Miami University

This is an article about Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. For the article on the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, see University of Miami.

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Miami University, founded in 1809, is the second oldest college west of the Allegheny mountains. It is located in Oxford, Ohio (not in Florida) in southwestern Ohio about thirty miles northwest of Cincinnati. The Miami in this school's name refers to the Miami Rivers valley, cut by two medium-sized rivers, the Little Miami River and the Great Miami River, that flow through southwestern Ohio; the rivers were in turn named after the Miami Indians who lived in that area before European settlement.

Miami was named one of the original Public Ivies in Richard Moll's 1985 book entitled, 'The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Undergraduate Colleges'. Miami is known as the "Cradle of Coaches" because several prominent football coaches worked there before achieving greater fame at more prominent college programs or the NFL. Among these coaches were Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Weeb Ewbank, and Bo Schembechler. Because if it is home to a number of Alpha Chapters it is also considered the Mother of Fraternities. It is also the alma-mater of manyOhio Governors and has therefore been called the Mother of Ohio Governors.

Miami graduated an American President (Benjamin Harrison) putting it in a prestigious category of a league of Presidential alma maters.

For many years, the athletic teams at Miami were nicknamed Redskins, but in 1997, the nickname was changed to RedHawks. Some controversy surrounded this change and some aspects- including the logo (featuring a native american head)- of the old identity persist. The RedHawks participate in NCAA Division I in all sports (I-A in football). Its primary conference is the Mid-American Conference; its hockey program competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Yager Stadium is home to Miami football.

It is also famous for its School of Education, the McGuffey School, named for Professor William Holmes McGuffey who taught there and wrote America's most widely used pioneer text books while at the university.

Miami University was first provided for under the Northwest Ordinance, which would regulate the free states of the Midwest. On May 5, 1792, "the President of the United States was authorized to grant letters patent to John Cleves Symmes and his associates . . . provided that the land grant should include one complete township . . . for the purpose of establishing an academy and other public schools and seminaries of learning. After Ohio became a state in 1803, the State legislature assumed responsibility for making sure that John Cleves Symmes would set aside a township of land for the support of an academy. Such a law was passed by the State legislature April 15, 1803. . . . Finally, on February 17, 1809, the State legislature created Miami University and provided that one complete township in the State of Ohio in the district of Cincinnati was to be vested in Miami University for its use, benefit, and support."[1] (http://www.lib.muohio.edu/epub/govlaw/OHIST/mucent.txt) This was known as the "College Township"

Miami was chartered by the government but was considered a private college engaged in classical training. Antebellum Miami University took students from all over the West, and was known as the "Yale of the West". It was at one point the 4th largest university after Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth. As the East-West rivalries subsided, but the North-South rivalries surged, Miami University split apart at the time of the Civil War. Most graduates volunteered for the Union, more than any other school bar the military academies. The majority of those that didn't, primarily from Southern states (such as Jefferson Davis' nephew) volunteered in the rebel armies. Because its students had left for war, because many alumni and professors died in the War, because the West opened up to other universities, and because Southern families no longer sent their sons to the North for an education, "Old Miami" passed on and Miami University nearly died. The university, unable to pay its huge debts, closed in 1873 and did not reopen until 1885.

With the help of alumni and Ohio legislators, "New Miami" was restarted as a coeducational school of education and liberal arts. Although Ohio State University had been launched in the interim, Miami University gained a fair share of Ohio students by the 1890s, and by the 1950s had massively grown. The rural Oxford campus with Georgian architecture is considered to be similar to Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia campus and one of the most beautiful in the U.S; Robert Frost once called it "the prettiest campus there ever was." [2] (http://www.pfd.muohio.edu/treewalk/index.jsp)

Several women's colleges in Oxford were associated with or effectively merged with Miami University including the Western College for Women (now the Western College Program), a daughter school of Mount Holyoke. Miami University was coeducational long before most schools in the Ivy League. Miami has been a non-sectarian school as were other pioneer universities in the Midwest, though its early leaders were often Presbyterians.

Miami University's current enrollment is approximately 15,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students. In addition to its Oxford campus, Miami has additional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, Ohio, and a European Center in Luxembourg.

Miami University is known around the Greek World for the Miami Triad, three fraternities founded in the 19th century that spread throughout the United States. These were Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Chi, and Phi Delta Theta. The Delta Zeta sorority was also founded at Miami University in addition to the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

The Oxford campus has become the first major public school in the United States to abolish tuition differentials between state residents and nonresidents. As of the 2004-05 academic year, all students pay tuition of over $19,000 per year, although Ohio residents are guaranteed scholarships of at least $10,000. [3] (http://www.aol.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_46/b3908089.htm)

Contents

1 Divisions 2 Alma Mater 3 Presidents of Miami 4 Mission Statement 5 Famous People related to Miami University 6 Famous Graduates 7 External links 8 References

Divisions

• School of Fine Arts (http://www.muohio.edu/finearts/)
• Richard T. Farmer School of Business
• College of Arts & Science (http://www.muohio.edu/artsscience/)
• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (http://www.muohio.edu/engineeringappliedscience/)
• School of Interdisciplinary Studies (http://wcp.muohio.edu/) (a.k.a. the Western College Program)
• McGuffey School of Education and Allied Professions (http://www.muohio.edu/educationalliedprofessions/)
• Graduate School (http://www.miami.muohio.edu/graduate/)

Alma Mater

Miami Glee Club singing the Miami Alma Mater (http://www.miami.muohio.edu/about_miami/virtual_tour/sounds/ram/almamaterglee.ram)

