The Ohio State University
200px
Motto	Disciplina in civitatem (Latin)
Motto in English	Education for Citizenship
Established	1870
Type	Flagship Public Land grant Sea grant Space grant
Endowment	US $2.12 billion[1]
President	E. Gordon Gee[2]
Academic staff	6,254[3]
Admin. staff	21,987 non-academic staff (not including students)[3]
Students	56,867 (Columbus), 64,429 (all campuses)[3]
Undergraduates	42,916 (Columbus), 50,145 (all campuses)[3]
Postgraduates	13,951 (Columbus), 14,284 (all campuses)[3]
Location	Columbus, Ohio, USA
Campus	1,765 acres (7 km2) Columbus campus 16,132 acres (65 km2) total (Urban)[3]
Athletics	19 men and 20 women varsity teams
Colors	scarlet and gray
Nickname	Buckeyes
Mascot	Brutus Buckeye
Website	osu.edu

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State or OSU, is a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1870, as a land-grant university and ninth university in Ohio with the Morrill Act of 1862,^[4] the university was originally known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The college began with a focus on training students in various agricultural and mechanical disciplines but was developed into a comprehensive university under the direction of Governor Rutherford B. Hayes and by 1878, the college changed its name to its current name. It has since grown into the third largest university campus in the United States.^[5] In 2007, Ohio State was officially designated as the flagship institution of Ohio's public universities as part of the newly centralized University System of Ohio.^[6] It is considered to be one of America's Public Ivy universities, which recognizes top public research universities in the United States.^[7][8] Along with its main campus in Columbus, Ohio State also operates a regional campus system with regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, and Wooster.

The university is also home to a extensive student life program, with over 1,000 student organizations; intercollegiate, club and recreational sports programs; student media organizations and publications, fraternities and sororities; and an active student government association. Ohio State athletic teams compete in Division I (NCAA Division I-A for football) of the NCAA and are known as the Ohio State Buckeyes. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference for the majority of sports. The Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey program competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and its women's hockey program competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In addition, the OSU men's volleyball is a member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) while the men's lacrosse team is a member of the ECAC Lacrosse League. OSU is one of only thirteen universities in the nation that plays Division I FBS football and Division I ice hockey. Alumni and former students have gone on to prominent careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment.

History[link]

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university in with the Morrill Act of 1862 under the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The school was originally situated within a farming community located on the northern edge of Columbus. While some interests in the state had hoped that the new university would focus on matriculating students of various agricultural and mechanical disciplines, Governor Rutherford B. Hayes foresaw a more classic, comprehensive university, and manipulated both the university's location and its initial board of trustees towards that end. Later that year, the university welcomed its first class of 24 students. In 1878, and in light of its expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University", with "The" as part of its official name.^[9]

Ohio State began accepting graduate students in the 1880s, and, in 1891, the school saw the founding of its law school, Moritz College of Law. It would later acquire colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, commerce, and journalism in subsequent years.

Although development had been hindered in the 1870s by hostility from the state's agricultural interests and competition for resources from Miami University and Ohio University, both issues were eventually resolved. In 1906, Ohio State's status as the state's flagship campus was written into law by the Ohio legislature through the Eagleson Bill. In 1916, Ohio State was elected into membership in the Association of American Universities.

Campus[link]

The East Atrium at the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library

Ohio State's 1,764 acres (7.14 km²) of main campus is approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of the city's downtown. Four buildings are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Enarson Hall, Hayes Hall, Ohio Stadium, and Orton Hall. Architecture on the Ohio State campus does not conform to a unifying theme such as Gothic revival or Georgian but rather is an eclectic mix of traditional, modern and post-modern styles.

The William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library, anchoring the western end of The Oval, is Ohio State library's main branch and single largest repository. The Thompson Library was designed in 1913 by the Boston firm of Allen and Collens in the Italianate Renaissance Revival style, and its placement on the Oval was suggested by the Olmsted brothers who had designed New York City's Central Park. In 2006, the Thompson Library began a $100 million dollar renovation with the stated aims of becoming a "global benchmark twenty-first century" library while maintaining the building's classical Italian Renaissance architecture.^[10]

Overall, Ohio State operates the 18th largest university research library in North America with a combined collection of over 5.8 million volumes. Additionally, the libraries receive approximately 35,000 serial titles on a regular basis. Its recent acquisitions were 16th among university research libraries in North America.^[11] Ohio State's library system encompasses twenty-one libraries located on its Columbus campus. An additional eight branches are located at off-campus research facilities, regional campuses, and a book storage depository near campus. In all the Ohio State library system encompasses fifty-five branches and specialty collections. Some of the more significant collections include The Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program containing the Archives of Admiral Richard E. Byrd as well as a significant collection of polar research materials, The Hilandar Research Library which contains the world's largest collection of medieval Slavic manuscripts on microform, The Ohio State Cartoon Library & Museum, which is the world's largest repository of original cartoons, The Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute and the archives of Senator John Glenn.

Anchoring the traditional campus gateway at the eastern end of The Oval is the Wexner Center for the Arts. Designed by architects Peter Eisenman of New York and Richard Trott of Columbus, the center opened in 1989. Its founding was financed in large part by Ohio State alumnus Leslie Wexner with a gift of twenty-five million dollars in the 1980s. The center was founded to be a comprehensive visual arts center encompassing all aspects of visual and performing arts with a focus on new commissions and artist residencies. Part of its design was to pay tribute to the armory that formerly had the same location. Its groundbreaking deconstructivist architecture has resulted in it being lauded as one of the most important buildings of its generation. Its design has also been criticized as proving less than ideal for many of the art installations that it has attempted to display. The centerpiece of The Wexner Center's permanent collection is Picasso's Nude on a Black Armchair, which was purchased by alumnus Leslie Wexner at auction for forty-five million dollars and then donated to the university.

To the south of The Oval is another, somewhat smaller, expanse of greenspace commonly referred to as The South Oval. At its eastern end, it is anchored by the Ohio Union. To the west are Enarson Hall, the Kuhn Honors House, Browning Amphitheatre (a traditional stone Greek theatre) and Mirror Lake.

The Ohio State College of Medicine is located on the southern edge of the central campus. It is home to the James Cancer Hospital, a cancer research institute and one of the National Cancer Institute's forty-one comprehensive cancer centers, along with the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, a research institute for cardiovascular disease.

Academics[link]

Rankings and recognition[link]

In 1916, Ohio State became the first university in Ohio to be extended membership into the Association of American Universities, and remains the only public university in Ohio among the organization's 60 members. The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2000) by Howard and Matthew Greene listed Ohio State as one of a select number of public universities offering the highest educational quality.

