A most noble enterprise : the story of Kent State University, 1910-2010 / William H. Hildebrand.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hildebrand, William H., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kent State University--History.

Kent State University.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The centennial history of one of Ohio's premier public universities "This book tells the story of Kent State University's first hundred years. It is a story replete with hairbreadth escapes and pratfalls, with moments of low comedy, high drama, and real tragedy. It features a cast of complex, talented, dedicated, and imperfect individuals. It is, in short, a story about very human beings engaged in what Henry Steele Commager called that 'most noble enterprise, the advancement of learning' as carried out for the past hundred years at Kent State University. And it is, I believe, a story both instructive and inspiring." -from the Preface Author William H. Hildebrand takes readers on an exhilarating and illuminating ride through Kent State University's ten decades: from its beginning under its visionary founder John Edward McGilvrey to the hardships of the Great Depression; through the post-World War II boom years and the tumultuous sixties culminating in the May 4, 1970, tragedy; from the university's struggle to regain its bearings during the decade-long aftermath, to its restoration and academic resurgence in the eighties and nineties; and into the emerging opportunities and challenges of the new millennium. Complemented by scores of photographs, A Most Noble Enterprise features vivid portraits of the school's eleven presidents and their distinctive contributions to the university's character and development. Along with snapshots of changing campus culture and student life, Hildebrand details the ongoing attempts to define the purpose and value of a university education, the relation of undergraduate and graduate education in a public research institution, the evolution of important centers and institutes in the arts and sciences, and the place of varsity sports in a public university during the most recent decades. The interplays among faculty, administrators, students, town, government, and university are key themes that flow throughout this engaging history. With supple, witty, and sparkling prose, the author evokes the triumphs and follies and humor and pathos of this complex, diverse university in all their fascinating, colorful reality. Long after the centennial celebrations and speeches have faded from memory, A Most Noble Enterprise will stand as a testament to Kent State's dedication to the ancient purpose of a university education-the advancement of learning.

Contents:

Cover

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Preface

Chapter One: Wishes and Fishes -1910-1915

Chapter Two: The Stormy Petrel -1915-1926

Chapter Three: Turbulence and Frustration -1926-1936

Chapter Four: The Leebrick Revolution -1937-1944

Chapter Five: The Bowman Years -1944-1963

Chapter Six: Big Dreams -1963-1970

Chapter Seven: Four Days in May -May 1-4, 1970

Chapter Eight: The Aftermath -1970-1971

Chapter Nine: Troubled Times -1971-1977

Chapter Ten: The Golding Restoration -1977-1982

Chapter Eleven: The Changing Campus Culture -1970s and 1980s.

""Twelve: Ambition and Achievement {1982�1990}""""Thirteen: New Perspectives, New Models {1990�2006}""; ""Epilogue""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Notes""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781612777900

1612777902

9781612777917

1612777910

OCLC:

983735904