History of Ohio State University in Timeline

Ohio State University, founded in 1870 in Columbus, Ohio, is the flagship public research university of the University System of Ohio. Designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university, it receives support for diverse research initiatives. As a comprehensive institution, Ohio State offers a wide range of academic programs and is a major center for research and higher education in the state.

1905: Olmsted Brothers Contracted

In 1905, the Olmsted brothers, who designed New York City's Central Park, were contracted as architectural consultants for Ohio State's campus.

1906: Lybarger Bill and Eagleson Bill

In 1906, President William Oxley Thompson introduced the Lybarger Bill to consolidate higher education support at Ohio State. Although it failed, the Eagleson Bill was passed as a compromise, assigning doctoral education and research to Ohio State until the 1950s.

1909: Construction of the First Ohio Union

In 1909, the first Ohio Union was constructed on the south edge of the South Oval and was later renamed Enarson Hall.

1911: Founding of The Sundial

In 1911, The Sundial, a student-written and -published humor magazine, was founded.

1913: Formal Landscape Plan Created

By 1913, under the leadership of the Olmsted brothers, a more formal landscape plan was created for Ohio State's campus, with its center axis through the Oval.

1915: "Across the Field" Played at Events

"Across the Field", a fight song used by teams of all sports, has been played at events since 1915.

1915: Main Library Construction

In 1915, the construction of the main library at Ohio State reinforced the street grid shift implemented by the Olmsted brothers.

1916: Election into Association of American Universities

In 1916, Ohio State University was elected into membership in the Association of American Universities.

1916: Extended Membership into the Association of American Universities

In 1916, Ohio State became the first university in Ohio to be extended membership into the Association of American Universities.

1928: "Buckeye Battle Cry" First Performed

"Buckeye Battle Cry", the second fight song was first performed in 1928, and is played as the marching band enters via the Ohio Stadium ramp.

1933: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1933 season.

1934: Ohio State Research Foundation Founded

In 1934, the Ohio State Research Foundation was founded to bring in outside funding for faculty research projects.

1938: Development Office Opened

In 1938, a development office was opened at Ohio State to raise funds privately and offset reductions in state support.

1942: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1942.

1944: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1944 season.

1950: Completion of the Second Ohio Union

In 1950, the second Ohio Union was completed along High Street, southeast of the Oval and became a center of student life for more than 50 years.

1952: Mershon Center Founded

In 1952, Ohio State founded the interdisciplinary Mershon Center for International Security Studies.

1954: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1954.

October 10, 1957: Founding Member of AURA

On October 10, 1957, Ohio State University was a founding member of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), a consortium of universities and institutions operating astronomical observatories and telescopes. AURA was incorporated by seven U.S. universities including Ohio State.

1957: Ohio State Marion Founded

In 1957, the Ohio State University at Marion was founded as a satellite campus in Marion, Ohio.

1957: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1957.

1958: Ohio State Mansfield Founded

In 1958, the Ohio State University at Mansfield was founded as a land-grant college.

1960: Ohio State Lima Established

In 1960, the Ohio State University at Lima was established as a regional campus in Lima, Ohio.

1961: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1961.

1966: Land and Funds Secured for Newark Campus

In 1966, over one million dollars was pledged by 7,000 local citizens to support the cost of buying land for the Ohio State University at Newark campus.

1968: Founders Hall Opened

In 1968, Founders Hall, the first building at the Ohio State University at Newark campus, opened.

1968: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1968.

1969: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1969 season.

1969: Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute Established

In 1969, the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute was established in Wooster, Ohio.

1970: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 1970.

1973: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1973 season.

1974: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1974 season.

1975: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1975 season.

August 15, 1977: Detection of the Wow! Signal

On August 15, 1977, Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope detected the Wow! signal, a strong narrowband radio signal potentially of extraterrestrial origin.

1978: Reports of Sexual Misconduct Date Back to 1978

Reports of sexual misconduct by a deceased university team physician, Richard Strauss, date back to 1978 and included claims that he groped and took nude photographs of his patients.

1985: Revival of The Makio

In 1985, The Makio yearbook was revived, thanks to several student organizations.

1986: End of Open Enrollment Policy

In 1986, Ohio State ended its historic open enrollment policy and transitioned to selective admissions.

1987: Fundraising Campaign Concluded

In 1987, Ohio State concluded a fundraising campaign, raising $460 million, a record at the time for a public university.

1988: Designated as Space-Grant Institution

In 1988, Ohio State University was designated as a space-grant institution.

1989: Hosted weekend school for Japanese students

In 1989, OSU-Mansfield hosted a weekend school for Japanese students.

1989: Designated as Sea-Grant Institution

In 1989, Ohio State University was designated as a sea-grant institution.

1989: Wexner Center for the Arts Established

In 1989, the Wexner Center for the Arts was founded at Ohio State University, funded in large part by Les Wexner's $25 million gift. The center was designed by Peter Eisenman and Richard Trott.

1994: The Makio Publication Ends

In 1994, the publication of The Makio yearbook ended.

1995: "Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign" Began

In 1995, Ohio State began the "Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign" with an initial goal of raising $850 million.