U.S. News & World Report’s widely read rankings of undergraduate colleges in America currently places Ohio State as the 18th best public university and 55th overall ranked university in America. Ohio State ranked 14th in US News' new "Up and Coming" colleges section. The list includes the top colleges in the nation "that are making improvements in academics, faculty, students, campus life, diversity, and facilities. These schools are worth watching because they are making promising and innovative changes."^[17]

Internationally, in 2011 QS World University Rankings^[18] ranked Ohio State University 111th in the world, and awarded the university with the maximum five stars for excellence.^[19] It scored 88th in Social Sciences in the international subject rankings. Four years back, China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University placed Ohio State as the 61st ranked university in the world in their 2007 Academic Ranking of World Universities.^[20]

The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance at Arizona State University detailed analysis and rankings of American universities currently places Ohio State as the 24th ranked university in America, the 10th ranked public university in the country and the top overall university in Ohio. Of their nine ranking criteria, Ohio State ranked in the top-25 in four categories and between 26–50 in an additional four categories.^[21] The Washington Monthly college rankings, which seek to evaluate colleges' contributions to American society based on factors of social mobility, cutting edge research, and service to the country by their graduates, currently place Ohio State as 12th in the nation and 10th among public universities.^[22]

Ohio State is also the only public university in Ohio to which the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has given both its highest overall classification of Doctoral/Very High Research Activity and highest undergraduate admissions classification of more selective.^[23]

US News ranks the undergraduate program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business 12th in America and the top undergraduate business school in Ohio. The graduate program of the Fisher College is ranked 21st in America and is the top graduate school of business in Ohio. The Economist ranked The Fisher College as the 29th ranked MBA program in the world in their 2005 "Which MBA?" issue.^[24] Fisher's Executive MBA program was ranked 3rd nationally for return on investment by The Wall Street Journal in 2008 citing a 170 percent return on an average of $66,900 invested in tuition and expenses during the 18-month program.^[25] In 2006, The Public Accounting Report ranked Ohio State's accounting department 9th in the nation for undergraduate programs and 10th in the nation for graduate programs. In each case, the ranking was the highest among Ohio universities.^[26]

Scott Laboratory, housing the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department. This facility is a joint effort between BHDP Architecture and Polshek Partnership Architects.

The Ohio State law school is ranked by US News as top of the nine law schools in Ohio and 31st overall in America. Ohio State's medical school is ranked as the top public medical school in Ohio and 31st for research and 38th for primary care. US News ranks Ohio State's undergraduate engineering program as the 25th best program in America and the top undergraduate engineering program in Ohio. Its graduate program in engineering is ranked 26th in the country and highest in Ohio. Ohio State's College of Education was ranked 17th in America by US News and the highest in Ohio. The Counseling/Personnel Services graduate program at Ohio State is ranked 4th in America by the 2008 'US News & World Report'. The Department of Geography is ranked 5th in America. In total, US News & World Report ranked 19 Ohio State graduate programs or specialties among the nation's top ten and 30 among the nation's top 25.^[27]

The New Ohio Union

Ohio State's political science department is ranked 13th in the country by US News & World Report, with the American politics section fifth, international politics 12th and political methodology 10th. A study by Simon Hix of The London School of Economics ranked it as the fourth best political science department in the world, based on publications.^[28] Foreign Policy Magazine recently ranked it as the 15th best Ph.D. program in the world for the study of international relations. Professor Alexander Wendt was ranked the most influential scholar of international relations in the world in a 2011 survey of American professors of international relations.^[29] The history department was recently ranked 18th in the nation (6th among public universities) by the National Research Council.

Ohio State is one of a select few top American universities to offer multiple area studies programs under "Comprehensive National Resource Center" (often called "Title VI") funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The most notable of these is the Center for Slavic and East European Studies founded in 1965 by Professor Leon Twarog. Subsequently, Ohio State's Middle Eastern Studies Center and East Asian Studies Center also achieved Comprehensive National Resource Center status. The university is also home to the interdisciplinary Mershon Center for International Security Studies, which was founded in 1952 through a bequest of 7 million dollars (54.3 million in 2006 value) from alumnus Colonel Ralph D. Mershon. In 2003, it was decided by the United States Department of Homeland Security to base the National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security at The Mershon Center.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the graduate program in Design at #5 in the nation in their 2009 rankings. Overall, the graduate Art program ranked #21, with the ceramics and glass programs at #6.^[30] In its 2008 edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools, the journal DesignIntelligence ranked the undergraduate Industrial Design program #3 nationwide, and the graduate program in Design #10 nationwide. The DFC conducted their research by polling 270 corporations regarding how design schools were preparing their students for the future of professional practice in design. OSU was in the top ten rankings of the corporate leaders' assessments in all regions (#4 in the south, #2 in the midwest, #7 in the east, and #4 in the west). The graduate program placed at #3 in the south and #2 in the east, resulting in 10th overall in the nation.^[31]

Research[link]

In a 2007 report released by the National Science Foundation, Ohio State’s research expenditures for 2006 were $652 million, placing it 7th among public universities and 11th overall, also ranking 3rd among all American universities for private industry sponsored research. Research expenditures at Ohio State were $720 million in 2007. Ohio State also announced in 2006, that it would be designating at least $110 million of its research efforts to what it termed "fundamental concerns" such as research towards a cure for cancer, renewable energy sources and sustainable drinking water supplies.^[32]

Research facilities include Aeronautical/Astronautical Research Laboratory, Byrd Polar Research Center, Center for Automotive Research (OSU CAR), Chadwick Arboretum, Biomedical Research Tower, Biological Sciences Building, David Heart and Lung Research Institute, Electroscience Laboratory, Large Binocular Telescope (LBT, originally named the Columbus Project), Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island, OH, and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Admissions and tuition[link]

Undergraduate admissions to Ohio State are classified as “more selective” by US News & World Report and The Princeton Review and according to the data are the most selective for any public university in Ohio. The 2009 freshman class had an acceptance rate of 52%, with 54% of students graduating in the top 10% of their high school class and 87% in the top 25% of their class. The 2007 freshman class had an acceptance rate of 52%, and the enrolled freshman class had the following composition: students graduating in the top 10% of their high school class (57%); the top 25% of their high school class (91%); the top 50% of their high school class (99%). 27% of the freshman class scored in the top 3% of the SAT or ACT, while 72% scored in the top 15%. The middle 50% range of ACT scores for the enrolled class was 26–30, with an average ACT score of 27. Of the 6,122 members of the 2006 freshman class, 290 had been named valedictorian of their high school's graduating class.^[33] Ohio State’s freshman class has admitted over 100 National Merit Scholars for nine of the last ten years.^[34]

Tuition for full-time, Ohio residents attending Ohio State for the 2010–2011 academic year is $9,420.^[35] For the 2006–2007 academic year, tuition at Ohio State for Ohio residents placed it as the fifth most expensive public university and slightly beneath the weighted average tuition of $8,553 among Ohio's thirteen public four-year universities.^[36] In addition to being named a Best in the Midwest selection by The Princeton Review, Ohio State was also the only public university in Ohio to make their list of America's 150 Best Value Colleges.

Endowment and fundraising[link]

Ohio State was among the first group^[37] of four public universities to raise a $1 billion endowment when it passed the $1 billion mark in 1999. At year’s end 2005, Ohio State’s endowment stood at $1.73 billion, ranking it seventh among public universities and 27th among all American universities.^[38] In June 2006, the endowment passed the $2 billion mark.

In recent decades, and in response to continually shrinking state funding, Ohio State has conducted two significant multi-year fundraising campaigns. The first concluded in 1987 and raised $460 million—a record at the time for a public university. The “Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign” took place between 1995 and 2000. With an initial goal of raising $850 million, the campaign’s final tally was $1.23 billion, placing Ohio State among the small group of public universities to have successfully conducted a $1 billion campaign.^[39] At his welcoming ceremony, returning President E. Gordon Gee announced that, in the Fall of 2007, Ohio State would be launching a $2.5 billion fund-raising campaign.

