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.

Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Cinergy Foundation, and The Ohio

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Historical Society. (Marker Number 16-29.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Disasters • Education • Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1925.

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 the 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

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 14, 2008

2. Central State University Marker

Newsom Administration Building on left.

of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Brigadier General Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Martin Robison Delany (about 600 feet away); Paul Robeson (about 600 feet away); Galloway Hall (about 700 feet away); Old Wilberforce University Campus at Tawawa Springs (about 700 feet away); Hallie Quinn Brown (about 800 feet away); Carnegie Library (1907) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Kezia Emery Hall (1913) (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilberforce.

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 5,388 times since then and 55 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.