University of Cincinnati - Cincinnatian Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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Board of Directors Rufus B. Smith ,.,.,. . . . ..r.r... . . .1927 Otto J. Renner .... . . . .1926 Davicl I. lllolfstein, M. D ...4 . . .1925 Sanford Brown .,....,o.. V. . .192-1 Edwin O. Straehley, XI. D. . . . . .1923 'Walter R. Gricss, Xl. D. . . . .1922 Arthur R. Morgan. . . .1921 Emil Pollalc .... . . . . .1920 Robert VV. Hilton . . . . .1919 Officers For the Fiscal Year was Rufus B. Sniitli. . L'!n11'r111f111 Daniel Lz1w1'cnCc. Cfwrk Cli1'istil-lYilkic. 1 wfrfsfzf Cflwrk II 1, -mu-nl

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, 51411 Q ,3 Charles William Dabney llflllllllllmj ull Lv11ix'c1'si1y wwf Xvlfgllllllj A. li., lqll1llllllL'll llnuy Vfrllugcg Pl1.l5., Gucltlllgyl' L'1lixwg1'wity'g l,l..lJ,, Xzmlu L'11ixw-1'Qi1,yg -lolms llwplciui L'1'lix'u1'sity :mil thu Lmlivulxity uf liuuwclcy. huge 5 ive

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The University-Past and Present HE history of the University of Cincinnati has been the gradual realiza- tion of a dream-the dream of Charles Mcllicken. Beginning with the mere glow of a vision in the mind of that generous and public-spirited benefactor, it has evolved with an extraordinarily rapid progress, increasing in size, achievement. and influence, until we may now safely say that it is the great- est municipal university in the world. For although many cities are striving to emulate the great educational work of Cincinnati, none have as yet surpassed it, or even equalled it. It is noteworthy that the only state whose code expressly permits cities to establish municipal universities, and levy a special tax for the purpose, is Ohio. The University of Cincinnati was incorporated upon the passage by the General Assembly of the state in 1870, of the act enabling cities to aid and promote education. A less idealistic, but none the less interesting, phase of Ohio edu- cational legislation, is the authorization by the state legislature, in 1807, of a lottery to endow an educational institution. A few tickets were even sold, but the lottery was never materialized. Seven years after this unsuccessful attempt, in 1814, a small group of citizens organized and established the Cincinnati-Lancaster Seminary upon the site of the present Mercantile Library Building. In the early thirties this was re- organized and the Medical and Law Schools were at the same time affiliated. Then, in 1845, the building burned and the Law School alone survived. The Cincinnati Law School, founded in 1833, was the fourth institution of its kind in this country, those of Harvard, Yale, and the University of Virginia alone preceding it. The will of Charles Mcllicken. who died in 1858, provided that the bulk of his estate, which was valued at about S1,000,000, be used to found two colleges for the education of white girls and boys. Almost one-half of the property lin Louisianaj was lost by the decision of the Supreme Court, and the remainder, not sufficient for the organization of two such colleges, was, for the next ten years, devoted to the increase of the Mchlicken fund. In 1870, as has been mentioned, the University of Cincinnati was incorpo- rated, and the city issued its first university bonds in 1875. Instruction had been begun in 187-1 on Franklin Street, with a small faculty of teachers from VVoodward High School. The first university building was that upon the site of the old Mchlicken homestead on Clifton Avenue, the same building which has until recently been occupied by the Medical College. The next great step in the extension of the institution was the removal in 1895 to Mchlicken Hall, the nucleus of the still-increasing aggregate of beautiful buildings in Burnet lVoods. There is a considerable list of social-spirited men and women who, by their generous gifts, have greatly hastened the expansion of the University. Some of our buildings bear the names of several of them. Hanna Hall, the gift of Henry Hanna, was added in 1896. Four years later, Briggs Cunningham made possible the erection of its twin building, Cunningham Hall. Van VVor- mer Library was begun the following year. During the next ten years, however, lpage eighteenl