Student life[link]

The Office of Student Life is responsible for many of the outside-the-classroom aspects of student life at Ohio State. Among these are student housing; food service; health, wellness and counseling; activities, organizations and leadership development; recreation and intramurals. The Office of Student Life also operates the Schottenstein Center, the Fawcett Center, the Blackwell Inn, the Ohio Union, the Drake Events Center, and the Wilce Student Health Center, named for football coach and university physician John Wilce.

Ohio State has several student managed publications and media outlets. The Makio is the official yearbook.^[40] The Makio’s sales plummeted by 60% during the early 1970s; the organization went bankrupt and stopped publication during the late 1970s. The book was revived from 1985 to 1994 and has since been revived again in 2000 thanks to several student organizations. The Lantern is the school's daily newspaper and has operated as a laboratory newspaper in the School of Communication (formerly the School of Journalism) since 1881. Mosaic is a literary magazine published by Ohio State, which features undergraduate fiction, poetry, and art. The Sundial is a student written and published humor magazine. Founded in 1911 it is one of the oldest humor magazines in the country, After a 17 year hiatus in which no magazine was published it has recently been revived.^[41] The 8th Floor Improv is the university's premiere improvisational comedy group, regularly performing long and short-from improv around campus and across the U.S.^[42] There are two student-run radio stations on campus. OHIO.FM is the music station and Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio broadcasts eleven different Ohio State sports.^[43] Both stations broadcast on an Internet audio stream (no broadcast signals are available in Columbus). Students also operate a local cable TV channel known as Buckeye TV, which airs primarily on the campus closed cable system operated by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

The marching band is also a longstanding tradition at Ohio State. It is the largest all-brass and percussion band in the world. The traditional school songs from "Carmen Ohio" to "Hang on Sloopy" to "Fight the Team Across the Field", are arranged to fit this instrumentation. The band is famous for "Script Ohio", during which the band marches single-file through the curves of the word "Ohio", much like a pen writes the word, all the while playing the French march "Le Regiment de Sambre et Meuse." At the end of the performance, the "i" in "Ohio" is "dotted" by a high-stepping senior sousaphone player.

Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement and convocation, and athletic games are: Across the Field, The Ohio State University fight song and "Buckeye Battle Cry".

The tradition of high quality bands is not limited to the football field. OSU's School of Music contains several high quality concert bands consisting of graduate and undergraduate music majors and non-music majors. The OSU Wind Symphony, frequently receives praise on the national level, recently having been selected to perform at the 2003 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Convention and at the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference in 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2008; the OSU Symphonic Band performed in 2007. The OSU Wind Symphony has recently released its newest album,, "Southern Harmony," the Naxos Label in 2009. The Ohio State Jazz Ensemble performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975, 1978,1986, 1996, and 2001. It has also appeared at the Mexico City International Jazz Festival in 1990 and the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1986, 1996, and 2001. In addition there is also an OSU Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to strong bands, the university is also recognized for outstanding choral performance. The Ohio State Men's Glee Club, formed in 1875, is the oldest organization on campus.^[44] In 1990, led by Professor James Gallagher, the Men's Glee Club participated in the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangolen, Wales and won the male chorus competition by an unprecedented 20 points before, in a unanimous decision of the judges, being named "Choir of the World"—the first American choir to win such an honor. The Glee Club is under the direction of Dr. Robert J. Ward. The Ohio State Women's Glee Club was established in 1903.^[45] In the group’s recent past, under the leadership of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, the Glee Club has been selected to sing for state and regional conferences of the Ohio Music Education Association and the American Choral Directors Association. Beginning its season under the direction of Dr. Richard Schnipke, the OSU Women’s Glee Club was honored to have the opportunity to sing for the Ohio Choral Directors Association annual conference in June 2010.

Ohio State's "Buckeye Bullet" electric car broke the world record for the fastest speed by an electric vehicle on October 3, 2004 with a speed of 271.737 mph (437.3 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.^[46] The vehicle also holds the US record for fastest electric vehicle with a speed of 314.958 mph (506.9 km/h), and peak timed mile speed of 321.834 mph (517.9 km/h). The vehicle was designed, built and managed by a team of engineering students at the university's "Center for Automotive Research-Intelligent Transportation" (CAR-IT). In 2007, Buckeye Bullet 2 was launched. This follow-up effort was a collaboration between Ohio State engineering students and engineers from the Ford Motor Company and will seek to break the landspeed record for hydrogen cell powered vehicles.^[47]

A unique aspect to Ohio State's multi billion dollar endowment is the Student Investment Management Program. Upperclass finance students taking Business Finance 724 are given the opportunity to manage a twenty million dollar investment fund. Returns from the student managed funds often outperform the S&P 500 and frequently even the university's own professional fund managers.^[48]

The Residence Hall Advisory Council (RHAC), which is a representative body of all students living in the University's residence halls, helps evaluate and improve the living conditions of the residence halls.

Jon Stewart hosted The Daily Show's "Battlefield Ohio: The Daily Show’s Midwest Midterm Midtacular" from Ohio State's Roy Bowen Theatre during the week of October 30 to November 2, 2006.^[49]

Diversity[link]

Ohio State's main campus has been lauded in recent years for the racial diversity of its student body. In various surveys and rankings it has been included among the best campuses in the nation for African Americans.^[50] Additionally, Ohio State ranked 10th in the nation in 2006 for the numbers of African American doctors graduated. The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students lists Ohio State as one of the best campuses in America for LGBT students.^[51]

Ohio State, despite selective admissions, has also maintained a high amount of socio-economic diversity among its students. The 2007 freshman class contained 22.7% of first generation college students which far exceeded the national norm on American campuses of 15.9%.^[52]

Residential life[link]

Ohio State operates 31 on-campus residence halls divided into three geographic clusters: South Campus (site of the university's original dormitories), North Campus (largely constructed during the post-war enrollment boom) and West Campus or "The Towers." Within the residence hall system are 40 smaller living and learning environments defined by social or academic considerations. Ohio State also offers four honors residence halls: Bradley Hall, Lincoln House, Siebert Hall, and Taylor Tower.

Separate housing for graduate and professional students is maintained on the Southern tier of campus near the medical complex. Family housing is maintained at Buckeye Village at the far northern edge of campus beyond the athletic complex. At the university's southeast corner along High Street, and across from the Moritz College of Law, new apartments have been built for law students in conjunction with the area's Campus Gateway project.

Honors programs[link]

Ohio State offers two distinct honors programs for high ability undergraduates: Honors and Scholars. The Honors program is open to students in all majors. The Scholars program is centered around thirteen specific programs such as "Architecture Scholars", "Media, Marketing, and Communications Scholars","Biological Sciences Scholars", "International Affairs Scholars", "Business Scholars" and "Politics, Society and Law Scholars." Students in the Scholars program are expected to live and take select classes with other members of the program. Additionally, Ohio State offers the Honors Collegium with membership extended to ten incoming freshmen and following the Spring of a student's first or second year to the university's top undergraduates. Collegium students try to compete for internships, graduate schools and nationally competitive awards, such as the Marshall, Rhodes, or Truman Scholarships.

Ohio State also administers two large-scale scholarship programs to ensure access to the university to high-ability students from low-income or traditionally underrepresented groups. The first of these, The Young Scholars Program, was initiated in 1988. 120 promising minority students from Ohio's nine largest urban public school districts are selected prior to entering high school. The program offers a series of academic camps each summer and counseling throughout the students' high school careers. Upon completion of the program, which also mandates a college preparatory curriculum and minimum grade point average, the students are guaranteed admission to Ohio State as well as any need-based financial aid necessary. The Land Grant Scholarship was initiated in 2005. This program seeks to ensure access to Ohio State to high-ability students from low-income backgrounds. Ohio State has committed to offering a full-ride scholarship each academic year to at least one student from each of Ohio's 88 counties.

