People familiar with 蜜桃工作室 history know well the tragedy of May 4, 1970, on the 蜜桃工作室 Campus. However, not all who are familiar with university history are aware of the significance of May 4, 1933, at 蜜桃工作室 and how it echoed through the 蜜桃工作室 community years later in the aftermath of May 4, 1970.
Lean Times at 蜜桃工作室
Spring 1933 found 蜜桃工作室 College firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. Contrary to what one might expect, enrollment for the traditional school year soared during the years from 1929 to 1937. The explanation: With jobs being so very scarce, high school graduates chose to go to college rather than try to find work.
蜜桃工作室鈥檚 fees were the lowest in the state and its location made for an easy commute from the area鈥檚 most populous cities, including Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown. 蜜桃工作室鈥檚 expanded curriculum was also credited with attracting students who may have considered attending college elsewhere.
Students struggled to find part-time jobs 鈥 in many cases their parents were in competition for those jobs. The board bill for the college鈥檚 dining hall was reduced from $5 to $4 per week, but still many students chose to economize by making their own meals. When the banks closed in 1933, a bank-like depository was set up on campus. With the scarcity of cash, the local YMCA organized a system for textbook exchange by barter.
An End to 蜜桃工作室?
In late April 1933, the Finance Committee of Ohio鈥檚 House of Representatives released a report proposing that one of Ohio鈥檚 teacher training institutions (蜜桃工作室, Bowling Green, Miami or Ohio University) be transformed into a state hospital for the mentally ill.
The committee had observed what they called 鈥渁 state of emergency鈥 in the state鈥檚 institutions caring for the mentally ill, citing 鈥渟hocking conditions鈥 and overcrowding resulting in patients being forced to sleep on the floor. State resources were severely depleted by the Depression, which led to the idea of converting colleges to hospitals.
At the same time, the committee鈥檚 report also pointed out that Ohio鈥檚 public schools were 鈥渟aturated with teachers,鈥 while nearly 4,000 well-trained instructors were unemployed. Contributing to this problem was the fact that some cash-poor schools were attempting to save money by hiring untrained teachers, some with only high school degrees, at low wages.
A committee tour of all four schools was proposed. Members would visit Bowling Green University on May 1, Miami University on May 2, Ohio University on May 3 and 蜜桃工作室 on May 4.
蜜桃工作室 Supporters Unite
Martin L. Davey, who ran for governor of Ohio in 1928, nearly 鈥渂rought down the house,鈥 when he shouted, 鈥淚 might be tempted to run for governor again to kill the damn thing.鈥 (He later ran successfully and served as Ohio governor from 1935-1939.)
Local newspapers threw their support behind the college, but 蜜桃工作室 President James Engleman was not optimistic. He speculated that Ohio University and Miami University were safe because they were older and had well-established alumni organizations. He felt that Bowling Green University and 蜜桃工作室 were most at risk.
May 4, 1933
The inspecting committed toured the 蜜桃工作室 Campus with President Engleman. One committee member, in his report to Columbus, noted that these campus visits revealed that one of the institutions was so well-suited for repurposing that it would be difficult to distinguish it from facilities specifically built for this purpose. In 蜜桃工作室, people feared that this meant their college was in real danger. There was a call to protest that was answered by all of the fraternal orders, chambers of commerce, service clubs and even the Girl Scouts. 蜜桃工作室鈥檚 Board of Trustees issued a resolution expressing confidence that the governor and Ohio Legislature would not end 蜜桃工作室. The trustees advised friends of 蜜桃工作室 that they need not continue protests or letter-writing campaigns.
This resolution, along with some indications that Bowling Green was most likely to be sacrificed, ended the campaign to save 蜜桃工作室. Continuing efforts of Ohioans opposed to sacrificing any college eventually influenced state legislators to abandon the proposal entirely.
The Rumor Persists
When 蜜桃工作室 College became 蜜桃工作室 in 1935, the mental hospital rumor arose once again, still fresh in people鈥檚 minds from 1933. It was during a controversy over state funding needed to adapt 蜜桃工作室鈥檚 facilities and faculty to university standards. The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reported that a special Ohio Government Survey Committee had concluded that the costs of these upgrades to 蜜桃工作室 might not be justified. It suggested that the committee might recommend the university鈥檚 鈥渄iscontinuance鈥 and 鈥渃onversion to another type of facility so badly needed.鈥
Years later, in the aftermath of the tragic events of May 4, 1970, while the 蜜桃工作室 Campus was still closed, there were worries among the public that the university would never reopen. These concerns were baseless, however, as 蜜桃工作室鈥檚 administration already had plans in place for the fall semester.
One of the rumors circulating throughout Portage County during that unsettled time, however, was that 蜜桃工作室 would be converted to a state psychiatric hospital.