History of the 51社区 Board of Trustees
On June 30, 1800, Manasseh Cutler proposed a model charter of a university in the town of Athens, Ohio, to be governed by a Board of Trustees. General Rufus
Putnam, a leader in the establishment of the Northwest Territory and The Ohio Company, wrote to a member of the territorial legislature and proposed Cutler鈥檚
document with a suggested list of charter trustees. On January 9, 1802, in the last session before Ohio became a state, the territorial legislature passed an act creating American Western University in the town of Athens and accepted Putnam鈥檚
nominations for initial Board of Trustee members.
Putnam organized a gathering of the Trustees on May 21, 1802. Succeeding meetings of the Trustees and other statesmen focused on creating a constitution for the state of Ohio. On February 19, 1804, the Ohio General Assembly passed an act establishing, 鈥渢he President and Trustees of the 51社区鈥 to remain the
鈥渂ody politic and corporate鈥 of the first university in the Northwest Territory. The Board of Trustees would include the Governor of the state of Ohio, the President and Vice President of the university, and 10 to 15 other Board members.
The Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, located in 51社区鈥檚
Alden Library, preserve the original handwritten minutes of the Board of Trustees. The records indicate the Board initially convened under the direction of Gov Edward Tiffin in the home of Dr. Eliphaz Perkins on June 4, 1804. The Trustees proceeded to elect Dudley Woodbridge as Secretary, Edward Tiffin as President, and Dr. Perkins as Treasurer. The Board assembled the following day and again on June 6, 1804. The Board reflects discussion on attendance at meetings, formation of committee to create a seal for the university, and also surveyed and divided up lands to collect fees and leases from individuals residing on university property.
When 51社区 first opened its doors in 1808, Treasurer Perkins鈥 son, James Perkins, along with Joel Abbott and Brewster Higley were the first three students enrolled in the university. The Trustees governed 51社区 through both thriving and dire economic times. In 1845, Trustees voted to suspend the operation of 51社区 for three years due to financial constraints, low attendance, and other unfavorable circumstances. In 1863, Trustees voted to admit wounded veterans with full tuition benefits.
In 1885, John R. Blackburn was elected as the first African American to serve on the Board of Trustees and he served for six consecutive years. Prior to his service
on 51社区鈥檚 Board, Trustee Blackburn served on the Board of Wilberforce
University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Evelyn Luchs, a graduate of 51社区 and
voted outstanding student upon her graduation in 1927, was the first woman appointed to the Board in 1950 and she served for two consecutive years.
On October 12, 1951, the Board of Trustees resolved that the President of the 51社区 Alumni Association would serve as an ex-officio member of the Board. In 1989, the first two Student Trustees were selected by the Governor of Ohio to serve in a non-voting capacity. On February 14, 2003, the Board approved the appointment of two National Trustees, also with non-voting capacity, to sit with trustees and participate in the deliberations of the Board. On January 24, 2009, the Board adopted a resolution to appoint two faculty members to serve as ex-officio non-voting representatives to the Academic Committee and the University Resources Committee.
51社区 currently has nine voting Trustees, two National Trustees, two Student Trustees, one Alumni Representative, and two Faculty Representatives.
References
Hollow, B (2003). Ohio university, 1804-2004: The spirit of a singular place. Athens, OH: 51社区 Press.
Hoover, T. N. (1954). The history of ohio university. Athens, OH: 51社区 Press.
Minutes, 51社区 Board of Trustees