Ohio State maintains an honors center in the Kuhn Honors and Scholars House which had served as the University President's residence until the 1960s. Four dormitories are designated all or in part as honors residences: Taylor, Bradley, Siebert, and Lincoln.

Activities and organizations[link]

The Ohio Union was the first student union built by an American public university. The Ohio Union is dedicated to the enrichment of the student experience, on and off The Ohio State University campus. The first Ohio Union, located on the south edge of the South Oval, was constructed in 1909 and was later renamed Enarson Hall. The second Ohio Union was completed in 1950 and was located prominently along High Street, southeast of the Oval. It was a center of student life at The Ohio State University for more than 50 years, providing facilities for student activities, organizations and events, and serving as an important meeting place for campus and community interaction. In addition, many student services and programs were housed in the union, along with dining and recreational facilities. The second Ohio Union was demolished in February 2007 to make way for the new Ohio Union which was finished in 2010. During this time, student activities had been relocated to Ohio Stadium and other academic buildings.

Student organizations[link]

Student organizations at The Ohio State University provide students with opportunities to get involved in a wide variety of interest areas including academic, social, religious, artistic, service-based, diversity and many more. There are over 1,000 registered student organizations that involve many thousands of students.^[53] The university's debate team has won the state National Forensics Association tournament several times.^{[citation needed]}

Block "O" is currently the largest student-run organization on the campus of The Ohio State University. Block "O" serves as the official student cheering section at athletic events for the University.

Leadership and service[link]

The Union's vision is to prepare students to be responsible, engaged leaders committed to community participation for social action and change. Programs with which students can get involved include are the Leadership Collaborative, Leadership Ohio State, Residence Halls Advisory Council, LeaderShape, Buckeye Service Council, Community Commitment Day, SERV team, Service Squad, and BUCK I SERV alternative break trips. Additionally, the Service-Learning Institute offers courses that educate students while also helping the greater community. All of these programs have the ultimate goal of making students better leaders, people, and citizens of Ohio.

Student governments[link]

At Ohio State University, there are three recognized student governments that represent their constituents.

• Undergraduate Student Government (USG), which consists of elected and appointed student representatives who serve as liaisons from the undergraduate student body to university officials. USG seeks to outreach to and work for the students at The Ohio State University.
• Council of Graduate Students (CGS), which promotes and provides academic, administrative, and social programs for the university community in general and for graduate students in particular. The Council provides a forum in which the graduate student body may present, discuss, and set upon issues related to its role in the academic and non-academic aspects of the University community.
• Inter-Professional Council (IPC), which is a representative body of all professional students in the colleges of Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine. Its purpose is to act as a liaison between these students and the governing bodies of the University.

Athletics[link]

Ohio Stadium Rotunda

Ohio State's intercollegiate sports teams are called the "Buckeyes" (derived from the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, the Ohio Buckeye – Aesculus glabra)^[54], and participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports (Division I FBS in football) and the Big Ten Conference in most sports. (The men's hockey program competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and its women's hockey program competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association). The school colors are scarlet and gray. Brutus Buckeye is the mascot. Ohio State currently has 36 varsity teams.

Ohio State is one of only four universities (the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and the University of California at Berkeley being the others) to have won national championships in all three major men's sports (baseball, men's basketball, and football)^[55]. Ohio State is also one of only two universities to appear in the national championship games in both football and men's basketball in the same calendar year (the other university is the University of Florida, who defeated Ohio State in both contests in 2007.) Ohio State has also won national championships in men's swimming & diving, men's outdoor track & field, men's golf, men's gymnastics, men's fencing, co-ed fencing, and multiple synchronized swimming championships.^[56] The Ohio State equestrian team has won eight Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national championships.^[57] Since the inception of the Athletic Director's Cup, Ohio State has finished in the top 25 each year, including top 6 finishes in three of the last five years.^[58] During the 2005–2006 school year Ohio State became this first Big Ten team to win conference championships in Football, Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball. Ohio State repeated the feat during the 2006–2007 school year, winning solo championships in all three sports. In 2007, Sports Illustrated nicknamed Ohio State's athletic program as being "The Program" due to the unsurpassed facilities, unparalleled amount of men's and women's sport teams, their success, and the financial support of an impressive fan base.^[59]

Outstanding sports figures that were student athletes at Ohio State include 1936 Olympics gold medalist Jesse Owens "the Buckeye Bullet" (track and field), John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, Bobby Knight, and Larry Siegfried (basketball), 2010 Olympics silver medalist Ryan Kesler (ice hockey), Katie Smith and the first 3-time player of the year in Big Ten Basketball history Jessica Davenport (women's basketball), Frank Howard (basketball and baseball), Jack Nicklaus (golf); and Chic Harley (three-time All-American football running back). Ohio State football players have combined for seven Heisman Awards including the only two-time winner Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975, Eddie George in 1995, and most recently Troy Smith in 2006. Hall of Fame coaches at Ohio State have included Paul Brown and Woody Hayes in football, Fred Taylor in basketball, Larry Snyder in track and field, and Mike Peppe in swimming and diving. Hall of fame players, in pro-football, include Sid Gillman, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Jim Parker, Paul Warfield, Dick LeBeau, and Bill Willis.

Ohio State-affiliated media[link]

Ohio State operates a public television station, WOSU-TV (virtual channel 34 / DT 38, a local PBS TV station), as well as two public radio stations, WOSU-FM 89.7(NPR/BBC news/talk) and WOSA-FM (Classical, "Classical 101") in Columbus.

In 2003, the television station began broadcasting in high definition.

People[link]

Faculty[link]

Ohio State’s faculty currently includes a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, 21 members of the National Academy of Sciences or National Academy of Engineering, four members of the Institute of Medicine,^[60] and 177 elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2009, 17 Ohio State faculty were elected as AAAS Fellows. Each year since 2002, Ohio State has either led or been second among all American universities in the number of their faculty elected as fellows to the AAAS.^[61][62]

In a recent study by Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, Ohio State was one of five universities rated as "exemplary" workplaces for junior faculty. In the study, 31 universities and 11 liberal arts colleges were evaluated on tenure clarity and fairness, nature of work including workloads, quality of students, and teaching environment, compensation, work and family balance, collegiality and overall satisfaction.^[63]

In the last quarter century, 32 Ohio State faculty members have been awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, which is more than all other public and private Ohio universities combined. In 2008, three Ohio State faculty were awarded Guggenheim Fellowships, placing Ohio State among the top 15 universities in the nation.^[64] Since the 2000–2001 award year, 55 Ohio State faculty members have been named as Fulbright Fellows, the highest of any Ohio university.^[65]

Alumni[link]

Ohio State currently has over 525,000 living alumni located around the world. Ohio State alumni include Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and Medal of Honor recipients, ambassadors, as well as Fortune 500 CEOs and members of the Forbes 400 list of the world's wealthiest individuals. Numerous graduates have gone on to become Governors, Senators and members of Congress. Ohio State alumni have appeared on the cover of TIME twelve times, with the artwork of alumnus Roy Lichtenstein featured on an additional two TIME covers.

Ohio State alumni are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, the NFL Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame. Its athletes have won a combined eighty-three Olympic medals and three times received the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete. Jack Nicklaus has been called "the greatest golfer in history" while Jesse Owens has been called "the greatest Olympian in history." Twice, Ohio State alumni have graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as its Sportsman of the Year.