1997: James S. Albus Named a "Hero of US Manufacturing"

In 1997, roboticist James S. Albus was named a "Hero of US Manufacturing" by Fortune magazine.

1998: Buckeyes Considered National Champions

At least one NCAA college football ranking considers Buckeyes national champions in the 1998 season.

1999: $1 Billion Endowment

In 1999, Ohio State was among the first group of four public universities to raise a $1 billion endowment.

2000: The Makio Revival

In 2000, The Makio yearbook was revived again, thanks to several student organizations.

2000: "Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign" Concluded

In 2000, the "Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign" concluded with a final tally of $1.23 billion.

2002: AAAS Fellows Ranking Since 2002

Each year since 2002, Ohio State has either led or been second among all American universities in the number of their faculty members elected as fellows to the AAAS.

2002: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 2002.

October 3, 2004: Buckeye Bullet World Record

On October 3, 2004, Ohio State's "Buckeye Bullet" electric car broke the world record for the fastest speed by an electric vehicle, achieving a maximum speed of 271.737 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

October 2004: Knowlton Hall Dedicated

In October 2004, Knowlton Hall was dedicated at the corner of West Woodruff Avenue and Tuttle Park Place, next to Ohio Stadium.

2004: Political Science Program Ranked 4th Globally

In 2004, Ohio State's political science program was ranked 4th in the world by political scientist Simon Hix.

2005: Endowment at $1.73 Billion

At the end of 2005, Ohio State's endowment stood at $1.73 billion.

2005: Big Ten Conference Championships

During the 2005-2006 school year, Ohio State became the first Big Ten team to win conference championships in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.

2005: COACHE Survey Results in 2005

In 2005, Ohio State was rated as "exemplary" in surveys conducted by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE).

June 2006: $2 Billion Endowment

In June 2006, Ohio State's endowment passed the $2 billion mark.

2006: Big Ten Conference Championships

During the 2005-2006 school year, Ohio State became the first Big Ten team to win conference championships in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.

2006: Research Efforts Toward Fundamental Concerns

In 2006, Ohio State announced it would designate at least $110 million of its research efforts toward what it termed "fundamental concerns" such as research toward a cure for cancer, renewable energy sources and sustainable drinking water supplies.

2006: COACHE Survey Results in 2006

In 2006, Ohio State was rated as "exemplary" in surveys conducted by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) in four of the seven measured aspects of workplace satisfaction for junior faculty members.

February 2007: Demolition of the Second Ohio Union

In February 2007, the second Ohio Union was demolished to make way for the new Ohio Union.

2007: Buckeye Bullet 2 Launched

In 2007, Buckeye Bullet 2 was launched as a collaboration between Ohio State engineering students and engineers from the Ford Motor Company.

2007: Sports Illustrated Nicknames Ohio State's Athletic Program

In 2007, Sports Illustrated nicknamed Ohio State's athletic program as being "The Program" due to the unsurpassed facilities, an unparalleled number of men's and women's sports teams and their success, and the financial support of an impressive fan base.

2007: Political Science Program Ranked 9th in the U.S.

In 2007, a study in the academic journal PS: Political Science & Politics ranked Ohio State's political science program ninth in the United States.

2007: NSF Report on Research Expenditures

In a 2007 report released by the National Science Foundation, Ohio State's research expenditures for 2006 were $652 million, placing it seventh among public universities and 11th overall.

2007: New Fundraising Campaign Announced

In the fall of 2007, President E. Gordon Gee announced that Ohio State would launch a $2.5 billion fundraising campaign.

2007: Big Ten Conference Championships

Ohio State repeated the feat during the 2006–2007 school year, winning solo championships in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.

2008: Faculty Recognition in 2008

In 2008, Ohio State's faculty included 21 members of the National Academy of Sciences or National Academy of Engineering, four members of the Institute of Medicine and 177 elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

2009: AAAS Fellows Elected in 2009

In 2009, 17 Ohio State faculty members were elected as AAAS Fellows.

2010: Completion of the New Ohio Union

In 2010, the new Ohio Union was finished, replacing the second Ohio Union.

2014: Living Alumni Around the World

As of 2014, Ohio State has approximately 580,000 living alumni around the world.

2014: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 2014.

September 19, 2016: Buckeye Bullet 3 New World Record

On September 19, 2016, the Buckeye Bullet 3 achieved a new world record with a speed of 341.4 mph, beating its own previous record of 308 mph.

2016: Fisher College of Business Ranked

In 2016, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the undergraduate business program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business as the 14th best in the nation.

2017: Research Expenditures at Ohio State

In 2017, research expenditures at Ohio State were $864 million.

February 2018: Suspension of Sexual Civility and Empowerment Unit

In February 2018, the Sexual Civility and Empowerment unit was suspended, following an external review.

June 2018: Dissolution of Sexual Civility and Empowerment Unit

In June 2018, Ohio State dissolved its Sexual Civility and Empowerment unit and eliminated four positions due to concerns about mismanagement and a lack of support for survivors of sexual assault.

