USA > Ohio > Ross County > Chillicothe > Ohio centennial anniversary celebration at Chillicothe, May 20-21, 1903 : under the auspices of the Ohio State Archaelogical and Historical Society : complete proceedings > Part 44
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In 1878 the legislature passed "An act to reorganize and change the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege and to repeal certain acts therein mentioned." The act pro- vided that the institution should be thereafter designated as "The Ohio State University." Up to this time but one appropriation had been made by the state for the support of the institution. With the reorganization came the larger and broader view of the state's relation to public education, and since that time the Ohio State University has shared with other public educational insti- tutions a more generous support by the state.
The Ohio State University comprises six colleges, as fol- lows :
The College of Agriculture and Domestic Science consists of those departments represented in the course leading to the de- grees of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Forestry, and Bachelor of Science in Domestic Economy, and in the course in Dairying, the short course in Agriculture, and the short course in Domestic Science.
The College of Arts, Philosophy and Science consists of those departments represented in the courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Philosophy and Bachelor of Science. After June, 1903, all courses in this college will lead to the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
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The College of Engineering consists of those departments represented in the courses leading to the degrees of Civil En- gineer, Civil Engineer in Architecture, Engineer of Mines, En- gineer of Mines in Ceramics, Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer in Electrical Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts and Manual Training, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry or in Metallurgy; in the Short Course in Clay- working and Ceramics, and in the Short Course in Mining.
The College of Law consists of those departments repre- sented in the course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
The College of Pharmacy consists of those departments rep- resented in the courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and in the Short Course in Pharmacy.
The College of Veterinary Medicine consists of those de- partments represented in the course leading to the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and to a certificate of Veterinary Surgeon.
The Graduate School has been organized with a board of management and is making steady progress.
Each college is under the direction of its own faculty, which has power to act in all matters pertaining to the work of students in that college.
The Growth of the University.
In 1873 the school was opened with 17 students; in 1883 the roll was 355; in 1893 the roll was 642; in 1903 the roll was 1717. The preparatory department was abolished in 1895.
The original building has been enlarged and the university now uses for instruction sixteen buildings. In 1873 the fac- ulty comprised a president and seven professors. In 1903 more than one hundred and thirty persons are engaged in the work of instruction. There are thirty-eight distinct departments of instruction and the laboratories for instruction in the several sciences are not surpassed in the Central West.
The finances of the institution have not grown as rapidly as demands require. The sources of income are, first, the in- terest on the endowment; second, the annual grants from
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United States Congress under the provision of the second Mor- rill act; third, receipts from the fees of students; fourth, mis- cellaneous receipts from rentals and incidental accounts; fifth, the proceeds from the state levy. This last item is one-tenth of a mill on the grand duplicate, amounting to about $200,000 annually. For four years past the legislature has provided five one-hundredths of a mill additional, which has been used for the erection and equipment of needed buildings.
General Statement.
Passing now the question of origin, organization and classifi- cation, there are certain prominent features of the Ohio col- leges that are worthy of attention. And first let it be remarked that the problem of co-education has had its solution in Ohio: The first attempt to face the opposition to equal education for woman was made at Oberlin and has never been abandoned. Oberlin wears the crown among American colleges for this inno- vation that could not now be put aside. As the denominational colleges were organized they met the problem. For awhile some of them avoided the issue, but Oberlin's experience proved that woman was not a foe to be feared and gradually all these institutions caught the pace of progress and now gladly welcome woman to her rightful opportunities. On the other hand some of the privately endowed institutions stood long and steadfastly to traditions. Co-education was not welcome to some; it was believed to be wrong in theory and unsatisfactory in practice. We find co-ordinate education at Western Reserve where the university faculty gives instruction to the college for women ; we find separate education by faculties of women, as at The Western College for Women at Lake Erie College. At Ken- yon we find separate education for men. The state institutions are liberally co-educational. While co-education has won its vic- tories and established itself beyond any question, the Ohio Col- leges in this regard represent every type of education and stand as a protest against intolerance of every kind.
Second: It is proper to speak of the spirit that has lived in the Ohio colleges. The prosperity and progress of Ohio is as
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truly due to the aspirations of the people as to their labor. We have been laughed at for our many colleges, but it is well to remember that they represent the faith of the people. Over Ohio's hills and valleys our people have believed in their chil- dren; they have worked for them; they have built colleges at great sacrifice as a testimony to their own faith. We have not proceeded upon the theory that only ideal conditions should obtain, but upon the better theory of doing the best possible under the circumstances. The spirit made the Ohio alumnus a man of power and adaptability as well as a high- minded citizen. They have filled every important office from that of chief executive of the Nation down; they have been marked by high attainments in the pulpit, in the practice of law, in medicine, in business and in all the usual callings of life. They have been neither paupers nor beggars, neither failures nor visionaries, but clear-headed, warm-hearted, patriotic citizens conserving the best interests of the State and Church. When the Civil War broke out, the call was heard in every college, oftentimes taking both professor and student to the front. The war emptied the class rooms. The history of that period shows every college to have suffered in attendance as in support. They made this sacrifice willingly, as it was the prac- tical demonstration of the spirit nurtured in the colleges.