References[link]

Notes[link]

Resources[link]

External links[link]

• Stadium Journey Review of Ohio Stadium

	Ohio portal
	University portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ohio State University

• Official website
• Official Athletics website

Coordinates: 40°00′00″N 83°00′52″W / 40.0000°N 83.0145°W / 40.0000; -83.0145

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State of Ohio
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Buckeye State; The Mother of Presidents; Birthplace of Aviation; The Heart of It All
Motto(s): With God, all things are possible
Official language(s)	None. (English, de facto)
Demonym	Ohioan; Buckeye[1] (colloq.)
Capital (and largest city)	Columbus[2][3]
Largest metro area	Greater Cleveland or Greater Cincinnati (see footnote[4])
Area	Ranked 34th in the U.S.
- Total	44,825 sq mi (116,096 km2)
- Width	220 miles (355 km)
- Length	220 miles (355 km)
- % water	8.7
- Latitude	38° 24′ N to 41° 59′ N
- Longitude	80° 31′ W to 84° 49′ W
Population	Ranked 7th in the U.S.
- Total	11,544,951 (2011 est)[5]
- Density	282/sq mi  (109/km2) Ranked 10th in the U.S.
Elevation
- Highest point	Campbell Hill[6][7] 1,549 ft (472 m)
- Mean	850 ft  (260 m)
- Lowest point	Ohio River at Indiana border[6][7] 455 ft (139 m)
Before statehood	Northwest Territory
Admission to Union	March 1, 1803[8] (17th, declared retroactively on August 7, 1953[9])
Governor	John Kasich[10] (R)[11]
Lieutenant Governor	Mary Taylor[12] (R)[13]
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Sherrod Brown[14] (D)[14] Rob Portman (R)
U.S. House delegation	13 Republicans, 5 Democrats (list)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	OH[15] US-OH
Website	www.ohio.gov

Ohio (ⁱ/oʊˈhaɪ.oʊ/) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Ohio is the 34th most extensive, the 7th most populous, and the 10th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state's capital and largest city is Columbus.

The name "Ohio" originated from Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning "great river".^{[16][17][18][19][20]} The state, originally partitioned from the Northwest Territory, was admitted to the Union as the 17th state (and the first under the Northwest Ordinance) on March 1, 1803.^[8][21] Although there are conflicting narratives regarding the origin of the nickname, Ohio is historically known as the "Buckeye State" (relating to the Ohio buckeye tree) and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".^[1]

The government of Ohio is composed of the executive branch, led by the Governor; the legislative branch, which comprises the Ohio General Assembly; and the judicial branch, which is led by the Supreme Court. Currently, Ohio occupies 18 seats in the United States House of Representatives.^[22] Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state^[23] and a bellwether^[23] in national elections.

Geography[link]

Ohio's geographic location has proven to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo and business traffic passes through its borders along its well-developed highways. Ohio has the nation's 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North America's population and 70% of North America's manufacturing capacity.^[24] To the north, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles (502 km) of coastline,^[25] which allows for numerous seaports. Ohio's southern border is defined by the Ohio River (with the border being at the 1793 low-water mark on the north side of the river), and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohio's neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, and West Virginia on the southeast. Ohio's borders were defined by metes and bounds in the Enabling Act of 1802 as follows:

Bounded on the east by the Pennsylvania line, on the south by the Ohio River, to the mouth of the Great Miami River, on the west by the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami aforesaid, and on the north by an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east after intersecting the due north line aforesaid, from the mouth of the Great Miami until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line, and thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line aforesaid.

The Ohio coast of Lake Erie.

Note that Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court held that, based on the wording of the cessation of territory by Virginia (which, at that time included what is now Kentucky and West Virginia), the boundary between Ohio and Kentucky (and by implication, West Virginia) is the northern low-water mark of the river as it existed in 1792.^[26] Ohio has only that portion of the river between the river's 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark.

The border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River.

Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with an exceptionally flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. This glaciated region in the northwest and central state is bordered to the east and southeast first by a belt known as the glaciated Allegheny Plateau, and then by another belt known as the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills and forests.

Physical geography of Ohio.

The rugged southeastern quadrant of Ohio, stretching in an outward bow-like arc along the Ohio River from the West Virginia Panhandle to the outskirts of Cincinnati, forms a distinct socio-economic unit. Geologically similar to parts of West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, this area's coal mining legacy, dependence on small pockets of old manufacturing establishments, and distinctive regional dialect set this section off from the rest of the state. In 1965 the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to "address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region."^[27] This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia.^[28] While 1/3 of Ohio's land mass is part of the federally defined Appalachian region, only 12.8% of Ohioans live there (1.476 million people.)^[29]

Map of Ohio.

Significant rivers within the state include the Cuyahoga River, Great Miami River, Maumee River, Muskingum River, and Scioto River. The rivers in the northern part of the state drain into the northern Atlantic Ocean via Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River, and the rivers in the southern part of the state drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio River and then the Mississippi.

The worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, including the downtown business district of Dayton. As a result, the Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States.^[30]

Grand Lake St. Marys in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the canal-building era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles (52 km²), was the largest artificial lake in the world. It should be noted that Ohio's canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their industrial emergence to location on canals, and as late as 1910 interior canals carried much of the bulk freight of the state.

Climate[link]

The climate of Ohio is a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) throughout most of the state except in the extreme southern counties of Ohio's Bluegrass region section which are located on the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate and Upland South region of the United States. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold. Precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round. Severe weather is not uncommon in the state, although there are typically fewer tornado reports in Ohio than in states located in what is known as the Tornado Alley. Severe lake effect snowstorms are also not uncommon on the southeast shore of Lake Erie, which is located in an area designated as the Snowbelt.

Although predominantly not in a subtropical climate, some warmer-climate flora and fauna does reach well into Ohio. For instance, a number of trees with more southern ranges, such as the blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica, are found at their northernmost in Ohio just north of the Ohio River. Also evidencing this climatic transition from a subtropical to continental climate, several plants such as the Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Albizia julibrissin (mimosa), Crape Myrtle, and even the occasional Needle Palm are hardy landscape materials regularly used as street, yard, and garden plantings in the Bluegrass region of Ohio; but these same plants will simply not thrive in much of the rest of the State. This interesting change may be observed while traveling through Ohio on Interstate 75 from Cincinnati to Toledo; the observant traveler of this diverse state may even catch a glimpse of Cincinnati's common wall lizard, one of the few examples of permanent "subtropical" fauna in Ohio.

