University of Cincinnati - Cincinnatian Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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In pursuance of this: view. the McMin-kcn Svhuol 0F lirnwing :mrl Iluhign was anim-ll esfqafiagmenf 0f ch 011 thc First Mnlilluy uf January. 'llllIlL'r LhL- iuhlrui'tion of 311: Tllulllith FL Nlplilt: Thu gquliclhn gesoofaf special object of this. svlinul is tht- promotion of turtltr unit design in tin: illfltlHtrile Qraming cmb Qesign. arts; :11! ubjcct in which tlw pnpulation and prosperity of thia L'ily H11- 'wa intinth-ly concerned that. having Ell haunt the l'mlh-ry nf Art gin-n lu tht- I'nivthity by lllt' Lmlics' Academy. the Ilii'cctm-a I'cgurulul it :15 um- nf the mmt :qiprnliri- :LLL' modes of holding out to the yciuth 01' the city Mr. Mcillivkulfs chir- ishctl design of fitting them For the active rhlticn uf lifo This. perhaps, was the lltUF-t important practical work accum- plishetl by tllL' Hoard tit llirectnrs 0f McMickun I'tlii'crsity. Thu: Schonl of Design was continued by the University Of Cincinnati until Fchrnary I. IHH4, when it was turuL-Ll over to the Cincinnati Museum AHSHClHIiOH. Since tn tht- Board of Directors nf McMicl-zcn University l'mlungs the credit of llutmtling the Art Schmul, a lnriuf outline of its career while 1111th'l'll'll3ll' and their successors man- agement will ht given at this puint. The School Ill. Iilusig'n war; the first tlupztrt- $$$$ iaiaforg of Elie thcmicllen gem? of Eraming arlb Eeaign. mutt cstnhliahucl in thc I'llix'L-Thily. It was organized in IICCIIl'dHllCt with that lmn'i- sirm of the will in which it is enjoined that Jnux W. Ll'ux. such instruction shall be given as will Fit the student for thc ttL'lit'L' duties of life. :15 well 215 the higher branches or km'm'lulgc, It was 11:11 intcndud fur the men: sake of an accomplishment, nor indeed in the interest 0f the line arts. The nhjcct mu to have in view the principles :15 well :15 the art of drawing, and thus to lil-Y thu l'uunclzttimi fur its suh- sequeut application in any and all operative persons-wl1cthe1' :15 machinists, engineers. KITClllttClS, or artists. There was mught at the same time the cultiuttlun nf lilhll: :mtl tlcrilgllt and the clavul- opmcut of the inventive faculty of atpl'ilyiitg new forum tn tlizttci'inl t'm' thc huncht ul' zlll tliu umnifnld works of industry. It was the purpose that the studcnt of dccm'ntiw art. intuit upon pursuing the art of drawing: rn' design. painting 01' sculpturu til'l'tt'lllg' ur clccumtiun, in the;- highur walks. should timl the amplest room for development, so that there would follow hllCll :1 culture as would not only hcautify our homes, hut would mitkt the manufactures uf miz' city rival in design the tapestry of Gobelin or. the purcelain 0f Sevres. The great success in the McMicken I'niversity School led tu liberal cndmnneuts. The huirs 0f Nicholwt Longworth contributed an cndmvment of $093300 on condition that the Board 01$ 23

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The importance of this gift 1:13- in the fact that from it grew the present Art School of Cincinnati. a more tlctailctl account of which will be given later. The University has been fortunate since its founding in that the 111c111hers of its Boards of Directors have ever hecn known as among our host and most representative citizens. The many obstacles in the way of the University's progresst which have been successfully surmounted. testify to their Wisdom. foresight. and devotion. Rather than organize an institution of low collegiate standing. they were determined to organize 1HJ11E. Thum in the seventh annual report, made in 1567, they say: The lPirt-vtuna i'lL-c-m it proper to repeat, for tht- illfornmtion of those who are unncquaintcd 601lbifton Of fBe with our earlier reportg, that the I'niversity contemplated lay Mr. Mt'MiCken can not be estalr Qgequcaf. .3333 lishml u'tlltnut rebuildingr must nl. tllL- pn'ipurty which. 111- ileie-iud to tilt City The Ert'CIlml 01' the IVnix-uraity, 115' well 3:; its maintenance aml stmcugizx art- ilepemlunt cntin-ly upon. the rents nt thrae properties. It was, therefore. considered inulispeunnhle that the.