Harrison Hall (Miami University)
Encyclopedia
Harrison Hall is an academic building on the campus of Miami University
housing the Department of Political Science and the Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs. It replaced an earlier building on the site built in 1818 and demolished in 1958. The original building was first named Franklin Hall, and became known as Old Main
. It was officially renamed to Harrison Hall in 1931 after the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison
.
Originally named Franklin Hall, it later came to be known as Old Main by students. The first day of classes at Miami University began on November 1, 1824 in Old Main, which was the only classroom building on campus at that time.
The first two student organizations, the Erodelphian and the Union Literary Societies, began in 1825 and met on Friday evenings on the third floor of Old Main, debating issues involving social and economic progress, including slavery
and feminism
. Other organizations began forming as well, including fraternities. Beta Theta Pi
was founded in 1839 at Miami University and was the first of the Miami Triad of fraternities to be founded there.
of the snowballs. President MacMaster informed the faculty and students later that day at a chapel meeting, which all students and faculty members were required to attend, that those involved in the incident with Old Main would be expelled. This ultimately backfired though, for the following night even more students broke into Old Main and packed the main floor with snow, along with chairs, tables, benches, and the entire wood fuel supply for the winter, which then froze overnight. MacMaster expelled all students involved over the next two weeks, and Miami’s enrollment fell to 68 students. However, not wanting to close the university, the Board of Trustees fired MacMaster and hired William Anderson
as the next president, who allowed Phi Delta Theta
fraternity to be formed in December 1848.
and Miami University, who square off each year in football, originally hung in Old Main, which was near where the first football game was played in 1888. The Bell was rung for Miami victories and remained at Old Main until it began traveling with the winning team in the 1890s. Phi Kappa Tau
fraternity was founded in the old Union Literary Society Hall in Old Main in 1906.
Before the construction of the new Harrison Hall, a fire occurred in December 1946. It was spotted by a group of students on Sunday, December 1 at 7:45 p.m. resulting in 150 dollars worth of damage, and destroyed one of the stained glass windows inside of Harrison Hall. Although the cause of the fire was never determined, one of the managers of the building believed that cigarette butts were the cause for the fire.
. Bids for the construction of the new building were received on October 17, 1958 by the State Architect’s Office
in Columbus and construction began in January. The cornerstone was laid on May 9, 1959 and was presided by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hugh C. Nichols. A strike that began on June 8, 1959 interrupted the construction of the building, which was later completed in 1960.
The new Harrison Hall was designed to resemble the old building, and is only about 60 percent as large as Old Main, yet it actually has more space for students and for activities. A memorandum by then President John D. Millett
on April 3, 1959 discussed the potential distribution of rooms and offices within the new Harrison Hall, also stating which departments would be housed within the building. The official dedication of Harrison Hall occurred on October 8, 1960, which occurred inside one of the three lecture rooms featured within the building. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, E.W. Nippert, presided over the ceremony, while James H. Maloon represented the State of Ohio. Harrison Hall is 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) and cost $1,004,000 to build.
in College Hill, Cincinnati
. He later returned to Miami and received his A.M. degree in 1855. Harrison was the secretary of the first national Phi Delta Theta convention in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1851, and studied law after graduation.
He practiced law for much of his career in Indianapolis, Indiana
and was a reporter for the Supreme Court of Indiana
in the 1860s. He also served in the Indiana Volunteer Infantry
from 1862 to 1865 as a colonel. Harrison served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1881 to 1887, before serving as the 23rd President of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He died on March 13, 1901.
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
housing the Department of Political Science and the Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs. It replaced an earlier building on the site built in 1818 and demolished in 1958. The original building was first named Franklin Hall, and became known as Old Main
Old Main
Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building often serves as home to administrative offices, such as president or provost. The building also serves as a focal point of the institution and common location to...
. It was officially renamed to Harrison Hall in 1931 after the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
.
History
Construction for Harrison Hall began in 1816, shortly after the completion of the log schoolhouse in the University Square in 1811. The central part of the building was completed in 1818, and various additions were made to the building afterwards. The west wing of the building was added in 1868 following the Civil War, and the east wing was built in 1898.Originally named Franklin Hall, it later came to be known as Old Main by students. The first day of classes at Miami University began on November 1, 1824 in Old Main, which was the only classroom building on campus at that time.
The first two student organizations, the Erodelphian and the Union Literary Societies, began in 1825 and met on Friday evenings on the third floor of Old Main, debating issues involving social and economic progress, including slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. Other organizations began forming as well, including fraternities. Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
was founded in 1839 at Miami University and was the first of the Miami Triad of fraternities to be founded there.