Third: Again there has been a service to the locality not to be forgotten. Some of the Ohio colleges were founded be- fore the day of railroads and many of them before railroads were at all common. This takes us back to the days when transportation was slow and burdensome and often expensive. The local college then set the standard for its community and drew from its immediate vicinity nearly all its students. The prosperity of the college meant a certain uplift to the com- munity. Where some of these institutions have declined chiefly owing to the changed conditions of our day, there has often occurred a similar decline in the quality and character of the community. The public school has not yet served the same purpose as the small college of early days. This service to the community not only increased its own self-respect, but de- veloped men and women who were destined to leave the locality
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to serve in larger and wider spheres. These colleges cost some money and some of them have ceased to exist, but they paid for themselves again and again in character and manhood.
Fourth: Another feature of the Ohio colleges is their in- fluence upon education and educational theory. Ohio has been singularly free from tradition and has shown great tolerance. Freedom of thought in education has been encouraged. Ac- cordingly many experiments have been tried. As has been said by Dr. W. T. Harris, "It seems that wherever a body of educational reforms with similar ideals become moved with a strong impulse to put their principles into practice, they chose Ohio as the scene for their experiment." The colleges have been the battleground for many reforms, but on the whole they have represented a conservative progress and their alumni have given stability to education in the state. The Ohio colleges have educated a large number of men and women who have given themselves to teaching as a profession and a vastly larger num- ber who have temporarily engaged in the work of education, and in this way have exercised an unconscious but effective leadership.
Fifth : Another characteristic feature of Ohio colleges has been their close co-operation with religion. In all the early colleges religion was given a distinct and permanent place, either. in the charter or in the declaration of principles setting forth the reason for the organization. In some instances it is dis- tinctly stated that the church has organized these colleges in order to train her children under religious influence and thus conserve them to the church. In other cases a general state- ment is made of the supreme importance of religion and of its necessity to a well-developed system of education. In harmony with this conception the church has undertaken to make a large and generous provision for education. The struggle to do this thing has been marked by great sacrifice and personal devotion. The leaders in education have not always been able in a young and growing commonwealth, where people were struggling for maintenance, to secure for the colleges a requisite amount of money. It is worth while, however, to observe that in the ad- ministration of funds at hand there has been singular ability
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and wise economy in · securing great returns upon the invest- ment. It is to the lasting credit of the management of higher education in Ohio that it has been so free from scandal, corrup- tion and fraud in the use of trust funds. It is probably true that in some instances men were not always wise enough to do what they really aimed to do, but it must be said that amid the perplexities of poverty surrounding these institutions in the early days, it is a matter of surprise and congratulation that so much has been accomplished. The high character of the men who have served the institutions and the persistent deter- mination that they should be under the inspiration of religion, has doubtless done much to determine both the quality of the education . and the character of the graduates. This whole- some encouragement of religion has sent the alumni back to the church with renewed enthusiasm for both religion and educa- tion. The contribution that the colleges have made to the per- manent strength and prosperity of the church is worth far more than the colleges have cost. These beneficent results are often- times overlooked in our eagerness to promote the cause of education.
On the other hand, the attitude of the state has been most kindly to such enterprises. The deepest sentiment of the state has been favorable to religion and entire freedom in education. Even the state institutions have been much influenced by the presence of religion. There can be no reasonable doubt that the denominational and private colleges, by reason of their em- phasis upon the importance of religion, have greatly influenced the atmosphere about state institutions. We find in Ohio a very happy condition in this regard. No college will make a declaration of sectarianism nor will a state institution stand for irreligion or immorality. Doubtless the great variety of insti- tutions in Ohio has emphasized the importance of a charitable view toward others and has cultivated a very liberal spirit along with an intense loyalty to conviction. The sum total of influence therefore of both state and non-state institutions upon the population of our commonwealth has been decidedly helpful and stimulating. Our indebtedness to the colleges in this re- gard is greater than is commonly appreciated.
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Concluding Remarks.
There has been some difficulty in determining what institu- tions should be listed in this article. There are some institu- tions known as colleges in Ohio not included in this list. In some cases they are not doing the work of a college grade; in others they are private institutions not incorporated in the state of Ohio, but incorporated under the laws of other states in order to avoid the double liability for stockholders.
