Benton Hall (Miami University)

Last updated
Benton Hall
Benton Hall, Miami University 5-8-2022.jpg
Benton Hall (Miami University)
General information
TypeAcademic
Architectural style Georgian
Location Oxford, Ohio, US
Coordinates 39°30′38.42″N84°44′2.89″W / 39.5106722°N 84.7341361°W / 39.5106722; -84.7341361
Current tenantsSchool of Engineering
Cost$8,961,000.00
Technical details
Floor area82,661 sq ft (7,679.5 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s) Burt Hill/SFA
Main contractorG.C. Messer Construction

Benton Hall is an academic building located on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Designed for the university's psychology department, it now houses departments of the College of Engineering and Computing. It was built in 1968 in the Georgian Revival style. [1]

Contents

Design and construction

[2] The new Benton Hall on the northeast corner of High Street and Tallawanda Avenue was to provide facilities for the Department of Psychology. It includes 2 lecture halls, 3 classrooms, 5 instructional laboratories, a library, 114 other teaching and research facilities, 19 supporting rooms and shops, and 33 offices. [3] Benton Hall now houses the central office of the College of Engineering and Computing. The College of Engineering and Computing, formerly the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was created in 1959 to provide professionally oriented programs within Miami's liberal arts tradition. [3]

Guy Potter Benton

[4] Benton Hall is named for Guy Potter Benton, president of Miami University from 1902 to 1911. One of the Miami's greatest presidents, the 11th president Guy Potter Benton was born in Kenton Ohio on May 26, 1856. Before coming to Miami in 1902, Benton served as superintendent of schools in Fort Scott, Kansas, professor of history and sociology at Baker University, and president of Upper Iowa University. As Miami University’s president, Benton presided over the beginning of Miami's evolution from a small rural institution into a thriving modern university. The year Benton became president there were but five buildings on the campus and the total student enrollment was 124. When he resigned nine years later, the student enrollment had increased to more than 1,200. Many of the new students were women enrolled at the Normal School which opened during Benton's tenure.

By 1911, Miami's income had grown to approximately a quarter of a million dollars, and seven modern buildings had been erected in response to a constantly growing University constituency.

President Benton was also largely responsible for the defeat of the Lybarger Bill, one of the greatest threats ever posed to Miami's existence as a university. Introduced in the Ohio Legislature in 1906 and promoted by Ohio State President William Oxley Thompson (a former Miami University president), the Lybarger Bill would have reduced Miami to the status of a teacher's college. Benton actively and successfully lobbied legislators to defeat the Bill.

Following his departure from Miami, Benton was president of the University of Vermont from 1911 to 1917, and he served with the American Expeditionary Force in Europe from 1917 to 1919. In 1921 Benton became the first president of the University of the Philippines. Ill health forced his retirement three years later and he died in Minneapolis on June 28, 1927. In accordance with his wishes, Guy Porter Benton was buried in the Oxford Cemetery.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami University</span> Public university in Oxford, Ohio, US

Miami University is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest university in Ohio and the tenth-oldest public university in the United States. The school's system comprises the main campus in Oxford, as well as regional campuses in nearby Hamilton, Middletown, and West Chester, Ohio. Miami also maintains an international boarding campus, the Dolibois European Center in Differdange, Luxembourg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Akron</span> Public university in Akron, Ohio, US

The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Northern University</span> Private university in Ada, Ohio, U.S.

Ohio Northern University is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

James C. Garland is a physicist, author and professor, and formerly the 20th president of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western College for Women</span>

Western College for Women, known at other times as Western Female Seminary and simply Western College, was a women's and later coed liberal arts college in Oxford, Ohio, between 1855 and 1974. Initially a seminary, it was the host of orientation sessions for the Freedom Summer in 1964. It was absorbed by Miami University in 1974 after dwindling finances. Now known as the Western Campus of Miami University, it was designated a U.S. Historic district known as the Western Female Seminary Historic District in 1979.

Guy Potter Benton was an American educator who was president of Upper Iowa University, Miami University, the University of Vermont, and the University of the Philippines. He was instrumental in the founding of Delta Zeta sorority at Miami University in 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida College of Engineering</span> Engineering college in Gainesville, Florida

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is the largest professional school, the second largest college, and one of the top three research units at the University of Florida. The college was founded in 1910, and in 2015 was named in honor of Herbert Wertheim – a serial inventor, philanthropist and UF Distinguished Alumnus. Located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, the college is composed of nine departments, 15 degree programs, and more than 20 centers and institutes. It produces research and graduates in more than a dozen fields of engineering and science including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, coastal, computer, computer science, digital arts, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, mechanical, nuclear, and systems.

Miami University Hamilton is a satellite campus of Miami University in Hamilton, Ohio. It was founded in 1968 and is one of three regional campuses of Miami University.

