The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Cincinnati, University of

CINCINNATI, University of. The University of Cincinnati owes its existence primarily to a bequest of Charles McMicken, who, in 1858, left $1,000,000 worth of property to the city of Cincinnati to found and maintain a college. One-half of this property consisting of real estate in the State of Louisiana was lost in 1860 by a decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, annulling that section of McMicken's will giving this property to the university on the ground that the testator could not bequeath real estate in Louisiana to a foreign corporation. The university receives support from the city to the extent of three-tenths of a mill on the total city tax. Other gifts have been utilized to contract buildings and to increase the endowment fund. The total value of the property and endowment was $3,200,000 in 1918. From 1858 to 1874 the income from McMicken's estate not being sufficient to support a college or university, the trustees decided to wait until a fund should accumulate or until additional support could be gained. Thus the present University of Cincinnati was not founded until 1874, although three departments of the university are much older, namely, the astronomical department, founded in 1842; the medical department, founded in 1819; the law department, founded in 1819 (Cincinnati College). Until 1899 the university was composed of the three departments above named, and also the academic which was founded in 1874. Since 1899 the following departments have been added: the College of Engineering, offering courses in civil, electrical, chemical, architectural and hydraulic engineering; the University Summer School; the University Library; the Teachers' College; the University Press; and the Technical School, which furnishes the shops to the engineering department and is an integral part of the Teachers' College, as also the College of Commerce. The dental department and the Clinical and Pathological School are only affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, having no financial or other connection with the University. No tuition is charged to residents of the city of Cincinnati who enter the university as students. The University of Cincinnati possesses a beautiful location in Burnet Woods Park, away from the noise and bustle of the city. Its government is by a board of directors appointed for six years by the mayor of Cincinnati. The intellectual life of the university finds expression in the publication of many memoirs, and monographs on literary and scientific subjects through the very important department of the university that has been recently established, namely, the University Press, These contributions to knowledge in the form of an annual volume of university bulletins are distributed by exchange all over the world. The total value of the scientific apparatus is about $190,000; the total number of volumes in the University Library, in addition to 80,000 pamphlets, is 88,100. The teaching corps numbers 271 and the students 2,922.