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Miami University is a coeducational public university located in the college town of Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809 and is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and second oldest in the U.S. state of Ohio.[3] Miami is cited as one of the eight original Public Ivies, partly for its primary focus on educating undergraduates. [4][5]. The University System of Ohio considers Miami University one of Ohio's historic "four corners" universities[6]
Contents[hide]
1 Overview
2 History
3 Miami University System
4 Academic divisions
5 Mission statement
6 Alma Mater
7 Fight Song
8 Presidents of Miami
9 Commencement speakers
10 Athletics
11 Recognition
12 Greek Life
13 Notable campus features
14 Closing of Western College Program
15 Historic landmarks
16 See also
17 References
18 External links
//

[edit] Overview
Miami University dates back to a grant of land made for its support by the United States Congress and signed by George Washington on May 5, 1792. The university's first president, Robert Hamilton Bishop, envisioned Miami as the "Yale of the West" and planned the first several buildings accordingly.[7] Miami is located in southwestern Ohio approximately thirty miles (50 km) northwest of Cincinnati. The Miami in this school's name refers to the Miami River valley, cut by two medium-sized rivers, the Little Miami River and the Great Miami River, that flow through southwestern Ohio; the rivers were in turn named after the Miami Indians who lived in the area before European settlement.
Among national universities, Miami is ranked 66th nationally and 26th among public universities by U.S. News & World Report.[8][9] BusinessWeek ranks the undergraduate business program for the Farmer School of Business at 19th[10] among U.S. business schools, 8th among public business schools, and 1st among Ohio business schools.

The Phi Delta Theta Gate was built through contributions by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, which was founded at Miami in 1848.
Poet Robert Frost described Miami as "the most beautiful college there ever was."[11] The campus features modified Georgian revival red brick, low-scale buildings on an open, tree-shaded campus. Miami is striking because the entire campus is consistent in design and appearance, except for the buildings on the former Western College campus and the Miami University Art Museum. Parts of the campus can be seen in the 1991 film Little Man Tate with Jodie Foster, which was filmed in large part on the Oxford campus.
Miami was named one of eight original "Public Ivys" in Richard Moll's 1985 book, The Public Ivys: America's Flagship Undergraduate Colleges. Miami is known as the "Cradle of Coaches" because several prominent football coaches were student/athletes and/or coaches at Miami before achieving greater fame at more prominent college programs or the National Football League. Among these coaches were Earl Blaik, Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Weeb Ewbank, Bo Schembechler, Randy Walker, Ron Zook, Joe Novak, John Pont, Carmen Cozza, and Jim Tressel.
Miami graduated an American President, Benjamin Harrison, placing the school in a prestigious category of Presidential alma maters. Miami is only one of four colleges (Stanford, Michigan, and the U.S. Naval Academy) to produce both a U.S. President and a Super Bowl winning quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger). It is also the alma mater of many U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, U.S. military leaders, State Governors and Fortune 500 business executives.
For many years, the athletic teams at Miami were nicknamed Redskins, but in 1997 the nickname was changed to RedHawks. Some controversy surrounded this change and some aspects of the old identity persist. The RedHawks compete in NCAA Division I in all sports (FBS in football). Miami's primary conference is the Mid-American Conference; its hockey program is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
Miami is also known for its School of Education, housed in McGuffey Hall, named for Professor William Holmes McGuffey (called the "Schoolmaster to the Nation"), who was a Miami Classics professor and wrote America's most widely used pioneer text books - the McGuffey Readers - while on faculty at Miami University.
Miami also was the first U.S. public university to have an "Artist-in-Residence" program, with Percy MacKaye as the first poet in residence.
The Miami Student claims to be the oldest university newspaper, tracking its founding to 1826, although Dartmouth College's student newspaper contests this claim.
In the summer of 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement, Western College (then a separate campus) was the site of training of volunteers for Freedom Summer, also known as the Mississippi Summer Project.

