Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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years of the 18005, one marking the beginning of Ohio State University. In 1867, Ohio laid plans for a state agricultural school. Miami with its spacious campus and Botanical Gardens seemed an attrac- tive site for such a college. A committee from Co- lumbus arrived to inspect the campus and their presence raised Miamiis hopes. To celebrate stu- dents filled the chapel with a haystack surrounded by a plow, two horses, a cow, pigs and ducks 9 all nibbling under a sign bearing llAgriculture Col- lege? Unfortunately, the committee did not find this prank amusing. Therefore, they chose Colum- bus as the sight forthe college and thus Ohio State University was born. Not all practical jokes ended so harmlessly. A tragic joke involved a one-horse vehicle known as 11The Arkfi used to transport The Western Female Seminary women to the village. One day as the Ark stood waiting outside the Presbyterian church, a reckless student unhitched the horse, painted it in zebra stripes, wrapped a curtain around its head and cut the whip. The frantic creature ran down High Street and was killed when it crashed into a passing train. The young women of Western Female Seminary and Oxford were not all found at the uptown churches. Lottie Moon was one a young lady who knew her way around the college men. Lottie Moon lived in Oxford with her parents in pre-civil war days. The promiscuous Lottie was accused of spy- ing and aiding abolitionists in freeing slaves through the Underground Railroad. One of her former lovers, a Confederate army officer, threat- ened to shoot Lottie if he caught her again. The Underground Railroad was rumored to have passed through Oxford in the basement of Enoch Haskellls hat factory. Escaped slaves hid in the cistern before being escorted to the next station. The Civil War not only divided the nation in 1861, but the university as well. Students dropped out to join the war, and Miamiis debts increased. In 1873, 801d Miamiil closed her doors. After the war, Oxford celebrated the opening of llNew Miamili with banners, parades and firecrack- ers. The attentions of Miami men returned to care- free pastimes. Activities welcoming the freshmen may have had. their roots with Oxfordls post-civil war 11apron and necktieil parties in 1888. A young man and woman were paired up for the evening by matching ties and aprons supplied by the hostess. Church bazaars were also a place for some early-day scoping. W.E. Smith, in his book Fair Oxford, revealed that 66young gentlemen turned out in great numbers to see the college girls who were sure to be there. At a church bazaar, college girls were as good as cold cash, anytime? In addition to swooning Oxford women, Miami college men had found other forms of entertain- ment. In the 1890s, hog shooting was a favorite amusement for students in the Northeast Dormito- ry. The boys resorted to lynching the wild hogs that infested the campus when stones and pistols proved futile. Cycling, driving and horseback riding were the latest fads, and by 1890 large numbers of men, women and children glided up and down the streets of Oxford every evening. Unfortunately, Oxford ministers condemned the blommers that the women cyclists wore. Tennis courts were erected on cam- pus in 1894 and in the same year Oxfordis first bowling alley was built. The turn of the century brought important changes to the university - no- Twen ty Miami University Special Collections

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mcosoozoo 30on bauozaD MEEE 2530230 30on basicD NEE: town Oxford at the turn of the century. m up M ercban ts I brought hundreds of people from the m of. X 0 H W 0 m w .md mm .15 Ya 16 Hr. .Ja of. mm d NH ww Fn Aw 1 War Days in Civ1 West Park 828280 Eooqm bmmugED Emmi Nineteen

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tably football and coeducation. 11Football is now the rage at Miami? quoted an 1889 Miami Student. The young Miami President, Ethelbert Warfield, organized football and actively participated in the afternoon games. Miamiis first historic gamesagainst the University of Cincinnati ended in a scoreless tie due to rain, however, 8had the game been played to a finish, it is safe to say that Miami would have been victorious? tDecem- ber, 1888, Miami Studentj In 1902, President Benton announced the estab- lishment of a normal college tthe 1902 version of a School of Educationi geared toward liberal arts and coeducation. itThe girls are coming? he pre- dicted, and rightfully so. Hepburn Hall, a residence hall, for women was built and the 1909 student handbook boasted of its conveniences. 11This dormi- tory is the college home for the young women . . . the building is electric lighted, steam heated and in every way proves a modern home for its 96 women 1951 Recensio roomersfi The women didn,t fully succeed in distracting the men from their studies, however. Miami men con- tinued to carry a heavy course load and could often be heard talking about it. In fact, it was 11a relief these days to meet the student who does not begin his every sentence with Tm so busy, you see Pm carrying 22 hours this semester, and . . .,m accord- ing to a 1902 Miami Student. The integration of women into Miami University slowly became accepted. Even Hepburn, who had refused to acknowledge the first female student, later offered these kind words to coeducation. 61Guide, direct and bless these young men .2 and bless too these young women. Thou knowest, Lord, that 35 percent of them are women? tfrom a chapel prayerJ By 1914, the controversy of coeducation had tak- en a back seat to the political Woes of World War I. The university felt the trials of a world at unrest. :19851 Recensio , Douglass Mara tbon Service, what a full service stationsbbuld be. ' Thereis nothing like relaxing with an ice cold Pepsi-Cola, espe- cially When itis only a nickel. West on High Street in 1890. Twen ty-one