A History the Ohio State University

.;,. A HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SPEECH ... THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 1936 • 1969 1 July 1969 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter I: History Prior to 1936. • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Instruction. • • . 1 Literary Societies. • • 14 Dramatic Organizations • • • • • • • 16 Debate and Oratory. • • • . 17 Founding of Department. • • • • • 20 Cllapter II: Ketcham - Wiley Administration. • .29 Ketcham Biography. • .29 Wiley Biography. • • • .31 First Year. • • 33 Second Year through 1945. • • • • • 35 Chapter III: Yeager Administration. • • • .43 Yeager Biography. • • • • • • 43 Period of Major Expansion. • • 46 Structure of Department. • • • .47 Faculty. • • • • • • .58 Curriculum. • • • • • • • • • • .58 Enrollments. • • • •. • • • • •.• 74 Expenditures. • • • 75 Graduate Research . • • 75 Theatre Separation. • 76 Activities and Organizations. • • . 79 Chapter IV: Brooks Administration. • • . 91 Brooks Biography. • • • . 91 Reorganization. • • . 94 Cormnittee Structure. • • • • • • • • • .96 Space . ·• • • • 99 Bi-Monthly Report . .101 Research Emphasis .101 Graduate Degrees. • • .102 TA Program. • • • • • • 104 Lecture Series. • .106 Faculty Honors. .107 Distinguished Alumnus Award. • • • . 108 Forensics Program. • • .111 Speech & Hearing Clinic. • • 113 Ohio High School Speech League. • • .115 1968-69 Faculty and Staff. • 117 Enrollments & Expenditures. • • • • • .121 Curriculum. 121 "") • • • • • • • ~:( APPENDIX I: Administration. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .122 APPENDIX II: Faculty Service (Years). • • • • • • . ~ • • • 128 APPENDIX III: Publications ••••••••••••••••••••• 148 APPENDIX IV: ·Outstanding Alumni •••••••••••••••••• 179 APPENDIX V: Enrollments •••••••••••••••••••••• 196 APPENDIX VI: Expenditures • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 201 APPENDIX VII: Graduate Work (M.A., Ph.D. titles dissertations) ••••205 ' INTRODUCTION Purpose and Scope In keeping with the purpose of arriving at an accurate assessment of Ohio State University's academic progress and growth for the first one hundred years, it was requested that each department prepare a history dated from its founding to this year of our Centennial celebration. The following document represents the commission granted by Dr. Keith Brooks, Chairman of the Speech Depa~tment, to Robert Heinemann under the direction of Professor James L. Golden. In an attempt to fulfill the aforementioned purpose, this study will briefly explore the various forces, influences, and activities which proceded the actual founding of the Department in 1936. Next, the irmnediate events surrounding the founding will be cited. The department history will then be unrolled from 1936 to 1969; this history naturally divides itself into three basic parts••the Ketcham-Wiley administrations (1936-1945); the Yeager administration (1945-1968); and the Chairman Brooks administration (1968- ). Sources The major source for this history was an unpublished M.A. thesis entitled "A History of the Ohio State University Department of Speech" submitted by Judy Marlene Kyle in 1964. The first chapter of the present work represents, with limited editing, Chapters II and III of Miss Kyle's thesis. Chapters II and III of the present work leaned heavily on Miss Kyle's Chapters IV through XI; these chapters, however, were more rigorously • edited, appended, and updated to 1968. The final chapter of this history represents original work. Almost all of the data gathered since 1964 have come from the same sources used earlier; these would include: interviews with present and past faculty members, Speech Department files, files kept by University Historian James E. Pollard, Ohio· State University Bulletin (including the Directory), Ohio State University Catalogue, Ohio State University,Monthly, Record of Proceedings 2.f Board 2.f Trustees, Annual Reports of~ Board of Trustees, Annual Reports of the President, Financial Reports of~ Ohio State University, Qh!.2. State Lantern, Ohio State Makio, Faculty Records, Faculty Minutes, Commencement Programs, Q.h!5?. State Memorabilia, History of the Qh!.2. State University edited by Thomas c. Mendenhall, and History of~ Qh!2_ State University by James E. Pollard. Perspective The historian is constantly faced with making value judgments as to- what should be and what should not be included, what is important and what is not important. Two basic problems may arise in making such decisions: first, early records are often vague a~d lacking in detail; and second~ contemporary events are extremely difficult to evaluate when the writer is actually a part of them-indeed an ''historical perspective" is impossible. Keeping these limitations in mind, the following historical account of the Ohio State University Department of Speech is presented. ' CHAPTER I ' BACKGROUND & FOUNDING I. HISTORY OF SPEECH EDUCATION AT O.s.u. PRIOR TO 1936 'l'he year 1936 witnessed the creation of the Department of Speech at 'l'he Ohio State University; however, neither its growth nor its development can be understood without a glance at speech education prior to 1936 • • Instruction.!!!.. Speech Training in speech activities can be traced back to the early days when the university opened its doors on September 17, 1873, as the Ohio Agricul- tural and.Mechanical College. 