July 20, 2018: BBC News Report on Sexual Misconduct Allegations

On July 20, 2018, BBC News reported that over 100 male students had reported sexual misconduct by a deceased university team physician, Richard Strauss.

2019: "Time and Change Campaign" Announced

In 2019, President Michael V. Drake announced the "Time and Change Campaign" with a goal of raising $4.5 billion from 1 million individual donors.

May 2020: Settlement with Sexual Abuse Survivors

In May 2020, Ohio State University entered into a settlement and agreed to pay $40.9 million to the sexual abuse survivors of Richard Strauss.

2020: Kristina M. Johnson Takes Office

In 2020, Kristina M. Johnson became the 16th president of Ohio State University, initiating diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

2021: Freshman Retention Rate

Between 2021 and 2022, OSU's freshman retention rate was 93.9%, with 88% going on to graduate within six years.

2021: Investment in Research and Innovation District

In 2021, President Kristina M. Johnson announced the university would invest at least $750 million over the next 10 years toward research and researchers. This was announced in conjunction with Ohio State's new Innovation District.

2022: Freshman Retention Rate

Between 2021 and 2022, OSU's freshman retention rate was 93.9%, with 88% going on to graduate within six years.

April 2023: Howard Tucker, World's Oldest Practicing Doctor

As of April 2023, Howard Tucker, who attended Ohio State for his undergraduate work and medical school, was the world's oldest living practicing doctor at 100.

2023: Obtaining NVIDIA GPUs for AI Training

In 2023, Ohio State University announced that it had obtained four H100 NVIDIA GPUs for AI training at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), with the goal of continuous hyperscaling of advanced AI chips for the long term future.

2023: U.S. News & World Report Rankings

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio State's political science, audiology, sociology, speech–language pathology, finance, accounting, public affairs, nursing, social work, healthcare administration and pharmacy programs as among the top 20 programs in the country.

2023: Walter E. Carter Jr. Takes Office

In 2023, Walter E. Carter Jr. succeeded Kristina M. Johnson as the 17th president of Ohio State University, shifting the university's policies.

2023: Innovation District Facility Completed

In 2023, construction of the interdisciplinary research facility in Ohio State's Innovation District was completed.

2023: Academic Ranking of World Universities

In 2023, the Academic Ranking of World Universities placed Ohio State 39–51 nationally and 82th globally.

2023: Washington Monthly College Rankings

In 2023, the Washington Monthly college rankings, which evaluate colleges' contributions to American society, placed Ohio State 61st among national universities.

2024: QS World University Rankings

In 2024, QS World University Rankings ranked Ohio State University 151st in the world.

2024: Scholars at Risk on academic freedom

In 2024, Scholars at Risk noted "a chilling effect on academic freedom" due to political interference.

2024: National Championship

The Buckeyes claim a national championship in 2024.

January 2025: Anduril Industries Announces Arsenal Projects

In January 2025, Anduril Industries announced a series of Arsenal Projects, hyperscaling computer facilities for autonomous sensors and weapons. They announced the construction of a manufacturing facility in Columbus, Ohio, called "Arsenal-1".

April 25, 2025: Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations and Encampment

On April 25, 2025, pro-Palestinian demonstrators constructed a solidarity encampment on OSU's South Oval during the Gaza War, resulting in at least 36 arrests. The demonstrators demanded financial divestment, academic boycott, financial disclosure, acknowledging the genocide, and ending targeted policing.

June 2025: AI Courses Requirement

In June 2025, Ohio State University became the first university in the world to require all future students to take courses in artificial intelligence.

September 2025: FIRE Free Speech Ranking

In September 2025, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression gave OSU a 57.7 out of 100 (an 'F' grade) in free speech.

2025: Ohio State Football Program Valuation

As of 2025, the Ohio State football program is valued at $2–2.5 billion, the highest valuation nationally.

2025: Admission Rate

For the enrolled Spring 2025 class, Ohio State accepted 38,532 students out of 88,508 total for an approximate admission rate of 43.5%.

2025: SAT and ACT Scores

In the Autumn 2025 admissions period, the middle 50 percent of composite scores for the SAT was 1360 to 1500 and the composite scores for the ACT were 29 to 34.

2026: Research and Development Expenditures Ranking

According to the National Science Foundation, in 2026, Ohio State University had research and development expenditures of $1.58 billion, ranking it 12th in the nation.

2026: Anduril Industries Sponsors Football Program

For the 2026 year, Anduril Industries will sponsor the Ohio State University football program.

2026: University Rankings

In 2026, Ohio State University's rankings varied across different publications: Time ranked it as the 5th best public university in the U.S. and 33rd globally; U.S. News & World Report ranked it 15th among public and 41st among all national universities; the Center for World University Rankings placed it 29th nationally and 55th globally.

2026: NSF Ranks Ohio State 12th in R&D Expenditures

In 2026, the National Science Foundation ranked Ohio State University 12th among American universities for research and development expenditures, totaling $1.58 billion.

2026: Ohio State Football Winning Percentage

With 990 wins as of the 2026 season, Ohio State ranks best all-time in winning percentage in the NCAA.

Mentioned in this timeline

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