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university in accordance with the Morrill Act of 1862 under the name of Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The school was originally situated within a farming community located on the northern edge of Columbus, and was intended to matriculate students of various agricultural and mechanical disciplines. The university opened its doors to 24 students on September 17, 1873. In 1878, the first class of six men graduated. The first woman graduated the following year. In 1900, in light of its expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University". Ohio State began accepting graduate students in the 1880s, with the university awarding its first master's and doctoral degrees in 1886 and 1890 respectively. 1891 saw the founding of Ohio State's law school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop Hall (Miami University)</span> Dormitory in Oxford, Ohio

Bishop Hall is an academic, administrative, and residence building, housing co-ed upperclassmen residents of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bachelor Hall (Miami University)</span> Brick in Oxford, Ohio

Bachelor Hall is a three-story brick academic building on the Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio, United States. It was built in 1978 and named after Miami University and Harvard University graduate Joseph M. Bachelor (1889—1947). It houses the Math and English departments, the Speech and Hearing Clinic and the Chair of Communications and Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upham Hall (Miami University)</span> Academic in Oxford, Ohio

Upham Hall is an academic building on the Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio, United States. It is located in the center of campus in the academic quad near the university’s seal. Miami University was founded in 1809 and the first class graduated in 1824.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alumni Hall (Miami University)</span> Building in Oxford, Ohio

Alumni Hall, formerly known as Alumni Library, is an academic building at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It currently houses the university's Department of Architecture and Interior Design and the Wertz Art and Architecture Library. A Lombardic Romanesque building, Alumni Hall was built in 1910 and was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearson Hall (Miami University)</span> Academic Building in Ohio, United States

Pearson Hall is the biological science building at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The building was originally known as The Biological Science Building, but was renamed Pearson Hall as a dedication to Miami's 18th President. Prior to being a building, the area where Pearson Hall stands now was known as Miami Field, Miami University's original athletic field. The building caters to a wide range of different science departments including ecology, genetics, biology, and neuroscience. Some of the notable features of Pearson Hall are its Electron Microscope Facility and the Animal Care Facility. Pearson Hall also is home to two large aquatic Animal rooms used to replicate oceanic and freshwater environments. Another feature of Pearson is its instruments in the environmental and ecological toxicology department, which enables an array of different testing's and analysis to be conducted within the building. The Behavioral ecology department has a special laboratory used for hormonal analysis and behavioral testing. The entomology department contains an insect collection of over 82,000 specimens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laws Hall (Miami University)</span> Academic in Ohio, United States

Laws Hall is a building at Miami University. Until 2009, the building was home to the School of Business Administration, hosting classes of accountancy, finance, economics, management, supply chain and marketing. The building is under construction and is being renovated to become a library for multiple schools at Miami University. Miami often renovates buildings after 40 years, which is one of the many reasons Laws Hall is under construction. The introduction of the Farmer School of Business made Laws Hall obsolete for the business school, and its purpose is being changed and discussed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison Hall</span> Academic in Ohio, United States

Harrison Hall is an academic building on the campus of Miami University housing the Department of Political Science and the Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs. It replaced an earlier building on the site built in 1818 and demolished in 1958. The original building was first named Franklin Hall, and became known as Old Main by the student body. It was officially renamed to Harrison Hall in 1931 after the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, who was a Miami University alumnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGuffey Hall</span> Department of EHS in Ohio, United States

McGuffey Hall is an academic building at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. McGuffey Hall is home to Miami University's College of Education, Health and Society. The hall was named after William Holmes McGuffey, father of the McGuffey Readers textbook series. McGuffey Hall housed the School of Education (known as the "Ohio State Normal College" in its early days of 1902, the "Teachers' College" from 1916–29, at which time the name was changed to "School of Education". It also housed the McGuffey Elementary Laboratory School, which came into existence in 1910, and which was and still used by the University for observation and practice teaching purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall Auditorium</span> Ohio campus performing arts building

Hall Auditorium is an auditorium and classroom building on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Originally known simply as the Miami University Auditorium Building, it was renamed Benton Hall in 1926 after Guy Potter Benton, Miami's twelfth president, and renamed again for Miami's fifth president John W. Hall in 1969, when the university transferred Benton Hall's name to a new building. Hall Auditorium is the 3rd oldest building on Miami's campus proper, after Elliott and Stoddard Halls, built in 1820 and 1836. The building hosts concerts from university and outside groups, guest speakers, and other performances. Miami's philosophy department occupies the 2nd floor of the building, while the school's Performing Arts Series has office space in the main lobby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell Computing and Information Science</span> Information science program at Cornell University

The Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and informally Cornell Bowers CIS, is home to three departments -- Computer Science, Information Science, and Statistics and Data Science -- at Cornell University, a private university based in Ithaca, New York.

References

  1. Glos, R.E (1983). The Buildings of Miami University. Oxford, Ohio: print.
  2. Miami, Archives (1972), Building Record---Benton Hall
  3. 1 2 "School of Engineering and Applied Science", Benton Hall Dedication Followed by an Open House, 2008
  4. Glos, R.E (1956). Biographies of the Men and Women for Whom Miami Buildings are named. Oxford, Ohio: Miami University.