Student and Faculty Conflict
Disputes between the administration and fraternities reached a tipping point on January 12, 1848 with the Snowball Rebellion. Numerous students, many of whom were fraternity members, rolled snowballs up to the entrance of Old Main and blocked it, which was discovered early the next morning by the janitor, who informed then President Erasmus D. MacMasterErasmus D. MacMaster
Erasmus Darwin MacMaster, D.D. was a 19th-century American Presbyterian pastor, academic and theologian who served as president of Hanover College and Miami University...
of the snowballs. President MacMaster informed the faculty and students later that day at a chapel meeting, which all students and faculty members were required to attend, that those involved in the incident with Old Main would be expelled. This ultimately backfired though, for the following night even more students broke into Old Main and packed the main floor with snow, along with chairs, tables, benches, and the entire wood fuel supply for the winter, which then froze overnight. MacMaster expelled all students involved over the next two weeks, and Miami’s enrollment fell to 68 students. However, not wanting to close the university, the Board of Trustees fired MacMaster and hired William Anderson
William Caldwell Anderson
William Caldwell Anderson was an American Presbyterian minister who served as the fourth president of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio....
as the next president, who allowed Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity to be formed in December 1848.
Other History
Harrison Hall is home to not only academic tradition but also to athletic tradition. The Bell used in Battle for the Victory Bell between the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
and Miami University, who square off each year in football, originally hung in Old Main, which was near where the first football game was played in 1888. The Bell was rung for Miami victories and remained at Old Main until it began traveling with the winning team in the 1890s. Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
fraternity was founded in the old Union Literary Society Hall in Old Main in 1906.
Before the construction of the new Harrison Hall, a fire occurred in December 1946. It was spotted by a group of students on Sunday, December 1 at 7:45 p.m. resulting in 150 dollars worth of damage, and destroyed one of the stained glass windows inside of Harrison Hall. Although the cause of the fire was never determined, one of the managers of the building believed that cigarette butts were the cause for the fire.
Construction of "New" Harrison Hall
On April 29, 1957, the State Department of Industrial Relations condemned any further instructional use of Harrison Hall after a building inspection. As a result, Miami allocated resources to many of the academic divisions housed within Harrison Hall to other buildings on campus including Bonham House and Ogden Hall. After this, plans for the new Harrison Hall began, which were decided upon on February 1, 1958 by the Board of Trustees. The Board stated that the new Harrison Hall should be devoted to classroom purposes and that it would house the departments of Sociology and Anthropology, Psychology, Government, and the Scripps FoundationScripps Howard Foundation
The Scripps Howard Foundation is the corporate foundation of the E. W. Scripps Company, an American media conglomerate which owns newspapers, television stations, cable television networks, and other media outlets...
. Bids for the construction of the new building were received on October 17, 1958 by the State Architect’s Office
State Architects of Ohio
The Office of the State Architect and Engineer, also known in recent years informally as the State Architect's Office , is created by Section 121.04 of the Ohio Revised Code. SAO has a time honored tradition of public service in the design and construction of public projects...
in Columbus and construction began in January. The cornerstone was laid on May 9, 1959 and was presided by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hugh C. Nichols. A strike that began on June 8, 1959 interrupted the construction of the building, which was later completed in 1960.
John D. Millett
John David Millett was the 16th president of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and first chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. During his career he served as the Senior Vice President of the in Washington, DC...
on April 3, 1959 discussed the potential distribution of rooms and offices within the new Harrison Hall, also stating which departments would be housed within the building. The official dedication of Harrison Hall occurred on October 8, 1960, which occurred inside one of the three lecture rooms featured within the building. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, E.W. Nippert, presided over the ceremony, while James H. Maloon represented the State of Ohio. Harrison Hall is 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) and cost $1,004,000 to build.
Dedication to Benjamin Harrison
Harrison Hall was named after the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, in 1931. Harrison graduated from Miami in 1852, receiving his A.B. degree, although he first began his collegiate career at Freeman Cary’s Farmers’ CollegeOhio Military Institute
The Ohio Military Institute was a higher education institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1890, it closed in 1958.-History:...
in College Hill, Cincinnati
College Hill, Cincinnati
College Hill is a residential neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally a wealthy suburb called Pleasant Hill due to its prime location, it was renamed College Hill because of the two colleges that were established there in the mid-nineteenth century...
. He later returned to Miami and received his A.M. degree in 1855. Harrison was the secretary of the first national Phi Delta Theta convention in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1851, and studied law after graduation.
He practiced law for much of his career in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and was a reporter for the Supreme Court of Indiana
Supreme Court of Indiana
The Supreme Court of Indiana is the state supreme court of Indiana. The court was established by Article Seven of the Indiana Constitution and is the highest judicial authority within Indiana...
in the 1860s. He also served in the Indiana Volunteer Infantry
70th Regiment Indiana Infantry
The 70th Regiment Indiana Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 70th Indiana Infantry was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana July 22 through August 8, 1862, and mustered in for a three year enlistment under the command of Colonel...
from 1862 to 1865 as a colonel. Harrison served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1881 to 1887, before serving as the 23rd President of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He died on March 13, 1901.