[edit] History

Elliott Hall was modeled after Yale's Connecticut Hall.
Miami University was first provided for under the Northwest Ordinance, which regulated the free states of the Midwest. On May 5, 1792, "the President of the United States was authorized to grant letters patent to John Cleves Symmes and his associates . . . provided that the land grant should include one complete township . . . for the purpose of establishing an academy and other public schools and seminaries of learning." After Ohio became a state in 1803, the State legislature assumed responsibility for ensuring that John Cleves Symmes would set aside a township of land for the support of an academy. Such a law was passed by the State legislature April 15, 1803. . . . Finally, on February 17, 1809, the State legislature created The Miami University (The article "The" is in the official name of Miami but is not currently used) and provided that one complete township in the State of Ohio in the district of Cincinnati was to be vested in Miami University for its use, benefit, and support."[2] This was known as the "College Township", ultimately Oxford, Ohio which was the first township in North America to bear the name Oxford.
At one point in the 19th century, Miami University was the 4th largest university in the United States after Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth. As the East-West national rivalries subsided, the North-South rivalries surged; Miami University split apart at the time of the Civil War. Most graduates volunteered for the Union, at a higher rate than any other school except the military academies. The majority of those who did not were students primarily from Southern states (such as Jefferson Davis' nephew) who volunteered in the Confederate armies.
Miami contributed significantly to the leadership of both sides of the war, as its academic excellence had attracted many Southerners. Of the ten members of Lincoln's Cabinet, two were Miami men: Secretary of the Interior Caleb Blood Smith and Postmaster General William Dennison. When the Civil War began, governors of five of the thirty-three states were Miami graduates (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Mississippi). Also, in the immediate war and postwar years, two governors each of Ohio and Missouri, and a governor each of Iowa and of California, were all Miami University alumni. Ten Union generals were Miami alumni, including the 23rd President of the U.S., Benjamin Harrison (Miami Class of 1852), as were three Confederate generals. Of the three Admirals in the Union Navy, two were Miami graduates, including Stephen Clegg Rowan.[12]
Given the high mortality of the war and its financial costs, the postwar years were tumultuous in higher education. Because of the decrease in students and fees, the deaths of many alumni and professors in the War, the founding in the West of other universities, and the withdrawal of Southern students from Northern colleges, "Old Miami" passed on and Miami University nearly closed for good. Unable to pay its huge debts, the university closed in 1873 and did not reopen until 1885.[citation needed]

Alumni Hall

The "Beta Bells" of Miami University were built with funds donated by the Beta Theta Pi fraternity on its Centennial in 1939.
With the help of alumni and Ohio legislators, "New Miami" was reopened in 1885 and soon began admitting women. Although The Ohio State University, then the Ohio Agriculture and Mechanical College, had been launched in the interim, Miami University continued to attract students from Ohio and neighboring states.
Miami has absorbed two local women's colleges: Oxford College (1854–1929) and Western College for Women (1853–1974), a daughter school of Mount Holyoke. Oxford was also home to Oxford Theological Seminary (1838–1858) and the Oxford Female Institute (1849–1867), which were absorbed into Oxford College in 1867. Miami University was coeducational long before most schools in the Ivy League. Miami has been a non-sectarian school, as were other pioneer universities in the Midwest, though its early leaders were often Presbyterians.
Miami University's current enrollment on the Oxford campus is approximately 15,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students. In addition to its Oxford campus, Miami has campuses in Hamilton, Middletown, and West Chester, Ohio; and a European Center in Differdange, Luxembourg, with approximately 6000 more students.
Miami University is known around the Greek world for the Miami Triad, three fraternities founded in the 19th century that spread throughout the United States. It is called "Mother of Fraternities". These were Beta Theta Pi (1839), Sigma Chi (1855), and Phi Delta Theta (1848). The Delta Zeta sorority was founded at Miami University in 1902, as was the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity in 1906. Delta Sigma Epsilon, a national sorority founded at Miami in 1914, merged with Delta Zeta in 1956. Alpha Delta Phi was the first fraternity to arrive on campus in 1833, organizing the first fraternity chapter west of the Allegheny mountains.
In an effort to make college more affordable to Ohio students, Miami offers a varied in-state tuition based on financial need as well as state-identified key areas of study, including engineering and mathematics. In 2007-08, the highest tuition paid by Ohioans is $11,643; 60 percent pay less, as low as $8,900. Ohio families earning $35,000 or less annually pay no tuition, courtesy of the Miami Access Initiative.
Miami is celebrating its bicentennial in 2009. To commemorate this occasion, Miami University announced the construction of the Bicentennial Student Center, which will serve as a focal point for student life and leadership for future generations. Students have outgrown the Shriver Student Center, which is limited in space, technology and hours; not accommodating the round-the-clock lifestyles of most college students. The new student center will be a place on campus which is more student focused, with room to accommodate the more than 350 student organizations on Miami’s campus. [13]