Records[link]

The highest recorded temperature was 113 °F (45 °C), near Gallipolis on July 21, 1934.^[31] The lowest recorded temperature was −39 °F (−39 °C), at Milligan on February 10, 1899.^[32]

Earthquakes[link]

Although few have registered as noticeable to the average citizen, more than 30 earthquakes occurred in Ohio between 2002 and 2007, and more than 200 quakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher have occurred since 1776.^[33]

The most substantial known earthquake in Ohio history was the Anna (Shelby County) earthquake,^[34] which occurred on March 9, 1937. It was centered in western Ohio, and had a magnitude of 5.4, and was of intensity VIII.^[35]

Other significant earthquakes in Ohio include:^[36] one of magnitude 4.8 near Lima on September 19, 1884;^[37] one of magnitude 4.2 near Portsmouth on May 17, 1901;^[38] and one of 5.0 in LeRoy Township in Lake County on January 31, 1986, which continued to trigger 13 aftershocks of magnitude 0.5 to 2.4 for two months.^[39][40]

The most recent earthquake in Ohio of any appreciable magnitude occurred on December 31, 2011, at 3:05pm EST. It had a magnitude of 4.0, and its epicenter was located approximately 4 kilometres northwest of Youngstown (41°7′19.1994″N 80°41′2.3994″W / 41.121999833°N 80.683999833°W / 41.121999833; -80.683999833), near the Trumbull/Mahoning county border.^[41]

The Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis), a group of seismograph stations at several colleges, universities, and other institutions, and coordinated by the Division of Geological Survey of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,^[42] maintains an extensive catalog of Ohio earthquakes from 1776 to the present day, as well as earthquakes located in other states whose effects were felt in Ohio.^[43]

Major cities[link]

Columbus (home of The Ohio State University, Franklin University, Capital University, and Ohio Dominican University) is the capital of Ohio, near the geographic center of the state.

Other Ohio cities functioning as centers of United States metropolitan areas include:

• Akron (home of University of Akron and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company)
• Canton (home of Pro Football Hall of Fame, Malone University, and The Timken Company)
• Cincinnati (home of University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Macy's Inc., Chiquita Brands International, and Fifth Third Bank)
• Cleveland (home of Cleveland State University, Playhouse Square Center, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Orchestra, Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Forest City Enterprises, and University Hospitals)
• Dayton (home of University of Dayton, Dayton Ballet, Wright State University, Premier Health Partners, and National Museum of the United States Air Force)
• Lima (home of University of Northwestern Ohio)
• Mansfield (home of North Central State College and Mansfield Motorsports Park)
• Sandusky (home of Cedar Point, and Kalahari Resort and Convention Center)
• Springfield (home of Wittenberg University)
• Steubenville (home of Franciscan University of Steubenville)
• Toledo (home of The University of Toledo, The Toledo Museum of Art, Owens Corning, and Owens-Illinois)
• Youngstown (home of Youngstown State University and Butler Institute of American Art).

Note: The Cincinnati metropolitan area extends into Kentucky and Indiana, the Steubenville metropolitan area extends into West Virginia, and the Youngstown metropolitan area extends into Pennsylvania.

Ohio cities that function as centers of United States micropolitan areas include:

• Ashland (home of Ashland University)
• Ashtabula
• Athens (home of Ohio University)
• Bellefontaine
• Bucyrus
• Cambridge
• Celina
• Chillicothe (home of Ohio University-Chillicothe)
• Coshocton
• Defiance (home of Defiance College)
• East Liverpool-Salem
• Findlay (home of The University of Findlay)
• Fremont
• Greenville
• Marion (home of Marion Popcorn Festival)
• Mount Vernon (home of Mount Vernon Nazarene University)
• New Philadelphia-Dover
• Norwalk (home of the NHRA venue Summit Motorsports Park, headquarters of the International Hot Rod Association, and pioneer automobile company Fisher Body)
• Oxford (home of Miami University)
• Portsmouth (home of Shawnee State University)
• Sidney
• Tiffin (home of Heidelberg College and Tiffin University)
• Urbana (home of Urbana University)
• Van Wert
• Wapakoneta (birthplace of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong)
• Washington Court House
• Wilmington (home of Wilmington College)
• Wooster (home of The College of Wooster)
• Zanesville (home of Zane State College).

History[link]

Native Americans[link]

Archeological evidence suggests that the Ohio Valley was inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC.^[46] These early nomads disappeared from Ohio by 1,000 BC, "but their material culture provided a base for those who followed them".^[46] Between 1,000 and 800 BC, the sedentary Adena culture emerged. As Ohio historian George W. Knepper notes, this sophisticated culture was "so named because evidences of their culture were excavated in 1902 on the grounds of Adena, Thomas Worthington's estate located near Chillicothe".^[47] The Adena were able to establish "semi-permanent" villages because they domesticated plants, which included squash, sunflowers, and perhaps corn. Cultivation of these in addition to hunting and gathering supported more settled, complex villages.^[47] The most spectacular remnant of the Adena culture is the Great Serpent Mound, located in Adams County, Ohio.^[47]

Around 100 BC, the Adena were joined in Ohio Country by the Hopewell people, who were named for the farm owned by Captain M. C. Hopewell, where evidence of their unique culture was discovered.^[48] Like the Adena, the Hopewell people participated in a mound-building culture. Their complex, large and technologically sophisticated earthworks can be found in modern-day Marietta, Newark, and Circleville.^[48] The Hopewell, however, disappeared from the Ohio Valley in about 600 AD. Little is known about the people who replaced them.^[49] Researchers have identified two additional, distinct prehistoric cultures: the Fort Ancient people and the Whittlesey Focus people.^[49] Both cultures apparently disappeared in the 17th century, perhaps decimated by infectious diseases spread in epidemics from early European contact. The Native Americans had no immunity to common European diseases. Some scholars believe that the Fort Ancient people "were ancestors of the historic Shawnee people, or that, at the very least, the historic Shawnees absorbed remnants of these older peoples."^[49]

American Indians in the Ohio Valley were greatly affected by the aggressive tactics of the Iroquois Confederation, based in central and western New York.^[50] After the so-called Beaver Wars in the mid-17th century, the Iroquois claimed much of the Ohio country as hunting and, more importantly, beaver-trapping ground. After the devastation of epidemics and war in the mid-17th century, which largely emptied the Ohio country of indigenous people by the mid-to-late 17th century, the land gradually became repopulated by the mostly Algonquian-speaking descendants of its ancient inhabitants, that is, descendants of the Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian cultures. Many of these Ohio-country nations were multi-ethnic (sometimes multi-linguistic) societies born out of the earlier devastation brought about by disease, war, and subsequent social instability. They subsisted on agriculture (corn, sunflowers, beans, etc.) supplemented by seasonal hunts. By the 18th century, they were part of a larger global economy brought about by European entry into the fur trade.^[51]

The indigenous nations to inhabit Ohio in the historical period included the Miamis (a large confederation); Wyandots (made up of refugees, especially from the fractured Huron confederacy); Delawares (pushed west from their historic homeland in New Jersey); Shawnees (also pushed west, although they may have been descended from the Fort Ancient people of Ohio); Ottawas (more commonly associated with the upper Great Lakes region); Mingos (like the Wyandot, a group recently formed of refugees from Iroquois); and Eries (gradually absorbed into the new, multi-ethnic "republics," namely the Wyandot).^[52] Ohio country was also the site of Indian massacres, such as the Yellow Creek Massacre, Gnadenhutten and Pontiac's Rebellion school massacre.^[53]

Colonial and Revolutionary eras[link]

During the 18th century, the French set up a system of trading posts to control the fur trade in the region. In 1754, France and Great Britain fought a war that was known in North America as the French and Indian War and in Europe as the Seven Years War. As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of Ohio and the remainder of the Old Northwest to Great Britain.

Pontiac's Rebellion in the 1760s, however, posed a challenge to British military control.^[54] This came to an end with the colonists' victory in the American Revolution. In the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain ceded all claims to Ohio country to the United States.

