WE KNOW COLLEGE PROBABLY SEEMS LIKE A LONG WAYS AWAY FOR MOST OF YOU... BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU DREAM ABOUT AND THE BUCKEYE STATE HAS A RICH HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
FROM CINCINNATI TO TOLEDO TO AKRON...THERE ARE HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS ALL AROUND OUR STATE. AND FOR THIS WEEK'S KNOW OHIO, WE TAKE A FIELD TRIP FROM THE CLASSROOM AND DISCOVER THE UNIQUE COLLEGE CAMPUSES AROUND OHIO.
WE START OUR JOURNEY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE STATE AT OHIO UNIVERSITY IN ATHENS. OHIO UNIVERSITY OPENED IN 1808, JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER OHIO BECAME A STATE. OU WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CHARTERED IN OHIO AND THE FORMER NORTHWEST TERRITORY, WITH JUST ONE BUILDING, THREE STUDENTS AND ONE PROFESSOR.. AND ITS THE NINTH OLDEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
GOING NORTH NOW TO OBERLIN, OHIO, OBERLIN COLLEGE IS A SMALL PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE FOUNDED IN 1833. UNLIKE TODAY, TUITION WAS FREE AT OBERLIN IN THOSE DAYS, AS STUDENTS WERE EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY. OBERLIN IS ALSO NOTEWORTHY FOR BEING THE FIRST AMERICAN UNIVERSITY TO ADMIT BOTH FEMALE AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS.
MOVING SOUTHWEST... WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY WAS FOUNDED IN 1856 AND IS THE FIRST UNIVERSITY TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS. AND TALK ABOUT INTERESTING HISTORY... ITS ORIGIN CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE DAYS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, AS ONE OF THE DESTINATION POINTS LATER BECAME WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY.
AND FINALLY TO OUR CAPITAL CITY OF COLUMBUS WE FIND THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY... LISTED AS THE THIRD LARGEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT IN THE U.S., OSU ORIGINALLY BEGAN AS THE OHIO AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE.. WITH A FOCUS ON TRAINING STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DISCIPLINES. THE OHIO UNION AT OHIO STATE WAS THE FIRST STUDENT UNION AT AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY... BUILT IN 1909, THE ORIGINAL STUDENT UNION HELPED FOSTER STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN ACADEMICS AND CAMPUS LIFE.