'l'he first catalogues of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College list courses in rhetoric under the English Department; however, it is very questionable whether "rhetoric" referred to speech training. As was pointed out in Karl Wallace's History of Speech Education, there was a tendency to emphasize written rather than oral discourse in rhetoric at most American colleges and universities during the 1870's and 1 1880's. Reports made by one of the first five faculty members, the Reverend Joseph Milliken, Professor of the Languages and Literature indicate some training was provided in speech. His report of November, 1876 states: In addition to the studies and exercises of my own department, exercises in composition and original speeches are held once a week in !11ich all the students of the College take part in turn. Another of his reports in November, 1880, reads: In addition to these six daily classes taught by Miss Williams (first female faculty member of the university) and myself, I have charge of the weekly rhetorical exercises of the College classes. These consist of original speeches and essays. Giving help in their preparation in the way of references, etc., revising them when handed in, and criticism of them when read or delivered, is the full equivalent of a daily recitation. I am glad to believe in a growth of interest in these exerci~es and a growing use of good reading as a help thereto. l 2 Although training in speech during this period often was under the jurisdiction of departments of English, records indicate that such training at Ohio State was given by faculty members in various departments of the university. Strange as it may seem, instruction in elocution was once given by the Professor of Military Science and Tactics and adjunct Pro- fessor of Mathematic~, Luigi Loma, in the late 1870's. In the Record of Proceedings of the Board of Trustees of~ Ohio Agricultural !!!2. Mechanical College on January 6, 1877, the following motion appears: On motion, duly put and carried, it was ORDERED, That Lieut. Loma be requested to give the students such instruction in elocution as the Faculty find advisable, in time and quantity. 4 Department reports submitted to the Board of Trustees included this report ... by Professor Loma on November 5, 1878: Elocution Two hours a week are devoted to this study. -The class at present numbers twenty (20) members, and is constantly increasing. As there has been found no University hour suitable for the majority of the class, the plan has been adopted of giving half hour rehearsals to students individually, at such times as are found convenient in each case. The members of the class, however, are called together to declaim the rehearsed pieces as often as practicable. If I may be permitted, I would respectfully suggest that this instruction be made available only to the three higher classes of the University. In this way students in the advanced classes would receive more frequent 'individual training than by the present plan --a thing which might be desirable. In conclusion, I would urge most strongly that two prizes in money, or in anything else be offered by the Board of Trustees, one to the best declaimer of prose, and the other to the best declaimer of poetry, the awarding of the prizes to take place under the control of the University Faculty. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant. 'Luigi Loma s Similar reports were given by Professor Loma in 1879 and 1880. 3 When Rev. Joseph Milliken left the university in 1881, the Department of English was combined with the History Department. Professor John T. Short was head of the Department of History and English from 1881 until his death in 1883 when Miss Cynthia u. Weld assumed his position. At this time the work in speech seemed to be handled by Professor Edward Orton, Chairman of the Geology Department, who had served from 1873-1881 as the University's first president. President William H. Scott in his annual report presented on November 15, 1883, expressed the need for the teaching of rhetoric and oratory: Express provision should be made for the teaching of rhetoric and oratory. At present theoretic,,.l rhetoric is in the hands of the professor of history, which makes the labor of that department, with the classes

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