Nov. 20 Anniversary to Celebrate
College of Applied Science's Deep Roots in Cincinnati

Cincinnati -- The UC College of Applied Science is the quiet cornerstone upon which Cincinnati industry, learning and culture has built since the school's founding on Nov. 20, 1828.

This is not surprising since the unassuming, hard-working campus nestled on a ridge along Victory Parkway was, when it was founded as the Ohio Mechanics Institute (OMI), the first institute dedicated to technical education west of the Alleghenies. At the time, it was one of only five in the young United States. Others were located in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston.

"We were founded when Cincinnati had grown to a population of 20,000 but still had no public schools, no railroads. City water had just begun to be pumped via a wooden pipe," said Maria Kreppel, CAS professor of English and Communication. She added, "Both the Cincinnati Public Library and Music Hall spun off of the OMI. We housed the first books that formed the library. Nineteenth-century graduates formed the backbone of the growing city's industry and culture. Cincinnati's public library, art academy and Music Hall are direct outgrowths of the OMI."

CAS is set to celebrate its rich heritage as the oldest continuously operating mechanics school in the nation. Next year, in 2003, the school will celebrate its 175th anniversary. And this year, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the college will toast its founding with a Founders Day reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the first floor of the CAS Administration Building, 2220 Victory Parkway.

From the beginning, the OMI - which joined with UC in 1969 and was later renamed the OMI College of Applied Science - was integrated into the fabric of the community. It shared technical literature with the entire community, and provided free evening lectures in the city council chambers, downtown halls and churches of early 19th century. In fact, the OMI technical library schooled the young Thomas Edison when he lived in Cincinnati while working for Western Union.

In addition, the earliest library holdings at the OMI included the Cincinnati Public Library's founding collection, and the OMI's Industrial and Arts School engendered the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art Academy.

In the late 19th century, the OMI partnered with the city's chamber of commerce and board of trade to sponsor Grand Expositions of Manufacturers, Products and Arts that included entries from 30 states, attracted up to a half million visitors and brought $100,000 into the city. The success of these spectacular expositions eventually led to the construction of Music Hall, which was built to not only house the May Festival Chorus in its central auditorium but also to house the expositions in its North and South Halls.

And so, then, as now, the OMI was key to Cincinnati's prosperity. For instance, according to Kreppel, the local economy was decimated by the American Civil War. The city's subsequent post-war recovery depended, in large measure, on the OMI's national prominence. Similarly, after the upheaval of World War I, the OMI attracted students from 17 states and from Canada and Great Britain, all coming to learn, work and contribute to Cincinnati.

As part of the Nov. 20 celebration, former UC President Henry Winkler will speak. In addition, the college will go live with its 175th anniversary Web site at http://www.omicas175.uc.edu. This site will review the college's history with fun facts, biographies, an interactive timeline and photographs from the late 19th century onward. The CAS family - staff, students, faculty, alumni, and friends - will be invited to contribute their own memories via the Web site.

The Nov. 20 reception is free and open to the public; however, reservations are required by Nov. 15 and can be made by calling (513) 556-6564.