Happy birthday, dear Ohio, happy birthday to you.
Ohio University celebrated its bicentennial yesterday on Founder's Day. The daylong event included cake, music, former university presidents and Bobcat pride.
At the afternoon birthday party in the new lecture hall, OU presidents emeritus Charles Ping and Vernon Alden joined current President Robert Glidden to cut the five-foot square cake after wishing on the three large candles for another successful 200 years.
The three living presidents made a few brief remarks about their memories of OU and their hopes for the university's future.
I will continue to have much admiration and love for this university and commitment to it
Alden said. I'll be hoping that we will eventually reach our goal of becoming one of the most distinguished universities in America.
Ping shared a quote from the Third Century Campaign, a fund-raising drive during his tenure.
A university owes its life to the conviction that knowledge is necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind he said.
In between rousing choruses of Alma Mater Ohio and Stand Up and Cheer
Glidden expressed his happiness at the turnout of university patrons and the foresight of university founders.
If we think about the vision of our forefathers who saw the need
the importance of an educated citizen that they stipulated that there be education through the university level - it is really remarkable
he said.
The evening festivities began with a welcome from Ohio Gov. Bob Taft who, following the joke of the day, reiterated his pleasure at being present at the Ohio University. Expressing the sentiments of several university officials, Taft said he was excited to see the music and dance programs and the extraordinary talent that you cultivate and nurture here at OU.
Music and dance filled the majority of the evening, along with several video montages prepared by the office of communications marketing and development. The videos included footage of strikes, parties, dances, homecoming, sports, famous speakers, newspaper headlines, floods and archive photos.
In the middle of the presentation of a Founders Citation to Wilfred Konneker, a national trustee, an audience member in the balcony unfurled a banner reading, Dysart Woods Priceless. She then accused the university of spending too much money on salaries such as Glidden's and challenged OU to do something worthwhile.
She chanted Save Dysart Woods! as she exited the building to some booing from an otherwise shocked audience. Glidden proceeded with the presentation after quipping, It's a university
folks
and we do get all types.
The focal point of the evening was the premiere of Turning Two Hundred
one of several artistic pieces Glidden commissioned for the bicentennial two years ago. OU professor Mark Phillips composed the score.
Good art lives
Glidden said as he spoke about the piece. We wanted to ensure that what we did on Feb. 18
2004