Prior to 1851 there were 270 different educational institu- tions incorporated in the state of Ohio. Quite a number of the colleges mentioned above have been incorporated since 1851. It is a simple statement of fact that probably 300 institutions, more or less permanent in character, have organized for educa- tional purposes in Ohio. Many of these have ceased to exist ; others have continued as academies; others have merged into public schools and colleges, and still others have no history that is of public importance. There is no doubt that the growth of the public school system has rendered unnecessary many of these efforts between the years 1803 and 1851. In their day they served a purpose and did a commendable work. Many existing institutions are struggling with the problem of ex- istence and others with the problem of a better existence as records above in this article will show. Quite a number of colleges have a permanent fund which is so small that they never can hope to do much beyond their present work and that in order to maintain themselves must depend largely upon the tuition of students who are doing work ordinarily done in the public high schools. The large freedom provided under the statutes of Ohio and the lack of any system of state super- vision makes this condition possible and probably permanent. Meantime the better endowed institutions must continue to carry the greater portion of the work of higher education.
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OHIO IN THE CARE OF HER UNFORTUNATE CLASSES.
R. BRINKERHOFF.
THE CARE OF THE POOR.
The law existing at the opening of the century, and which continued, with minor modifications until 1816, was enacted by the governor and judges of the Northwest Territory June 19, 1795, and went into operation Oc- tober 1, 1795. It provided for the ap- pointment by the Court of General Sessions, of two substantial inhabit- ants of each township to act as over- seers of the poor.
The law authorized the overseers to use their discretion in contracting in the maintenance of the poor, and to levy a tax on the estimated value of real and personal property in the township, of not more than two cents on a dollar, and a per capita tax of seventy-five cents.
R. BRINKERHOFF.
In December, 1799, however, the law was amended so as to make it the "duty of the overseers of the poor, in each and every township, yearly, and every year, to cause all persons, who have or shall become a public charge, to be farmed out at public vendue, or out cry, to-wit: On the first Monday of May, yearly and every year, at some public place in each township in the several counties of this territory, respect- ively, to the person or persons who shall appear to be the lowest bidder or bidders, having given ten days' previous notice of such sale, in at least three of the most public places in their
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respective townships; which notices shall set forth the name and age, as near as may be, of each person to be farmed out, as aforesaid."
This method of dealing with the poor continued without material change until February 26, 1816, when our present sys- tem had its initiation.
By a statute of that date it was provided, "That the com- missioners of each county in the state be, and they are hereby authorized, to erect and establish poor houses, whenever in their opinion, such a measure shall be proper and advantageous."
To govern these poor houses the commissioners were directed to appoint seven judicious persons, inhabitants of their county, who shall form a board of directors to take charge of and manage the affairs of the said poor houses."
By act of March 8, 1831, the number of directors to be ap- pointed by the county commissioners was reduced to three, to continue in office for one year.
By act of March 5, 1842, it was enacted "that the qualified electors for members of the General Assembly, in any county within this state, in which a poor house is completed, or may hereafter be completed, for the reception of the poor, shall elect at their annual election, three judicious persons, residents of such county, who shall form a board of directors for the poor ; one of whom shall hold office for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, so that one of said directors shall be elected each year."
By act of March 23, 1850, it was provided that the name of all institutions known and designated by the title of county poor houses erected by the several counties of the state under the provisions of the act passed March 8, 1816, should hereafter be known as county infirmaries.
So at last, by legislative evolution and the survival of the fittest, we arrived at the condition of development, with some changes and additions, which we now have.
The most important change in recent years was the codifi- cation of the poor laws by the General Assembly of 1898, which included the administration of out door relief by townships instead of counties.
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DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
In the care of its dependent children Ohio has been especially noteworthy, and was among the first, and I am not sure but it was the very first state in the Union, to provide homes at public expense for all of these unfortunates. Of these institutions we now have fifty-five, known as county homes, in which over 3,000 children are received and cared for annually.
In addition the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home estab- lished and supported by the state at Xenia has a daily average of 900 inmates, and in efficiency of management, and beneficent results, has no equal anywhere.
The Ohio institution for the education of the blind, located at Columbus, was the fourth in the order of its establishment in the United States, and was founded in 1837, and its daily average of pupils now numbers over 300.
The Ohio institution for the education of the deaf and dumb is one of the finest in the world, and was founded at Co- lumbus in 1827, and now has an average attendance of over 500 pupils.
FEEBLE-MINDED YOUTH.
