| 1870 | – | The Ohio General Assembly establishes the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. |
| 1873 | – | Twenty-four students begin classes at the new College, located on the old Neil farm just two miles north of downtown Columbus. |
| 1878 | – | The name of the College is changed to The Ohio State University. |
| 1914 | – | The Ohio State Optical Association (later known as the Ohio Optometric Association) raises $3,000 to begin an optometry program at Ohio State; and a physics professor, Dr. Charles Sheard, is selected as the first director of the new program in “Applied Optics.” |
| 1915 | – | The two-year program in Applied Optics is expanded to a four-year program. |
| 1919 | – | Ohio becomes the 45th state to pass an Optometric Practice Act. |
| 1936 | – | Dr. Glenn A. Fry is appointed Director of the OSU School of Optometry. |
| 1937 | – | The “Applied Optics” curriculum becomes the “Optometry” curriculum at Ohio State. |
| 1942 | – | Dr. Henry Hofstetter becomes the first OSU PhD graduate in Physiological Optics. |
| 1951 | – | The OSU School of Optometry moves from the Mendenhall Physics Lab building on north campus to a new (and current) building on south campus at 338 West Tenth Avenue. |
| 1961 | – | The West Wing (four attached floors) of the optometry building is opened. |
| 1964 | – | The 6-year OD degree is approved to replace the previous 5-year BS-Optometry Degree. |
| 1968 | – | The OSU School of Optometry becomes the OSU College of Optometry; Dr. Frederick W. Hebbard is selected as the first Dean; the first OD class graduates in Ohio Stadium. |
| 1978 | – | Optometry acquires the A-wing of Starling-Loving Hall for clinic, research, and administrative space. |
| 1982 | – | The College adopts a logo patch to be worn on all clinic coats. |
| 1984 | – | Ohio passes Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents legislation. |
| 1988 | – | Dean Hebbard retires; Dean Richard M. Hill is selected as his successor. |
| 1991 | – | The OSU optometry curriculum expands from 12 to 14 academic quarters. |
| 1992 | – | Ohio passes Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents legislation. |
| 1995 | – | Dean Hill retires; Dean John Schoessler is selected as his successor. |
| 2002 | – | A fund-raising campaign known as “Raise the Roof” is created to build a state-of-the-art research facility by adding three floors to the West Wing of the Optometry building. |
| 2004 | – | Dean Schoessler retires; Dean Melvin Shipp is selected as his successor. |
| 2006 | – | Dean Shipp appoints the college’s BEST (Building the Educational System for Tomorrow) committee to make recommendations on how “…to optimally educate optometrists in the 21st century and beyond.” |
| 2007 | – | The Wildermuth Optometric Research Clinic is opened. |
| 2012 | – | The University changes its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. |
| 2014 | – | Optometry at Ohio State celebrates its 100th anniversary! Dean Shipp retires; Dean Karla Zadnik becomes the college’s fifth dean. |