Northwest Territory: 1787–1803[link]

Plaque commemorating the Northwest Ordinance outside Federal Hall in lower Manhattan

The United States created the Northwest Territory under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.^[55] Slavery was not permitted in the new territory. Settlement began with the founding of Marietta by the Ohio Company of Associates, which had been formed by a group of American Revolutionary War veterans. Following the Ohio Company, the Miami Company (also referred to as the "Symmes Purchase") claimed the southwestern section, and the Connecticut Land Company surveyed and settled the Connecticut Western Reserve in present-day Northeast Ohio.

The old Northwest Territory originally included areas previously known as Ohio Country and Illinois Country. As Ohio prepared for statehood, the Indiana Territory was created, reducing the Northwest Territory to approximately the size of present-day Ohio plus the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula.

Under the Northwest Ordinance, areas of the territory could be defined and admitted as states once their population reached 60,000. Although Ohio's population numbered only 45,000 in December 1801, Congress determined that the population was growing rapidly and Ohio could begin the path to statehood. The assumption was that it would exceed 60,000 residents by the time it was admitted as a state.

Statehood: 1803–present[link]

James A. Garfield, President of United States from Ohio.

On February 19, 1803, President Jefferson signed an act of Congress that approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution. However, Congress had never passed a resolution formally admitting Ohio as the 17th state. The current custom of Congress declaring an official date of statehood did not begin until 1812, with Louisiana's admission as the 18th state. Although no formal resolution of admission was required, when the oversight was discovered in 1953, Ohio congressman George H. Bender introduced a bill in Congress to admit Ohio to the Union retroactive to March 1, 1803. At a special session at the old state capital in Chillicothe, the Ohio state legislature approved a new petition for statehood that was delivered to Washington, D.C. on horseback. On August 7, 1953 (the year of Ohio's 150th anniversary), President Eisenhower signed an act that officially declared March 1, 1803 the date of Ohio's admittance into the Union.^[56][57]

Although many Native Americans had migrated west to evade American encroachment, others remained settled in the state, sometimes assimilating in part. In 1830 under President Andrew Jackson, the US government forced Indian Removal of most tribes to the Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

In 1835, Ohio fought with Michigan in the Toledo War, a mostly bloodless boundary war over the Toledo Strip. Congress intervened, making Michigan's admittance as a state conditional on ending the conflict. In exchange for giving up its claim to the Toledo Strip, Michigan was given the western two-thirds of the Upper Peninsula, in addition to the eastern third that was already considered part of the state.

Ohio state welcome sign, in an older (1990s) style

Ohio's central position and its population gave it an important place during the Civil War. The Ohio River was a vital artery for troop and supply movements, as were Ohio's railroads. Ohio contributed more soldiers per-capita than any other state in the Union. In 1862, the state's morale was badly shaken in the aftermath of the battle of Shiloh, a costly victory in which Ohio forces suffered 2,000 casualties.^[58] Later that year, when Confederate troops under the leadership of Stonewall Jackson threatened Washington, D.C., Ohio governor David Tod still could recruit 5,000 volunteers to provide three months of service.^[59] Ohio historian Andrew R. L. Cayton writes that almost 35,000 Ohioans died in the conflict, "and some thirty thousand carried battle scars with them for the rest of their lives."^[60] By the end of the Civil War, the Union's top three generals–Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Philip Sheridan–were all from Ohio.^[61][62]

In 1912 a Constitutional Convention was held with Charles B. Galbreath as secretary. The result reflected the concerns of the Progressive Era. It introduced the initiative and the referendum. In addition, it allowed the General Assembly to put questions on the ballot for the people to ratify laws and constitutional amendments originating in the Legislature. Under the Jeffersonian principle that laws should be reviewed once a generation, the constitution provided for a recurring question to appear on Ohio's general election ballots every 20 years. The question asks whether a new convention is required. Although the question has appeared in 1932, 1952, 1972, and 1992, it has never been approved. Instead constitutional amendments have been proposed by petition to the legislature hundreds of times and adopted in a majority of cases.

Eight U.S. presidents hailed from Ohio at the time of their elections, giving rise to its nickname "Mother of Presidents", a sobriquet it shares with Virginia. It is also termed "Modern Mother of Presidents,"^[63] in contrast to Virginia's status as the origin of presidents earlier in American history. Seven presidents were born in Ohio, making it second to Virginia's eight. Virginia-born William Henry Harrison lived most of his life in Ohio and is also buried there. Harrison conducted his political career while living on the family compound, founded by his father-in-law, John Cleves Symmes, in North Bend, Ohio. The seven presidents born in Ohio were Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison), William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding.

Demographics[link]

Population[link]

From just over 45,000 residents in 1800, Ohio's population grew at rates of over 10% per decade until the census of 1970, which recorded just over 10.65 million Ohioans.^[65] Growth then slowed for the next four decades.^[66] The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Ohio was 11,544,951 on July 1, 2011, a 0.07% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[5] Ohio's population growth lags that of the entire United States, and Caucasians are found in a greater density than the United States average. As of 2000^[update], Ohio's center of population is located in Morrow County,^[67] in the county seat of Mount Gilead.^[68] This is approximately 6,346 feet (1,934 m) south and west of Ohio's population center in 1990.^[67]

As of 2007^[update], 6.5% of Ohio's population is under 5 years of age,^[69] compared to a national rate of 6.9%.^[70] Also, 13.4% of Ohio's population is over 65 years of age,^[69] compared to a United States rate of 12.6%.^[70] Females comprise 51.3% of Ohio's population,^[69] compared to a national rate of 50.8%.^[70]

As of 2007, 3.6% of Ohio's total population is estimated to be foreign-born,^[71] compared to an estimated 12.5% of the United States population.^[71]

Ohio's five largest ancestry groups, as of 2007, are:^[72]

1. German (28.9%);
2. Irish (14.8%);
3. English (10.1%);
4. Polish (8.4%);
5. Italian (6.4%).

Amish children on the way to school.

The American Community Survey for the U.S. Census for 2006 reported:^[73]

• 82.8% White (non-Hispanic);
• 11.8% Black (non-Hispanic);
• 2.3% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
• 1.5% Asian/Pacific Islander
• 1.3% mixed race
• 0.2% Native American/Alaskan Native
• 0.1% other races.

Religion[link]

According to a Pew Forum poll, as of 2008, 76% of Ohioans identified as Christian.^[74] Specifically, 26% of Ohio's population identified as Evangelical Protestant, 22% identified as Mainline Protestant, and 21% identified as Roman Catholic.^[74] In addition, 17% of the population is unaffiliated with any religious body.^[74] There are also small minorities of Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Jews (1%), Muslims (1%), Hindus (<0.5%), Buddhists (<0.5%), Mormons (<0.5%), and practitioners of other faiths (1-1.5%).^[74]

According to the same data, a majority of Ohioans, 55%, feel that religion is "very important," while 30% say that it is "somewhat important," and 15% responded that religion is "not too important/not important at all."^[74] Also, 36% of Ohioans indicate that they attend religious services at least once weekly, while 35% attend these services occasionally, and 27% seldom or never participate in these services.^[74]

Economy[link]

Cincinnati's Procter & Gamble is one of Ohio's largest companies in terms of revenue.

