, ,,,, . ,, .o,o. J. B. Langdon, '10 of Cincinnati L Lucile Foreman, '19 of Marion TEACHERS COLLEGE President ,.., .,i,,,,,, ,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,oo,,,,,,,,,,,,. M i ss Marguerite Royal, '12 of Oxford Vice-President .,,,,,,, ,,,.,,.. M iss Hallie Moon, '04 of Bl21nCh6St6l' Secretary... ,,,, U ,.o,., Miss Margaret Lusby, '04 of Cincinnati Treasurer ,.,,--, ,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,c,c,..,,ccc,cc,. M iss Ethel Tough, '18 of Kenton BRANCH ASSOCIATIONS OF ALUMNI HAMILTON COUNTY President, C. V. Anderson. Vice-President, A. K. Morris. Secretary, Fred Whitkamper. Treasurer, S. W. Richey. TEACHERS COLLEGE President, Nell B. Mitchell, '18. Secretary, Anita Hoffman, '17, 3936 Ivan hoe Ave., Norwood. ILLINOIS President, Secretary, A. C. Olson, '08, 4251 N. Ash land Ave., Chicago. NORTHEASTERN OHIO MEN President, C. H. Martin, '08. Secretary, G. Leonard Fels, '10, 99-6 New ton Ave., Cleveland. MONTGOMERY COUNTY President, E. L. Reeder, ex-'03, Secretary-Treasurer, Edward Duncan, '11 1014 Reibold Bldg., Dayton, Ohio. CENTRAL OHIO President, H. T. Ashton, '13. Secretary, H. H. Reighley, '09, 81 N Terrace, Columbus. WOMEN President, Mrs. Florence Van Dyke Fels, '10 ' lllllllllllillllllllllll 5' 5 BUTLER COUNTY President, Nick Carey, '18. Secretary, Sara S. Greer, '01, 423 North C St., Hamilton. INDIANA President, Horace L. Nixon, ex-'98. Secretary-Treasurer, Benj. C. Morris, '09, Indiana Division of The VVhitaker Paper CO., Indianapolis. NEw YORK President, Otto E. Lane, '01, Secretary-Treasurer, E. L. Ferris, '98, 15 Broad St., New York. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA President, Rev. Samuel M. Ramsey, '64. Secretary-Treasurer, Carroll L. Hoel, '09, 6243 Hollywood Blgd., Hollywood, Cal. NEW ENGLAND President, i Secretary-Treasurer, Prof. john M. Ories, '05, 33 VValker St., Cambridge, Mass. NORTHINIESTERN OHIO President, Secretary, Mrs. Florence Knapp Asch- bacher, '11, 530 Lowell Drive, Toledo, Ohio. PREBLE COUNTY President, VV. S. Fogarty, '03, Secretary, E 5 3 2 E- . 1 .1 V, '- ' ,I I' ' 1 1 I -,-i , , ,, I- , , ,I , I W w a'--'G ' ' H A I TT , . ... .. - ..., . ..,,.. ss-M--....,....'L-m..-1-Sei-14,-.. .... --fi-QA' - ---M.-..f -I JL. YALE, ,D ...sk

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