[edit] Miami University System
Miami University, Oxford Ohio (main campus)
Miami University Hamilton - Hamilton, Ohio
Miami University Middletown - Middletown, Ohio
Miami University Dolibois European Center - Luxembourg
Voice of America Learning Center- West Chester, Ohio

[edit] Academic divisions

It has been suggested that Miami University College of Arts and Science be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Upham Hall, home of Zoology, English, and Botany
Miami University has six academic divisions—the College of Arts & Science, the Farmer School of Business, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Education, Health, and Society, the School of Fine Arts, and the Graduate School.
The College of Arts and Science is the oldest and largest college at Miami, with nearly half of the undergraduate student body enrolled. The college offers 56 majors, 48 minors, and 2 co-majors (Environmental Science and Environmental Principles & Practice). Ten of the eleven doctoral degrees offered by Miami are provided through the College of Arts and Science.[14]
Miami's Farmer School of Business offers eight majors. The School also offers graduate MBA, Accountancy, and Economics degrees. Although the Farmer School of Business is currently housed in multiple academic buildings on campus, construction is underway on Farmer Hall, which "will house all aspects of the Farmer School of Business under one roof, enabling us to pursue our mission and make significant progress in achieving our goal of excellence in business education."[15]
The School of Engineering & Applied Sciences offers 12 accredited majors at the Oxford Campus[16], and recently moved into the new Engineering Building—a $22 million-dollar facility finished in 2007[17]. The School also offers masters degrees in Computer Science and Paper & Chemical Engineering[18]
The School of Education, Health, and Society–formerly known as the School of Education & Allied Professions–offers 26 undergraduate degrees[19] spanning areas from teacher education, kinesiology & health, educational psychology, and family studies & social work.[20] As of fall 2007, nearly 2,800 undergraduates were enrolled in the School.[19]
Miami's School of Fine Arts comprises four departments–Architecture & Interior Design, Music, Theater and Art. Each department has its own admission requirements separate from the standard admissions requirements for the University. Art majors choose a concentration in areas such as ceramics, metals, photography, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design, and interior design. Music majors specify either music performance or music education.[21].
Miami offers master's degrees in 50 areas of study, and doctoral degrees in 11. In order to enroll in graduate courses, students must first be accepted into The Graduate School, and then into the department through which the degree is offered.[22] For all students (in-state and out-of-state), tuition for the Graduate School is roughly the same as for an undergraduate degree. Out-of-state students still pay approximately $13,000 more than in-state students.[23][24]

[edit] Mission statement
The mission of Miami University is to preserve, add to, evaluate, and transmit the accumulated knowledge of the centuries; to develop critical thinking, extend the frontiers of knowledge, and serve society; and to provide an environment conducive to effective and inspired teaching and learning, promote professional development of faculty, and encourage scholarly research and creativity of faculty and students.

