Ohio University to celebrate Founders Day on Feb. 18

Ohio University is celebrating Founders Day with a special virtual exhibit, an opportunity for seniors to get their photos in the Athena Yearbook, a special promotion that asks all Bobcats to show their love for OHIO, and the playing of the Cutler Hall Chimes on Feb. 18.

Ohio University was founded on Feb. 18, 1804, and each year on Feb. 18 the University celebrates this special day.

This year, all members of the University community are invited to view the virtual exhibit, “Celebrating OHIO’s Founding: The History of Founders Day at Ohio University.” This special exhibit highlights several years of the University honoring its history and its founders.

The first major celebration of Founders Day, for example, was in June 1915. That event was not an official Founders Day event, but instead was a celebration of the 100-year anniversary of when Ohio University graduated its first students. The exhibit provides information and photos on this multi-day extravaganza filled with performances, special dinners and even an outdoor drama.

The first official Founders Day event was on Feb. 18, 1920, and the exhibit provides information on this historic event.

The exhibit then features photos and details about Founders Day events at the University over the decades.

“After the initial hyperbole for the first Founders Days of the 1920s had subsided somewhat, the years 1954, 1979, and 2004 marked key milestones of 150, 175, and 200 years since the University’s founding, and, therefore, Founders Day during those years was given much greater attention by the University,” said William Kimok, University archivist and records manager.

In recent years, Alden Library and University Libraries have celebrated Founders Day with different exhibits. The current exhibit is a captivating look back at past Founders Days, and the entire Ohio University community is invited to look through this intriguing part of the University’s history.

“We in Alden Library hope that you have been informed and entertained by those past exhibits, as well as this year’s virtual presentation of the history of Founders Day at Ohio University, and that each of these productions has inspired you to think for at least a few moments about the rich, fascinating, and unique history of OHIO,” Kimok said. 

The exhibit was created through the collaboration of numerous OHIO partners including Digital Initiatives Coordinator Janet Carleton, Digital Imaging Specialist Erin Wilson, and Director of Mahn Center, Preservation, and Digital Initiatives Miriam Nelson, Kimok said. 

To see the exhibit, visit this University Libraries website.

Athena photos, love for OHIO and the Cutler Hall Chimes

Ohio University will also be marking Founders Day this year through several other activities.

The Athena Yearbook staff is calling on all graduating seniors to be a part of OHIO’s written history by submitting their headshots for this year’s publication.

The deadline for those graduating in the 2021-22 academic year to submit their headshots for the 2022 Athena is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18. In celebration of Founders Day, the Athena staff will be offering free headshots to graduating seniors from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, outside the fourth floor of Baker University Center.

University Libraries’ Digital Archives features Athena Yearbooks dating back to 1892. Visit this website to access those publications online: https://www.ohio.edu/library/collections/digital-archives/ohio-university-archives/yearbooks.

In the week leading up to Founders Day, Ohio University is holding a special “I Love OHIO” promotion on social media. As part of the promotion, Bobcats are invited to share why they love OHIO and they will be eligible to win a weekend getaway in Athens, complete with accommodations at the Ohio University Inn and Conference Center and dinner at Cutler’s Restaurant. You can find more information on the Founders Day website, or on social media.

Finally, on Founders Day, the Cutler Hall Chimes will play “Alma Mater, Ohio” at exactly 2:18 p.m., marking the University’s 218th birthday.

For additional information about Founders Day, please visit the Founders Day website.