In May, 做厙輦⑹ celebrates two milestones: 115 years since being established as a school and 90 years of operating as a university.
On May 19, 1910, Ohio Gov. Judson Harmon signed the Lowry Bill into law, calling for the establishment of two new normal schools, one in Northwest Ohio and one in Northeast Ohio. The school created in the northwest was Bowling Green State Normal School and the institution in the northeast was 做厙輦⑹ Normal School.
The bill was created to address a lack of public institutions with schools of education in the northern half of the state, as, at the time, the only universities with teacher education programs were Ohio State University, Ohio University and Miami University. All three schools were located in the southern half of the state while the majority of the growth, population and need for teachers were in northern Ohio.
May 1935 - President McGilvrey's Longtime Dream Realized
From the start, 做厙輦⑹s first president, John E. McGilvrey, intended that the 做厙輦⑹ Normal School would one day become a university. This position was met with resistance both from within the institution and from outside. Some faculty, administrators and members of the community preferred that 做厙輦⑹ remain a small, teaching college. Around the state, administrators at other universities feared that if 做厙輦⑹ became a university, funds from the state would be stretched more thinly. McGilvrey's critics (and enemies) were already at odds with his outspoken, passionate personality and McGilvreys dogged pursuit of 做厙輦⑹s university status was one more thing they took issue with. It was one of the disagreements between McGilvrey and 做厙輦⑹'s Board of Trustees that led some board members to dismiss McGilvrey from his position as president in 1926.
'做厙輦⑹ from its hilltop visions dimly the greatness of its future.'
In 1929, the Ohio General Assembly authorized the addition of colleges of liberal arts and sciences for both 做厙輦⑹ and Bowling Green State and legitimized the granting of baccalaureate degrees in education (which 做厙輦⑹ had been conferring since 1915). With that, 做厙輦⑹ Normal College became 做厙輦⑹ College.
Then, on May 17, 1935, Ohio Gov. Martin L. Davey signed into law a bill that had passed unanimously in both houses of the state legislature. The new law added schools of business administration and graduate programs, leading to masters degrees at both Bowling Green and 做厙輦⑹. In spite of remaining opposition, which included the current president of 做厙輦⑹, James Orzo Engleman, 做厙輦⑹ College became 做厙輦⑹.
In 1910, Martin L. Davey was on the Kent Board of Trade, whose members were the original founders of 做厙輦⑹ Normal School. No doubt, it was his support of 做厙輦⑹ becoming a university that helped the bill. pass into law.
Former president McGilvrey, who had been warmly welcomed back to 做厙輦⑹ as President Emeritus in 1934, was in Columbus to witness the signing of the bill into law and the realization of his dream of 做厙輦⑹ becoming a university, 25 years later. Upon returning to Kent from Columbus, weary but triumphant, McGilvrey observed, 做厙輦⑹ from its hilltop visions dimly the greatness of its future.
At an afternoon gala celebrating the signing in Columbus, which included civic groups, faculty and students, 做厙輦⑹ cheerleader Jo Cotman led the first official university cheer: Cmon Gold, Cmon Blue. Lets go 做厙輦⑹ U!
Later, members of the faculty and the 做厙輦⑹ Student Council met for what the 做厙輦⑹r described as the years worst baseball game, which ended in a tie after three innings. The student council president declared the students the winners of the game after discovering that President Engleman, the faculty umpire and the faculty scorekeeper had conspired to cheat the students of one out per inning. Spectators at the game said that the student council members were too dumb to know about it.