Miami University logo
Miami's primary concern is its students. This concern is reflected in a broad array of efforts to develop the potential of each student. The University endeavors to individualize the educational experience. It provides personal and professional guidance; and, it offers opportunities for its students to achieve understanding and appreciation not only of their own culture but of the cultures of others as well. Selected undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of quality should be offered with the expectation of students achieving a high level of competence and understanding and developing a personal value system. Since the legislation creating Miami University stated that a leading mission of the University was to promote "good education, virtue, religion, and morality", the University has been striving to emphasize the supreme importance of dealing with problems related to values.
Miami is committed to serving the community, state, and nation. It offers access to higher education, including continuing education, for those who can benefit from it, at a reasonable cost, without regard for race, creed, sex, or age. It educates men and women for responsible, informed citizenship, as well as for meaningful employment. It provides both disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the pursuit of knowledge and to the solving of problems. It sponsors a wide range of cultural and educational activities which have significance beyond the campus and the local community.[3]

[edit] Alma Mater
The alma mater was written by Alfred H. Upham, the 16th President of Miami[25]. His original verses are as follows:
Old Miami from thy hillcrest,Thou hast watched the decades roll,While thy sons have quested from thee,Sturdy hearted, pure of soul.
Aging in thy simple splendor,Thou the calm and they the storm;Thou didst give them joy in conquest,Strength from thee sustained their arm.
Now of late thyself envigored,Larger usefulness awaits;Hosts assemble for thy blessing,Youth and maiden throng thy gate.
Thou shalt stand a constant beacon,Crimson tow'rs against the sky;Men shall ever seek thy guiding,Pow'r like thine shall never die.
Chorus*:Old Miami! New Miami!Days of old and days to be;Weave the story of thy glory,Our Miami, here's to thee!
*The chorus is sung between each verse and at the end.
The Miami Men's Glee Club often performs the alma mater at University events such as convocation, guest lectures, or commencement. A sample of the glee club singing the alma mater can be heard here. In 1989, after consultation of alumni, faculty, students, and staff, four additional verses were added to the alma mater[26]. It is customary to play the first verse and chorus of the alma mater at the end of Miami athletic events, usually when the marching band or pep band is present.

[edit] Fight Song
Miami's fight song was composed in 1908 by Professor of Geology Raymond H. Burke. Before the music was composed, students sang the words to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine"[27]. The lyrics are as follows:
Love and honor to Miami,Our college old and grand,Proudly we shall ever hail thee,Over all the land.
Alma mater now we praise thee,Sing joyfully this lay,Love and honor to Miami,Forever and a day.

[edit] Presidents of Miami
Robert Hamilton Bishop, 1824–1841
George Junkin, 1841–1844
Erasmus D. MacMaster, 1845–1849
William C. Anderson, 1849–1854
Orange Nash Stoddard, 1854 (pro tempore)
John W. Hall, 1854–1866
Robert B. Stanton, 1866–1871
Andrew Dousa Hepburn, 1871–1873 (pro tempore; later considered to be regular)
Robert W. McFarland, 1885–1888 (pro tempore; later considered to be regular)
Ethelbert D. Warfield, 1888–1891
William Oxley Thompson, 1891–1899
David Stanton Tappan, 1899–1902
Guy Potter Benton, 1902–1911
Edgar Ewing Brandon, 1909–1910 (acting), 1927–1928 (acting)
Raymond M. Hughes, 1911–1913 (acting), 1913–1927
Alfred H. Upham, 1928–1945
Alpheus K. Morris, 1945–1946 (acting)
Ernest H. Hahne, 1946–1952
Clarence W. Kreger, 1952–1953 (acting)
John D. Millett, 1953–1964
Charles Ray Wilson, 1964–1965 (acting)
Phillip R. Shriver, 1965–1981
Paul G. Pearson, 1981–1992
Paul G. Risser, 1993–1995
Anne Hopkins, December 1995–July 1996 (acting)
James C. Garland, 1996–June 2006
David C. Hodge, July 2006 – present[28]