- pmlwrty shnultl bu put in a condi- tinn tn ylulll kl st-t'un- invumc nf HI. lL-ust $3ru'liu :mnunlly, licrliru attL-Iltpling tn put tht- institution ill operation. That in prnhulil-v thL- Iuwusl L-HtiIIlutu at which the achcme indicated in Mr. MCMitkun$ will can he sustaincrll This plan war. immHliuthy HCWIl ulmu, and tho Directors Vt'llrt rapidly llrugrE-ssiug with thu wgrk. but were Sttllipt'rl lJ-x' thc cHI-cts Hf thc war. This evunL unfortunately. proved tht- correct- new of their previous views. Aml again. from the ninth annual report, math: in 1869. we quotL- 112-: fnlluws: erking forward to the timc uhL-n ll'lt' I'nivcr- g5 f0 qafam Of Jnefruc: sity is to lJL' put in tlt'lllnl, the lJin-vtors haw: fion of f5: gniuemifz. carcfully CuiIr-ixlwutl ulmt plan of instruction shall then he punurrl; uml hum: decided. unani- mnuealy. somt- lime :lgut to provide for pursliingr tllt' thl'iUlHi hranchL-s of study 'lnflt'lit'llrlt'tlll-Y, inxtt-z'ul of requiring HlllliL'lllFu to conform to :1 fixed Hllll uniform rmxrsun .'I3-; has llUl'tlUflJt't: lau-n thc- Cll'stum in most culluges in this. runntryunnl with that view. to cstnhlish :IS many tlislinrt clcpurt- mt-ntst t-uvh nith it-x IJrUfCFhfII'S :Iml tutura. us the rt-Vcnnt- 0f Hm estate mu prrmulmntly supimrt. This- plnn hut; lJCCll :Illrnpted. nut nnly with rLAl't-rt-nve tn the.- Immif'est tL-II-lmu-y 11nwupparunt in the hunt American vullch-H tnwnr-l :1 mun.- rlm-tive Hyhtcm. zmll lllC fl'ct-r nunpc and opportunity which it gives for Elli aitlrs in the mmlc tI1' choice of uiucatitm. hut :llsu. lnecalmu in smut- J1 M, RLmINS-ox. HIL'thtl't m-ut-ssmy in carrying out rL-rtnin nleL-uts tlirL-vtt-Il in Mr. MC, Mickenfs will. shitting the few paints which lie prescribes. the institution is tn in: fur huh :mll girls. equally. itllli tllt'i'l tllltcnltull is to 'th sm'h .15. will Fit them For the nctivu duties. of liFt-t as m-ll :15. in all the higher 'llrullCllL'h of knowledge. Without uniting 1n Ctlllhllillllliltt' thin plan tlll Z'Ll. Dllt't'. it is prnpnst-cl tn put thest- clt-l'mrtmuuts into 01mm- tiun suvn-nniu-l'n in thin: and uccasinn fur each shall .wem to make it tulx'iwthle. 22

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Directors would bring the income up to Stopoo a year, Which was done. Mr. Joseph Longworth intimated that if the school was successful, he would at a future time increase his endowment. Now, there seemed to he nothing needed in Cincinnati hut liberal endmvmeuts to evolve a famous school of art and an art Inuselnn. The University had done well, but its resources were too limited to go further without trenching on the funds, which were slowly increasing. to organize the Academic Department. Mr. Longworth was hldisposed to give anything further, because he became alarmed at the appearance of politics in its management. But a group of intelligent Citizens, who were anxious for a firm progress in the School Of Design. saw the necessity of starting another :ilovementt which would not be disturbed by mere politicians. In brief, they secured from an honored 4nd wealthy citizen, the late Charles W. West. a large sum of money. on the condition that others would give as much more. to establish. on a very large scale. a school and an art museum. The additional subscriptions; were promptly made and the museum was built. But it was soon seen that unless the School of Design of the University. with its helongiI'lgsH its Classes. teachers, the influence of it3 alumni. and its endowment, would be surrendered, the new organization could not, for a long time, if ever. be put into effectual operation. The Board of Directors of the University transfer of f5: 5c500f wag hesought by the Art Museum Board. to grf Qj'luaeum gotta. in the most earnest manner, to transfer its Art Department to the new undertak- ing, setting forth the duty of our Board to contribute to the new Hchool all of our possessions for the sake of the great interests of Cincinnati. because the city could not develop two schools. and that it would relieve the ITtliversity Trustees of a large amount of labor and anxiety. and enable us to develop much earlier the Acai demie Department: moreover, Mr. Longworth had declared that he would add nothing more to his former gifts: but, on the other l'lflI'lIlt would give an additional sum of over $100,000 to the new organization. After a long and serious investigation and urgent Tluh. A. Rummy. plea of eminent Citizens, the Board of Directors surrendered its school to the present Art Museum corporation. Ex'ery thing about the school at the time was in the most prnh'peruuh' ermclilion; there were at lelet four hundred students, a most thorough course of study and discipline in vogue, and em alumni of several hundred living here and in other regions of the Ohio 24