College of Education History
This information is provided for archival purposes to serve the College of Education Edlum Society. The College of Education and College of Human Ecology formed The College of Education and Human Ecology in 2006.
The College of Education was established at Ohio State in 1895 as the Department of Pedagogy. The department was renamed the Department of Education in 1899. The department was abolished and the College established on Sept. 17, 1907. The curriculum included courses on educational psychology, methods of teaching, and the history of education, as well as observation and practice work in public schools. The faculty, including George F. Arps, began to gain renown in the early 1900s.
Physical education grew in importance during World War I as Ohio passed laws requiring physical and health education in schools. The College expanded rapidly in the 1920s, with dramatic increases in enrollment. Teacher training went from a two-year to a four-year program, and students could study special subjects. The College's reputation grew, in large part because of the Bureau of Educational Research. The Education Building, later named Arps Hall, and Pomerene Hall opened in 1926.
The University School, now known as Ramseyer Hall, opened in 1932. Students, teachers and administrators created a cooperative group that shared in planning, developing and evaluating participation. The Depression forced cutbacks in faculty numbers, but they included Boyd Bode, H. Gordon Hullfish, Laura Zirbes, Edgar Dale, Delbert Oberteuffer, Harold B. Alberty, Harold P. Fawcett, William Van Til, Ruth Streitz, Thomas C. Holy, Ralph Tyler and Albert Weiss.
The 1940s saw a growing reputation as a leader in progressive education. There was a movement to increase service to public schools through surveys, studies of problems facing teachers, and investigations into the effectiveness of curriculum. There also was an expansion of students' contact with schools. The September field experience to help teachers prepare classrooms for the school year was joined by projects to survey district buildings, as well as student teaching. There was an increase in attention to the student experience at Ohio State, with the creation of a five-person staff to do psychological screening, interviews and counseling.
Admissions policies changed around World War II, as previous testing and other requirements for enrollment were abandoned. The College began to admit all 12th-grade graduates of Ohio schools. Enrollment dropped dramatically during the war to 1,400 students and was slow to increase afterwards. Enrollment reached 3,600 in 1956.
There was a teacher shortage during the 1950s because of the baby boom, a decrease in the number of women entering teaching because of their family responsibilities and opportunities in other professions, and other factors. The College tried to meet these shortages by offering dual certification in elementary and secondary teaching, and by certifying people who held bachelor's degrees in fields other than education.
The College faculty became very involved in education issues worldwide. They helped reopen German universities, and developed programs in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Guam and India. However, research suffered because the numbers of students overwhelmed faculty members. By 1960, 125 faculty were teaching 4,500 undergraduates and hundreds of gradate students, as well as running the 375-student University School. Psychology was the only department qualified for research contracts with government, business or industry. The growth in enrollment continued during the 1970s as baby boomers entered college.
The College decided to close the University School in the early 1960s. An advisory committee in 1964 suggested the school be replaced with closer ties to the Columbus district, which could serve as a "natural laboratory" for researchers and education students. The decision caused tension among the faculty and an outcry from University School alumni and supporters that even reached to the state legislature. The final University School commencement was held June 7, 1967. University School was renamed John Ramseyer Hall in 1969.
The College turned to the concept of a graduate program in the early 1980s. Led by deans Donald Anderson and Nancy Zimpher, the faculty embraced the Holmes Partnership concept. In phases, the College began granting certification at the master's degree level. Students received a M.Ed. degree, which required them to earn a bachelor's degree in their area before applying to the College's graduate teacher education program.
The 1990s brought an emphasis on collaboration and partnerships, with numerous projects involving schools, foundations and government. Teacher preparation was very much involved in outreach programs that were called exemplars of hands-on, realistic training for future educators.
The millennium saw an adjustment in the Holmes philosophy, with the goal of reconnecting with undergraduate education by allowing licensure in some academic areas where appropriate. The College also strengthened ties with the Arts and Sciences so students who entered the education graduate program were knowledgeable about their fields. It continues its outreach and engagement efforts, including a major program to offer professional development courses adapted to the specific needs of school districts and teachers.
Contemporary Graduates:
Myra Alexander-Starr, Ph.D. '00
First Native American to earn doctorate from Ohio State
Alvenia Rhea Albright, B.S. '69
Director of diverse business partnerships/global for American Express
Rich Boyd, M.A. '58
Former executive director of the Martha Holding Jennings Foundation
Earle Bruce, B.S. '53
Former football coach; radio commentator; member of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame
H. Douglas Covington, M.A. '58 and Ph.D. '66
President of Radford University, Radford, Va., since 1995
Jay Cummings, Ph.D. '74
Dean of the College of Education and former president, Texas Southern University
Donna Browder Evans, B.S. '58, M.A. '64 and Ph.D. '70
Former Dean of the College of Education
Jeanne Chall, M.A. '47, Ph.D. '52
Pioneer in research on reading development
Virgil Clift, Ph.D. '44
Edited the Encyclopedia of Black America
Bernice Cullinan, B.S. '48, M.A. '51 and Ph.D. '54
Leading expert in children's literature
Lee Yung Dug, M.A. and Ph.D.
Former prime minister of the Republic of Korea
Novice Fawcett, M.A. '37
President of The Ohio State University, 1956-72
Shaun Gayle, B.S. '82
Children's book author and former pro football player
Adrienne Kennedy, B.S. '53
Award-winning playwright
Manuel T. Pacheco, Ph.D. '69
President emeritus, University of Missouri
Mike Peppe, B.S. '27, M.A. '28
Ohio State swimming and diving coach
Robert Studebaker, B.S. '33
Educator and innovator. Held 10 U.S. patents and 12 foreign patents
Michael White, B.S. '73
Former mayor, Cleveland
Nancy Zimpher, B.S. '68, Ph.D. '76
Former dean of the College of Education, The Ohio State University; now chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee link external to COE
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