Editing Kent State University (section)

===Early history===
[[File:Merrill Hall 2.jpg|thumb|Front of Merrill Hall, completed in 1913 as the first building on campus]]
Kent State University was established in 1910 as an institution for training public school teachers. It was part of the [[Lowry bill|Lowry Bill]], which also created a sister school in [[Bowling Green, Ohio]] – now known as [[Bowling Green State University]]. It was initially known under the working name of the '''[[Ohio State Normal College At Kent]]''',<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Johannesen |editor-first=Eric |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Ohio State Normal College At Kent| publisher=United States Department of the Interior|date=May 30, 1975}}</ref> but was named '''Kent State Normal School''' in honor of William S. Kent, son of the city’s namesake, who donated significant portions of land to the school.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flashback {{!}} Kent State University |url=https://www.kent.edu/magazine/news/flashback-6#:~:text=A%20wooded%20ridge%20was%20the,the%20name%20of%20an%20individual. |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=www.kent.edu |language=en}}</ref> The first president was [[John Edward McGilvrey]], who served from 1912 to 1926.<ref name=mcgilvrey>{{cite web|title=John Edward McGilvrey, Papers, 1890-1945|url=http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/faculty/mcgilvrey.html|date=December 14, 2005|work=Kent State University Special Collections and Archives|publisher=Kent State University|access-date=September 23, 2009|archive-date=December 15, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215095123/http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/faculty/mcgilvrey.html|url-status=live}}</ref> McGilvrey had an ambitious vision for the school as a large university, instructing architect [[George F. Hammond]], who designed the original campus buildings, to produce a master plan.<ref>Treichler, p. 1; ''"President McGilvery, always a visionary, harbored the prospect that Kent would one day become a great university, and he instructed [[George F. Hammond|George Hammond]] to generate an architectural master plan to reflect that goal."''</ref> Classes began in 1912 before any buildings had been completed at the campus in Kent. These classes were held at extension centers in 25 cities around the region. By May 1913, classes were being held on the campus in Kent with the opening of Merrill Hall.<ref name=memories1>{{cite book |title=A Book of Memories |last=Hildebrand |first=William H. |author2=Dean H. Keller |author3=Anita Dixon Herington |year=1993 |publisher=Kent State University Press |isbn=0-87338-488-1 |pages=18–20}}</ref> The school graduated 34 students in its first commencement on July 29, 1914. In 1915, the school was renamed '''Kent State Normal College'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Special Collections FAQ |url=http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/scfaq.html#ksu |work=Kent State University Special Collections and Archives FAQ |publisher=Kent State University |access-date= September 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513114532/http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/scfaq.html#ksu |archive-date=May 13, 2008}}</ref> due to the addition of four-year degrees. By then additional buildings had been added or were under construction. Kent State's enrollment growth was particularly notable during its summer terms. In 1924, the school's registration for summer classes was the largest of any teacher-training school in the United States.<ref name=memories1/> In 1929, the state of Ohio changed the name to '''Kent State College''' as it allowed the school to establish a college of arts and sciences.<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of Kent |last=Grismer |first=Karl |year=1932 |publisher=Record Publishing (1932); Kent Historical Society (2001) |location=Kent, OH |page=187 |edition=2001 revision}}</ref>

McGilvrey's vision for Kent was not shared by many others outside the school, particularly at the state level and at other state schools. His efforts to have the state funding formula changed created opposition, particularly from [[Ohio State University]] and its president [[William Oxley Thompson]]. This resulted in a 1923 "credit war" where Ohio State refused Kent transfer credits and spread to several other schools taking similar action. It was this development – along with several other factors – which led to the firing of McGilvrey in January 1926.<ref name=memories1/> McGilvrey was succeeded first by David Allen Anderson (1926–1928) and James Ozro Engleman from 1928 to 1938, though he continued to be involved with the school for several years as president emeritus and as head of alumni relations from 1934 to 1945.<ref name=mcgilvrey/> He was present in [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]] on May 17, 1935, when [[Kent, Ohio|Kent]] native Governor [[Martin L. Davey]] signed a bill that allowed Kent State and [[Bowling Green State University|Bowling Green]] to add schools of business administration and graduate programs, giving them each university status; the college's name was thus changed to '''Kent State University'''.<ref name=memories1/>