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Our History
Ohio University's Roots
On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the nation's 17th state. Less than a year later, on February 18, 1804, the Ohio General Assembly approved Ohio University's charter. Ohio University is the oldest university in the Northwest Territory, with roots in post-Revolutionary War America. In 1786 a group of veterans petitioned Congress to purchase, through the Ohio Company of Associates, one-and-a-half million acres north and west of the Ohio River.
Revenue from two townships in the Ohio Company purchase was set aside for support of a university. In 1808 the University opened with three students, and in 1815 awarded its first two bachelor's degrees. The University graduated a total of only 145 students until after the Civil War. By 1920 it had 1,072 students, but it was not until after World War II that the University began to approach its present size.
» Explore the early years of Ohio University
The 1950s & Onwards
In the 1950s the student population grew from 4,600 to 8,000, and the 1960s saw enrollment burgeon from about 10,000 to some 18,000 students on the Athens campus. In the early 1970s, during the Vietnam era, the student population fell below 13,000. Today the Athens campus serves over 19,000 students.
Since 1946 the University's service as the major educational and cultural institution in southeastern Ohio has included regional campuses in Chillicothe, Ironton, Lancaster, St. Clairsville, and Zanesville. Today, the regional campuses collectively enroll over 8,000 students, making the full-time, part-time, and continuing education enrollment for Ohio University more than 28,000.
Ohio University is designated a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Only 125 schools or 3.4 percent of the 3,600 schools assessed by the Carnegie Foundation are classified as research universities. Others in the Doctoral/Research-Extensive classification include Auburn, Clemson, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Washington State. According to the Carnegie Foundation definition, a Doctoral/Research-Extensive university "offers a full range of baccalaureate programs, is committed to graduate education through the doctorate, and gives high priority to research."
University expenditures total $359.1 million for all its campuses. Ohio University is the largest employer in Athens County, with an annual payroll of $183.1 million. The Athens campus consists of 1700 acres and 201 buildings.
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