The Ohio institution for feeble-minded children was founded in 1857, and is located at Columbus. I am very sure it is no exaggeration to say that among institutions of its kind, "it has no equal upon this planet," at any rate, that was the declaration of the late Dr. I. N. Kerlin, for many years the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Institution for Feeble Minded Children at Elwyn.
Dr. G. A. Doren has been the superintendent of our Ohio institution since 1859, and to him is due, very largely, its com- manding position. During the past year the daily average of pupils has been over one thousand.
In connection with our Ohio institution, and under the same management a colony for adult idiots has been established on a farm of 1,574} acres, ten miles from Columbus, and ac- commodations have already been nearly completed for three hundred inmates with a promise for five hundred more during
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the present year. It is expected that in the near future a thou- sand patients will be cared for in this institution, and Dr. Doren. is confident that they can be made self-supporting. In addition, buildings for three hundred females of this class are nearly completed at the home place in Columbus.
THE CARE OF THE INSANE.
In the care of the insane greater progress has been made. throughout the civilized world during the past fifty years than in all previous history, and in this forward movement no state or country has been more conspicuous than Ohio.
In fact, Ohio was the first state or country in the world that deliberately took the position that any citizen bereft of rea- son, ipso facto, becomes the child of the state, and was entitled to the best possible care, absolutely free of cost to the recipient. This was done by the adoption of Sec. I, in Article VII of the State Constitution of 1851, which provides that "Institutions. for the benefit of the insane, blind, and deaf and dumb, shall always be fostered and supported by the state, and be subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by the General Assembly."
Under this provision of the constitution, all insane in public care are provided for in seven hospitals for the insane, in which the average daily attendance for 1902 was as follows :
Longview, established in
1821
1,140
Columbus,
1838
1,381
Cleveland,
66
1855
1,163
Dayton,
66
1855
906
Athens,
1864
1,043
Toledo,
1889
1,601
Massillon,
66
1899
855
Gallipolis,
66
1890
844
8,933
In the vast forward movement in the care of the insane during the past century, by far the most important event was. the abolition of mechanical restraints in the care of patients.
Thirty years ago such restraints were everywhere considered a necessity, and for excited patients strong rooms, straight jack-
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ets, cribs, muffs, camisoles, airing courts and other mechanical appliances were everywhere in evidence. Only twenty-five years ago, when I came upon the Board of State Charities, and began to visit asylums, there were only four or five institutions in the United States where these appliances were abolished to any large extent, and of these, two were in Ohio, brought so through the initiation of that prince of alienists, Dr. Richard Gundry, first at Athens (1872-76), and then at Columbus. Even then and for several years later, patients were only allowed outdoor liberty and exercise in airing courts, surrounded by high walls or wooden stockades.
In this great forward movement, Ohio was in the front rank, and I am not sure but she was the very first to inaugurate the new era in all of her state institutions.
Another pioneer movement in Ohio in the care of the insane was the creation of the Toledo State Hospital upon what is known as the cottage system, and which has since been the model for all new asylums throughout the United States.
THE CARE OF EPILEPTICS.
In the care of epileptics, Ohio has the unchallenged credit of being the first state or country in the world to provide for this unfortunate class at public expense. The State Hospital for Epileptics at Gallipolis was authorized by the General Assembly in 1890, and was opened for the reception of patients Novem- ber 30, 1893, and now cares for an average of over one thou- sand patients. This example of Ohio has been followed by sev- eral other states (notably New York) and similar action is under consideration in several other states.
OHIO METHODS IN DEALING WITH THE CRIMINAL CLASSES. £ PRO- GRESSIVE STEPS IN LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
That reformation, rather than punishment, should be the main object in dealing with the criminal classes was a conviction that found expression at the very threshold of Ohio history, and was embodied in the organic law of the state more than a hundred
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years ago, and some knowledge of its evolution, as shown in legislation and administration is absolutely essential to a proper understanding of existing conditions, for prison reform, external and internal, in Ohio is an evolution from within rather than an importation from without.
For high intelligence, broad statesmanship, and moral worth, the pioneers of Ohio have had no superiors among the founders of states.
LEGISLATIVE BEGINNINGS.
The first English-speaking settlement within the present boundaries of the state of Ohio was established at Marietta July 13, 1787, under the ordinance creating the Northwest Ter- ritory.
The first legislation in regard to crime and criminals was formulated by the governor and judges, authorized by Con- gress, and was promulgated at Marietta September 6, 1788. This criminal code specified twenty offenses to which penalties were provided. The only offense punishable by death was mur- der. This is probably the first criminal code in the world in which the death penalty was limited to one offense. Six years later (1794) Pennsylvania followed this example, and since then nearly all of the states have adopted the same rule.
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