[edit] Commencement speakers
2009 - Paul Ryan and Steve Driehaus
2008 - Robin Roberts
2007 - John Lewis
2006 - Peggy Noonan
2005 - William Safire
2004 - Jehan Sadat
2003 - Andy Rooney
2002 - Charles Gibson
2001 - Colin Powell
1989 - George Franklin Ford III
1988 - Rita Dove
1985 - Jack Kemp
1984 - Hanna Gray
1983 - Malcolm Forbes
1982 - George H. W. Bush
1978 - Ara Parseghian
1976 - J. William Fulbright
1975 - Joseph Bernadin
1974 - Art Buchwald
1971 - Margaret Mead
1970 - Neil Armstrong
1969 - Bob Hope
1968 - Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr.
1959 - John F. Kennedy (Sesquicentennial Convocation speaker)
1956 - Grayson L. Kirk
1905 - William Howard Taft
1860 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[edit] Athletics
Main article: Miami RedHawks

A football game at Yager Stadium
Miami University has a rich history of intercollegiate athletics and today fields a Division I (FBS for football) athletic program in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. The now demolished Miami Field, built in 1895, was the second oldest college football facility in the nation edged only by the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field. There are men's sports teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, swimming and diving, and track and field. For women, Miami offers basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, volleyball, synchronized skating, track and field, and tennis. Though not the proper way to refer to the school, Miami is sometimes referred to as Miami of Ohio or Miami (OH) to distinguish it from the University of Miami in Florida[4]. Miami is well known among the sports world for its reputation as the Cradle of Coaches and is one of only 13 schools in the nation to have a Division I-A football team as well as Division I basketball and ice hockey teams.
Miami historically has had some of the highest graduation rates of student-athletes in the NCAA, second only to Navy. Football and Ice Hockey are the most popular according to the student body. Miami is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Fred C. Yager Stadium is the main football facility on the Oxford campus.
Track and Cross Country have been prominent over the last decade, producing several All-Americans and multiple top 3 conference finishes. Daniel Huling recently placed third in the steeple chase at the US Championships. Previous alumni include Brian Godsey (former world record holder in the backwards 800 m, 3000 m, video confirmation by Assistant T&F Coach Ceith Creekmur), Steve Padgett (a sub 9-minute two-miler in high school), David Mitchell (an All-American in NCAA Cross-country).
Miami has a number of sports rivalries, among them those with the University of Cincinnati called the 'Battle for the Victory Bell' and the Ohio Bobcats called the 'Battle of the Bricks.'
Miami and the University of Cincinnati square off each fall for the famed Victory Bell. The original bell hung in Miami's Harrison Hall (Old Main) near the site of the first football game in 1888 and was used to ring in Miami victories. The traveling trophy tradition began in the 1890s when some Cincinnati fans, purportedly led by local gunslinger Jeff Orlick, "borrowed" the bell. The bell went to the winner of the annual game for the next 40 years until it mysteriously disappeared in the 1930s. The original bell reappeared in 1946 and is on display in the lobby of the Murstein Alumni Center in Oxford. The current trophy is a replica of the original bell and is kept in the possession of the winning team each year. One side of the bell is painted red and black and shows Cincinnati's victories while the other side is red and white and shows Miami's victories. Miami leads the series 59-44-7 but has lost three of the last four games to the Bearcats. The Miami-Cincinnati series ranks fifth on the list of the most played rivalries in college football and the oldest rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains. Of the more than 30 rivalries that include at least 89 games, none are older than Miami vs. Cincinnati.
The Battle of the Bricks is an annual all-sports rivalry competition between the Ohio Bobcats and the Miami RedHawks athletic programs. The name "Battle of the Bricks" evolved from each school's reputation of a pristine campus of red brick buildings. Each varsity athletic competition in which the Bobcats and RedHawks meet, including tournament play, is counted as part of the year's series record. At the conclusion of each academic year, the school with the most varsity wins takes the trophy back to its campus for the following year.
The Men's Basketball program has a long and rich history. The program has made 17 NCAA tournament appearances and 4 NCAA sweet 16 appearances, as well a number of other post-season NIT and College Basketball Invitational tournament appearances, the best of all universities considered "mid major."
In October 2006 the Goggin Ice Center, a $34 million hockey arena seating 3,642 spectators, was christened. The old arena was opened in 1976, and closed in mid-2006, giving way to the new arena. It is now home to both the Miami University Men's Ice Hockey team and the Women's Synchronized Skating team, which is the largest women's sport on campus. The Miami Men's Ice Hockey team has become a perennial national top-ranked team and the program's winning percentage of .690 over the the 4 year span of 2006-2009 (105-43-14) is the best among all DI college hockey teams. In 2009, Miami's Men's Hockey team reached the Frozen Four and the National Championship game before losing in overtime to #1-ranked Boston University.[29]
The Miami University Senior Synchronized Skating team has earned a spot in the World Synchronized Skating Championships in seven of the past eight seasons. The RedHawks have finished among the top four teams at the past two World Championships, including a silver-medal 2nd-place finish at the 2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships -- the first time a U.S. team has medalled at the event. In its past five appearances at the World Synchronized Skating Championships, Miami has finished no lower than ninth. The collegiate Synchronized Skating team has won an unparalleled 10 U.S. championship titles since the division was created 13 seasons ago. The newly formed junior level team has also won great acclaim, earning a spot to compete internationally as part of Team USA in its first season (2006-07).
Notable sports alumni include:
Ben Roethlisberger - two-time Super Bowl winner and current quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ara Parseghian - former head coach, two time national champion coach at Notre Dame
John Harbaugh - Head Coach, Baltimore Ravens
Milt Stegall - current all time touchdown leader in the CFL
Weeb Ewbank - New York Jets former head coach, winning coach of Super Bowl III
Paul Brown - first coach of the Cleveland Browns and founder of the Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Mizanin - one half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions
Charlie Leibrandt - All-Star Major League Baseball pitcher
Ron Harper - 5-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and L.A. Lakers
Wally Szczerbiak - player for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Wayne Embry - NBA player
Ira Newble - NBA player
Phil Lumpkin - NBA player
Fred Foster - NBA player
NHL hockey players and Stanley Cup winners Dan Boyle, Kevyn Adams
Andy Greene - NHL player
Brian Savage - NHL player
Bo Schembechler- a former Miami and University of Michigan football coach
Woody Hayes - former football head coach at Miami and The Ohio State University
Miami has outstanding athletic facilities in addition to the Goggin Ice Center, such as Yager Stadium, new Softball Stadium and the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center. In addition, Miami boasts a state-of-the art Walter L. Gross Jr. Family Student-Athlete Development Center between Millett Hall and Yager Stadium, which includes both physical fitness and academic enrichment centers for the student-athletes.

