Take a Break for a History Lesson!

Take a Break for a History Lesson!

Ever wonder about the history of Ramseyer Hall?

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The land on which Ramseyer Hall sits was originally part of the Ohio Field. This is where Ohio State Buckeyes initially played football before Ohio Stadium “The Horseshoe” opened in 1922. The old Ohio Field was demolished in 1922. The building that would become Ramseyer Hall was then built over the former Ohio Field space in 1932. University Architect Howard Dwight Smith designed the building at the cost of roughly 411,000. He was known as one of OSU’s greatest architects. It was originally designed to be a school for K -12 students through OSU’s College of Education known as University School.

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Advanced technology has always been high valued by members of OSU’s educational community. University School earned its fame by providing a vibrant and compelling academic program in a laboratory school setting. The school even experimented with using radio through the station WOSU to teach students while it was open. The first WOSU radio station actually broadcasted from the corner of Neil and Woodruff right near were Ramseyer Hall is currently located. In 1932, the school was even praised by TIME Magazine!

The last class to graduate from University School was the class of 1967. Despite opposition from its students, The University School was closed in 1968. The building was then converted into a university classroom building and office spaces that we see today. It is named after Dr. John A. Ramseyer, a member of the faculty at University School (1938-1951) and its director from 1948 to 1951.

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The current College Commons was the school’s gymnasium at the time. The classrooms and office rooms still retain the same basic uses as they did in 1930’s. The lockers used for students are still within the building to this day. Today Ramseyer Hall hosts The Office of Education and Human Ecology as well as classrooms and study spaces within the college commons. Even though the building has changed a lot over the years, its purpose remains the same, to educate young people and prepare them for the real world.

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Take a look at a timeline of University School and its eventual conversion into Ramseyer bellow.