Old Miami from thy hillcrest,<p> Thou hast watched the decades roll,<p> While thy sons have quested from thee,<p> Sturdy hearted, pure of soul.<p> Old Miami! New Miami!<p> Days of old and days to be;<p> Weave the story of thy glory,<p> Our Miami, here's to thee!<p>

Presidents of Miami

1. Robert Hamilton Bishop, 1824-1841
2. George Junkin, 1841-1844
3. Erasmus D. MacMaster, 1845-1849
4. William C. Anderson, 1849-1854
5. O.N. Stoddard, 1854 (pro tempore)
6. John W. Hall, 1854-1866
7. Robert B. Stanton, 1866-1871
8. Andrew D. Hepburn, 1871-1873 (pro tempore; later considered to be regular)
9. Robert W. McFarland, 1885-1888 (pro tempore; later considered to be regular)
10. Ethelbert D. Warfield, 1888-1891
11. William Oxley Thompson, 1891-1899
12. David Stanton Tappan, 1899-1902
13. Guy Potter Benton, 1902-1911
14. Edgar Ewing Brandon, 1909-1910 (acting), 1927-1928 (acting)
15. Raymond M. Hughes, 1911-1913 (acting), 1913-1927
16. Alfred H. Upham, 1928-1945
17. Aldelphus K. Morris, 1945-1946 (acting)
18. Ernest H. Hahne, 1946-1952
19. John D. Millett, 1953-1964
20. Charles Ray Wilson, 1964-1965 (acting)
21. Phillip R. Shriver, 1965-1981
22. Paul G. Pearson, 1981-1992
23. Paul G. Risser, 1993-1995
24. Anne Hopkins, December 1995-July 1996 (acting)
25. Dr. James C. Garland, 1996-Present

Mission Statement

[4] (http://www.miami.muohio.edu/about_miami/mission/)

The mission of Miami University is to preserve, add to, evaluate, and transmit the accumulated knowledge of the centuries; to develop critical thinking, extend the frontiers of knowledge, and serve society; and to provide an environment conducive to effective and inspired teaching and learning, promote professional development of faculty, and encourage scholarly research and creativity of faculty and students.

Miami's primary concern is its students. This concern is reflected in a broad array of efforts to develop the potential of each student. The University endeavors to individualize the educational experience. It provides personal and professional guidance; and, it offers opportunities for its students to achieve understanding and appreciation not only of their own culture but of the cultures of others as well. Selected undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of quality should be offered with the expectation of students achieving a high level of competence and understanding and developing a personal value system. Since the legislation creating Miami University stated that a leading mission of the University was to promote "good education, virtue, religion, and morality," the University has been striving to emphasize the supreme importance of dealing with problems related to values.

Miami is committed to serve the community, state, and nation. It offers access to higher education, including continuing education, for those who can benefit from it, at a reasonable cost, without regard for race, creed, sex, or age. It educates men and women for responsible, informed citizenship, as well as for meaningful employment. It provides both disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the pursuit of knowledge and to the solving of problems. It sponsors a wide range of cultural and educational activities which have significance beyond the campus and the local community.

Famous People related to Miami University

• Nick Lachey, singer in 98 Degrees and star of MTV Show Newlyweds. (Attended MU from 1993-1995.)
• Ben Roethlisberger, professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers. (Attended MU from 2000-2004.)
• Susan Vaughn on The Amazing Race 7 [5] (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7/teams/susan/) (Administrator at MU)
• Dr. Ryan J. Barilleaux, Chair of the Department of Political Science, Expert and author of 12 books about the American Presidency
• Tina Louise, Actress who played role of Ginger in television series 'Gilligans Island'
• William Holmes McGuffey, Professor who developed the McGuffey Readers while at Miami

Famous Graduates

• Walter Alston, former manager of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator from Washington.
  Missing image
  Benharrison.jpg

  23rd President of the United States
• David A. Caputo, president of Pace University.
• Art Clokey, creator of famous childhood icons Gumby and Pokey.
• Mike DeWine, U.S. Senator from Ohio.
• Rita Dove, African-American U.S. Poet laureate.
• Andrew L. Harris, former Governor of Ohio, U.S. Commissioner, Civil War General.
• Benjamin Harrison, former President of the United States.
• Bill Hemmer, CNN anchor.
• Samuel Laws, inventor of the stock ticker on the New York Gold Exchange
• Mojo Nixon, musician.
• P. J. O'Rourke, conservative satirist.
• Michael Oxley, Member of Congress and co-sponsor of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
• Joseph Ralston, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
• Chris Rose, sportscaster.
• Paul Ryan, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
• Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, current president of the University of Miami and a graduate of Miami of Ohio's Western College Program.
• Ron Harper, retired NBA player, Four-time NBA Champion, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers
• Wally Szczerbiak, NBA player, Minnesota Timberwolves.
• Ira Newble, NBA player, Cleveland Cavaliers

External links

• Official school website (http://www.muohio.edu/)
• Official athletics site (http://muredhawks.collegesports.com/)
• The Miami Years (http://www.lib.muohio.edu/my/), by Walter Havighurst
• Miami Student Newspaper (http://mustudent.muohio.edu)
• Miami University Alumni Association (http://www.miamialum.org)

References

• Bert S. Barlow, W.H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, and Frederick Schneider, eds. Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio. Hamilton, Ohio: B.F. Bowen, 1905.

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