Wilberforce in Greene County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Central State University
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 14, 2008
1. Central State University Marker
Inscription.
Central State University originated on March 19, 1887, when the Ohio General Assembly passed an act establishing a Combined Normal and Industrial (CN&I) Department at Wilberforce University. Through various transitional changes, it emerged as an independent, state university. In 1941, the General Assembly expanded the CN&I, which offered two-year courses, into the College of Education and Industrial Arts, with four-year programs. In 1947, it separated from Wilberforce University. The history of Central State University tells the history of higher education and advancement for African Americans in Ohio. It is within the walls of these structures, and others unfortunately demolished or destroyed by the 1974 tornado, that thousands of African Americans received valuable training for successful and rewarding careers. Thus, many of the contributions of African Americans to the promotion and betterment of education, medicine, law, social justice, technology, and the arts in Ohio have their roots here on the campus of Central State University.
Central State University originated on March 19, 1887, when the Ohio General Assembly passed an act establishing a Combined Normal and Industrial (CN&I) Department at Wilberforce University. Through various transitional changes, it emerged as an independent, state university. In 1941, the General Assembly expanded the CN&I, which offered two-year courses, into the College of Education and Industrial Arts, with four-year programs. In 1947, it separated from Wilberforce University. The history of Central State University tells the history of higher education and advancement for African Americans in Ohio. It is within the walls of these structures, and others unfortunately demolished or destroyed by the 1974 tornado, that thousands of African Americans received valuable training for successful and rewarding careers. Thus, many of the contributions of African Americans to the promotion and betterment of education, medicine, law, social justice, technology, and the arts in Ohio have their roots here on the campus of Central State University.
Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Cinergy Foundation, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 16-29.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
Location. 39° 42.935′ N, 83° 52.826′ W. Marker is in Wilberforce, Ohio, in Greene County. It is on Brush Row Road, on the left when traveling east. Marker is in front of the Newsom Administration Building on the Central State University campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wilberforce OH 45384, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 5,376 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 2, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