In 2010, Ohio was ranked No. 2 in the country for best business climate by Site Selection magazine, based on a business-activity database.^[75] The state has also won three consecutive Governor's Cup awards from the magazine, based on business growth and developments.^[76] As of 2010^[update], Ohio's gross domestic product (GDP) was $478 billion.^[77][78] This ranks Ohio's economy as the seventh-largest of all fifty states and the District of Columbia.^[78]

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranked the state No. 10 for best business-friendly tax systems in their Business Tax Index 2009, including a top corporate tax and capital gains rate that were both ranked No. 6 at 1.9%.^[79] Ohio was ranked No. 11 by the council for best friendly-policy states according to their Small Business Survival Index 2009.^[80] The Directorship's Boardroom Guide ranked the state No. 13 overall for best business climate, including No. 7 for best litigation climate.^[81] Forbes ranked the state No. 8 for best regulatory environment in 2009.^[82] Ohio has 5 of the top 115 colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2010 rankings,^[83] and was ranked No. 8 by the same magazine in 2008 for best high schools.^[84]

Ohio's unemployment rate stood at 10.7 in May 2010, adding 17,000 new jobs that month.^[85][86] Ohio's per capita income stands at $34,874.^[78][87] Moody's is predicting a 1.3% increase in personal income in 2009 for Ohio, compared to the 2007 rate of 4.7%.^[78] As of 2007^[update], Ohio's median household income is $46,645,^[88] and 13.1% of the population is below the poverty line,^[89] slightly above the national rate of 13%.^[89] Ohio's employment base is expected to grow 5% from 2006 to 2016, a net gain of 290,700 jobs.^[78]

The manufacturing and financial activities sectors each compose 18.3% of Ohio's GDP, making them Ohio's largest industries by percentage of GDP.^[78] Ohio has the largest bioscience sector in the Midwest, and is a national leader in the "green" economy. Ohio is the largest producer in the country of plastics, rubber, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, and appliances.^[90] 5,212,000 Ohioans are currently employed by wage or salary.^[78]

By employment, Ohio's largest sector is trade/transportation/utilities, which employs 1,010,000 Ohioans, or 19.4% of Ohio's workforce, while the health care and education sector employs 825,000 Ohioans (15.8%).^[78] Government employs 787,000 Ohioans (15.1%), manufacturing employs 669,000 Ohioans (12.9%), and professional and technical services employs 638,000 Ohioans (12.2%).^[78] Ohio's manufacturing sector is the third-largest of all fifty United States states in terms of gross domestic product.^[78] Fifty-nine of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2008) are headquartered in Ohio, including Procter & Gamble, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, AK Steel, Timken, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Wendy's.^[91]

Ohio is also one of 41 states with its own lottery,^[92] the Ohio Lottery.^[93] The Ohio Lottery has contributed over $15.5 billion to public education in its 34-year history.^[94]

Transportation[link]

Ground Travel
Many major east-west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 20th century as "Main Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In Ohio, the Lincoln Highway linked many towns and cities together, including Canton, Mansfield, Wooster, Lima, and Van Wert. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Ohio was a major influence on the development of the state. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1926, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Highway 30.

Ohio also is home to 228 miles (367 km) of the Historic National Road, now U.S. Route 40.

Ohio has a highly developed network of roads and interstate highways. Major east-west through routes include the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) in the north, I-76 through Akron to Pennsylvania, I-70 through Columbus and Dayton, and the Appalachian Highway (Ohio 32) running from West Virginia to Cincinnati. Major north-south routes include I-75 in the west through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati, I-71 through the middle of the state from Cleveland through Columbus and Cincinnati into Kentucky, and I-77 in the eastern part of the state from Cleveland through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta down into West Virginia. Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Dayton is one of the heaviest traveled sections of interstate in Ohio.

Air Travel

Ohio has 5 international airports, 4 commercial and 2 military. The 5 international includes Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which is a major hub for Continental Airlines, Port Columbus International Airport, and Dayton International Airport, Ohio's third largest airport. Akron Fulton International Airport handles cargo and for private use. Rickenbacker International Airport is one of military which is also home to the 7th largest fed ex building in America. The other military airport is Wright Patterson Air Force Base which is one of the largest Air Force bases in the United States. Other major airports are located in Toledo and Akron.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is in Hebron, Kentucky and therefore is not listed above.

Transportation lists[link]

• List of Ohio state highways
• List of Ohio train stations
• List of Ohio railroads
• List of Ohio rivers
• Historic Ohio Canals

Law and government[link]

The Ohio State Capitol located in Columbus, Ohio.

The state government of Ohio consists of the executive,^[95] judicial,^[96] and legislative^[97] branches.

Executive branch[link]

The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Ohio.^[95] The current governor is John Kasich,^[10] a Republican elected in 2010. A lieutenant governor succeeds the governor in the event of any removal from office,^[98] and performs any duties assigned by the governor.^[99] The current lieutenant governor is Mary Taylor. The other elected constitutional offices in the executive branch are the secretary of state (Jon A. Husted), auditor (Dave Yost), treasurer (Josh Mandel), and attorney general (Mike DeWine).^[95]

Judicial branch[link]

There are three levels of the Ohio state judiciary. The lowest level is the court of common pleas: each county maintains its own constitutionally-mandated court of common pleas, which maintain jurisdiction over "all justiciable matters."^[100] The intermediate-level court system is the district court system.^[101] Twelve courts of appeals exist, each retaining jurisdiction over appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in a set geographical area.^[100] A case heard in this system is decided by a three-judge panel, and each judge is elected.^[100]

The highest-ranking court, the Ohio Supreme Court, is Ohio's "court of last resort."^[102] A seven-justice panel composes the court, which, by its own discretion, hears appeals from the courts of appeals, and retains original jurisdiction over limited matters.^[103]

Legislative branch[link]

The police car originated in Akron, Ohio.^[104]

The Ohio General Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives.^[105] The Senate is composed of 33 districts, each of which is represented by one senator.^[106] Each senator represents approximately 330,000 constituents.^[106] The House of Representatives is composed of 99 members.^[107]

National politics[link]

Ohio, nicknamed the "Mother of Presidents," has sent seven of its native sons (Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding) to the White House.^[109] All seven were Republicans. Virginia native William Henry Harrison, a Whig, resided in Ohio.^[109] Historian R. Douglas Hurt asserts that not since Virginia 'had a state made such a mark on national political affairs.'^[110] The Economist notes that "This slice of the mid-west contains a bit of everything American — part north-eastern and part southern, part urban and part rural, part hardscrabble poverty and part booming suburb,"^[111]

As of 2008^[update], Ohio's voter demographic leans towards the Democratic Party.^[112] An estimated 2,408,178 Ohioans are registered to vote as Democrats, while 1,471,465 Ohioans are registered to vote as Republicans.^[112] These are changes from 2004 of 72% and 32%, respectively, and Democrats have registered over 1,000,000 new Ohioans since 2004.^[112] Unaffiliated voters have an attrition of 15% since 2004, losing an estimated 718,000 of their kind.^[112] The total now rests at 4,057,518 Ohioans.^[112] In total, there are 7,937,161 Ohioans registered to vote.^[112] In the United States presidential election of 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won 51.50% of Ohio's popular vote, 4.59% more than his nearest rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona.^[113] However, Obama won only 22 of Ohio's 88 counties.^[114]

Following the 2000 census, Ohio lost one congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, which leaves Ohio with 18 districts, and consequently, 18 representatives. The state is expected to lose two more seats following the 2010 Census.^[115] The 2008 elections, Democrats gained three seats in Ohio's delegation to the House of Representatives.^[116] This leaves eight Republican-controlled seats in the Ohio delegation.^[117] Ohio's U.S. Senators in the 112th Congress are Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Sherrod Brown.^[118] Marcia Kaptur (D-9) is the dean, or most senior member, of the Ohio delegation to the United States House of Representatives.^[119]