[edit] Recognition

Harrison Hall at sunset
The Fiske Guide To Colleges rates Miami with 4.5 stars out of a possible 5 and cites it as a "rising star among state universities."[citation needed] In 2006, Kiplinger ranked Miami 38th among all American public four-year universities for "top flight academics and affordable costs," the top ranking of an Ohio college. In 2003, The Wall Street Journal named Miami a "feeder school" and ranked it 22nd among public universities in their article titled "Want to go to Harvard Law?"[30]
A July 2006 New York Times article cited Miami University as a "hidden gem" stating the "focus is truly on educating undergraduates. This is a medium-size institution with the advantages that confers but it still has the feel of a small liberal arts college."[31] The Kaplan-Newsweek College Catalog calls Miami a "hidden treasure-terrific schools that deserve more national attention".
A 2004 article from The Education Trust, a non-profit program of the American Association for Higher Education, praised Miami University for its statistically superior graduation rates among both its student body and student athletes. [32]
At the same time, The Princeton Review (of 2009) ranks Miami University 17th for best food on campus, 4th for most homogeneous population, 19th for Greek Life, 11th for alternative lifestyle rejection, and 2nd for little race/class interaction.
In 2009, Business Week released their official rankings of the top undergraduate business schools in the United States and Miami's Farmer School of Business ranked 18th among all American universities, 6th among all public universities and 1st among all Ohio universities.[33] