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Brief history of University of Cincinnati

McMicken and University Pavilion lit up at night.

McMicken (right) and University Pavilion lit up at night. Photo/Tyler Stober, UC student in 2011 [+]

by Deborah Rieselman

1819: Founding of Cincinnati College and the Medical College of Ohio.

1870: The city of Cincinnati establishes the University of Cincinnati, which later absorbed the earlier institutions.

1906: The University of Cincinnati creates the world’s first cooperative education program through its College of Engineering. (Read UC Magazine article on co-op.)

1968: UC becomes a “municipally sponsored, state-affiliated” institution. During this time, the University of Cincinnati is the second-oldest and second-largest municipal university in the country.

July 1, 1977: UC becomes one of Ohio’s state universities, the culmination of a transitional period that began in 1968.

Today: As the 18th largest university in the nation, UC offers more than 300 academic programs to more than 42,500 students. Read UC's numerous rankings.

Evolution of current colleges (alphabetical by subject)

College of Allied Health Sciences — 1998

  • UC’s only new college in 20 years, formed to unite six health-related programs — 1998
  • College located in renovated Shriners Burns Institute, renamed Hastings and William French Building — 1999

McMicken College of Arts and Sciences — 1870

  • University’s "Academic Department" formed — 1870
  • Department became "McMicken College of Arts and Sciences" — 1892
  • Name changed to "College of Liberal Arts" — 1904
  • Name changed to "McMicken College of Liberal Arts" — 1906
  • Name reverted to its present one— 1953

UC Blue Ash College — 1967

  • "Raymond Walters General and Technical College" opened as UC’s first branch campus — 1967
  • Name was quickly shortened to "Raymond Walters Branch," then "Raymond Walters College"
  • Named changed to "UC Blue Ash" to increase branding with the entire university — 2011
Sketch of Bazaar Buidling

Known as the Bazaar Building, the original applied science building was built by Mrs. Trollope in 1829 and purchased by the Ohio Mechanics Institute in 1839. [+]

Carl Lindner College of Business — 1906

  • Private "Cincinnati College of Finance, Commerce and Accounts" established — 1906
  • School joined UC as "College of Commerce" — 1912
  • "College of Engineering" merger created "College of Engineering and Commerce" — 1919
  • “College of Business Administration” became a separate college — 1946
  • Word “administration” dropped from name, leaving "College of Business" — 2003
  • Lindner's name added to the college, in honor of the philanthropist’s support of UC and the community — 2011

Clermont College — 1972

  • "Clermont General and Technical College" founded in Batavia — 1972
  • College merged with UC as "Clermont College" — 1987

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning — 1922

  • UC’s "College of Engineering and Commerce" created the "Architecture Department" — 1922
  • Department became "School of Applied Arts" — 1925
  • School became "College of Applied Arts" — 1946
  • Grew to "College of Design, Architecture, and Art" — 1961
  • "Planning" programs added, name changed — 1982

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services — 1905

  • Cincinnati Board of Education and UC founded College for Teachers — 1905
  • Name changed to College of Education — 1925
  • Name changed back to Teachers College — 1937
  • College of Home Economics merger created College of Education and Home Economics — 1959
  • Name shortened to College of Education when home economics was phased out — 1982
  • Name expanded — 2003
UC opened all its engineering programs to women students during World War II as part of the war effort. A chemical engineering lab is pictured.

UC opened all its engineering programs to women students during World War II as part of the war effort. A chemical engineering lab is pictured. [+]

College of Engineering and Applied Science — 1900

  • UC initiated an engineering program — 1874
  • Engineering became its own department — 1900
  • Department became "College of Engineering" — 1905
  • College of Commerce merger created "College of Engineering and Commerce" — 1919
  • College split into "College of Business Administration" and "College of Engineering" — 1946
  • College of Engineering and College of Applied Science merged — 2010

College of Law — 1833

  • School merged with "Cincinnati College" (a UC predecessor) — 1834
  • UC began a law department — 1896
  • Law department and law school affiliated, using the "Cincinnati Law School" name — 1897
  • Cincinnati College fully merged with UC — 1918
Surgical amphitheater from 1915.

Surgical amphitheater from 1915. Photo/Lewis O'Brien, surgical photo [+]

College of Medicine — 1819
This is the oldest college that merged with UC, thus providing UC with its founding date. (See an in-depth list of Cincinnati Medical Schools, including those not affililated with UC.)

  • Daniel Drake established the "Medical College of Ohio," only the second west of the Alleghenies — 1819
  • UC’s "Medical Department" formed from affiliation with "Medical College of Ohio," after it absorbed most of the medical staff and students of Miami University, Cincinnati College and Cincinnati Hospital — 1896
  • UC's "College of Medicine" created when "Medical College of Ohio" and "Miami Medical College" totally merged with UC — 1909
  • "Cincinnati General Hospital" merged its "College of Medicine" with UC — 1916
Brothers Albino and Romeo Gorno, Cincinnati College of Music professors, performed with violinist William Knox on WLW radio’s first broadcast.

Brothers Albino and Romeo Gorno, Cincinnati College of Music professors, performed with violinist William Knox on WLW radio’s first broadcast (alumnus station owner Powel Crosley Jr. at right). Photo/UC Archives and Rare Books.

College-Conservatory of Music — 1867
See an in-depth list of Cincinnati music schools, including those not affiliated with UC.

  • Private "Cincinnati Conservatory of Music" founded— 1867
  • Private "Cincinnati College of Music" founded — 1878
  • The two rival schools merged — 1955
  • Merged school joined UC — 1962
  • School moved to campus — 1968

College of Nursing — 1889

  • Private "Cincinnati Training School for Nurses" began — 1889
  • School joined the "Cincinnati General Hospital College of Medicine" — 1896
  • General Hospital’s "College of Medicine" merged with UC; "School of Nursing" became a separate UC college — 1916
  • Four-year nursing baccalaureate program began, country’s oldest — 1938
  • Name changed to "College of Nursing and Health" — 1942
  • Name shortened to "College of Nursing" — 1999

James Winkle College of Pharmacy — 1850

  • Private "Cincinnati College of Pharmacy" formed — 1850
  • College merged with UC, affiliated with biology — 1954
  • College joined the UC Medical Center — 1967
  • Winkle name added to the college name following a $10 million gift two years earlier — 2007

School of Social Work — 1982

  • Social-work programs offered at UC through Community Chest — 1923
  • UC courses offered as part of an Ohio State University branch program — 1959-72
  • School became part of UC's "College of Community Service" — 1978
  • College dissolved into a free-standing school — 1982

Colleges that came and went (chronological)

College of Applied Science — 1828-2010

  • Private "Ohio Mechanics Institute" (OMI) opened with free evening lectures — 1828
  • "Ohio College of Applied Science" (OCAS) opened to offer day classes for OMI — 1919
  • College joined UC, retained OCAS name — 1969
  • “Ohio” phased out of name — ’90s
  • College merged into College of Engineering, creating "College of Engineering and Applied Science" — 2010
    Read more about College of Applied Science in UC Magazine.

Ohio College of Dental Surgery — 1845-1926

  • The world’s second private dental college opens in Cincinnati — 1845
  • College affiliated with UC — 1887
  • After temporary closings, college finally dissolved — 1926

College of Liberal Arts — 1904-53

  • A phase in the evolution of the College of Arts and Sciences

Teachers College — 1905-25, 1937-59

  • Two phases in the evolution of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

College of Commerce — 1912-46

  • A phase in the evolution of the College of Business

School of Household Administration — 1927-43

  • UC created School of Household Administration — 1927
  • Name changed to College of Home Economics — 1943

College of Applied Arts — 1946-61

  • A phase in the evolution of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

College of Education and Home Economics — 1959-82

  • A phase in the evolution of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

University College — 1960-2003

  • New two-year college based in UC’s Armory Fieldhouse — 1960
  • University College to be phased out, programs migrating to related colleges, the bulk consolidated with the College of Applied Science; programs for under-prepared students coordinated in a new Center for Access and Transition — 2003

College of Community Service — 1969-82

  • UC formed a “community renewal” college — 1969
  • College dissolved, distributing planning departments to DAAP, criminal justice programs to education, social work programs to School of Social Work — 1982

College of Evening and Continuing Education — 1975-2002

  • Evening classes began at UC — 1902
  • Classes organized as the UC Evening College — 1938
  • Division of Continuing Education and Metropolitan Services founded — 1975
  • Division and college merged, creating College of Evening and Continuing Education — 1989
  • Programs redistributed to related colleges — 2002-03

 

 

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