OHIO Chillicothe celebrates 80 years

grads wearing caps and gowns walk outside

Ohio University Chillicothe is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with an open house celebration on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Stevenson Center, named for longtime Chillicothe and Ross County Public Librarian Burton Stevenson, will provide the venue for this anniversary event, which will feature music from the Chillicothe High School Marching Band and String Quartet, yard games, refreshments and opportunities to reconnect while celebrating the people and partnerships that have shaped Ohio University Chillicothe.

“We like to think of ourselves as an institution that is closely tied to the needs of the surrounding community,” said Michael Lafreniere, interim dean of campus and community relations at Ohio University Chillicothe. “We are proud to mark 80 years of providing access to higher education for those in Chillicothe and south-central Ohio.”

OHIO Chillicothe’s 80th Anniversary Celebration is a time of reflection and a way to thank the community for its continued support. Area businesses and public involvement help to create and sustain a vibrant campus community. This spirit of cooperation is the cornerstone behind the campus situated atop Carlisle Hill.

"An anniversary like this belongs to the generations who built it,” Lafreniere said. “Everything we celebrate on Carlisle Hill exists because students, faculty, staff, and neighbors before us believed in what education could do for this region and gave of themselves to make it real. We stand on their shoulders. I hope that 80 years from now, another generation will look back on our work and feel the same gratitude I feel today."

Tiffany Baldwin, director of Downtown Chillicothe, and chair of the Ohio University Chillicothe Regional Coordinating Council, echoes this sentiment.

“Ohio University Chillicothe has been an integral part of our community for 80 years, and its impact extends far beyond the classroom,” Baldwin said. “The campus has a unique ability to build meaningful, lasting partnerships that strengthen our region while preparing the next generation of leaders. Whether it's collaborating with local organizations, supporting workforce development or creating opportunities for students to engage in the community, OHIO Chillicothe consistently demonstrates its commitment to the future of Ross County. We are fortunate to have a university that not only invests in higher education but also serves as a true community partner."

For information on OHIO Chillicothe’s 80th anniversary celebration, visit ohio.edu/chillicothe/about/anniversary-celebration and follow the campus on social media.  

Ohio University Chillicothe’s beginnings

Ohio University Chillicothe was founded to provide quality higher education opportunities to those whose commitments to jobs and families require them to remain in their communities while attending school. The institution was at the forefront of a historical movement to broaden access to higher education for a diverse population.  

On Sept. 16, 1946, the Chillicothe campus opened with 281 students in 41 classes at Chillicothe High School. Instructors came from Ohio University in Athens and from the local community. Chillicothe’s new two-year program was the first college branch in Ohio. Thomas J. Vernia, a Chillicothe High School teacher, became the first head administrator. 

For 15 years, only evening classes were offered, however, in 1961, as demand increased, daytime classes were started at the First Presbyterian Church. The groundwork for a Chillicothe campus had already begun in 1960 with a local group's purchase of 43 acres on Carlisle Hill. A year later, 38 acres were added; current holdings total approximately 100 acres.

community members and media gather at the ground-breaking for Bennett Hall — Camera operators on top of TELCOM van at ground-breaking ceremony for Ohio University's Chillicothe campus. Chillicothe was the first regional campus to be established by Ohio University in 1946. After 21 years, enough money was raised, with the help of the people of Chillicothe, to purchase land for a permanent campus.

In 1962, Ohio University President Dr. Vernon Alden said he envisioned a complete campus at Chillicothe by 1972 — including laboratories, a small library, and even dormitories — to accommodate a student population of several thousand.

The biggest challenge to advancing the regional campus concept in Chillicothe was met head-on in 1962, when a $200,000 fund drive was launched to complete payment on the land and prove to the Ohio General Assembly that local citizens were ready to support higher education. The fund drive was a success, and in September 1966 the $1.6 million Bennett Hall opened as the first campus building.

President Alden's vision of a small library became a reality in 1974 when the $1 million Burton E. Stevenson Learning Resources Center opened.

four men walking down the hall at Ohio University Chillicothe — Ohio University Chillicothe dedication ceremony in December, 1966. L to R: John Galbreath, Ohio University Board of Trustees; Ohio Governor James Rhodes; John Millett, chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents; Vernon Alden, Ohio University president.

Today, OHIO Chillicothe continues to deliver high-quality education, with open admissions, a regional tuition rate, and need-based scholarships all focused on ensuring an accessible education that prepares graduates for in-demand careers.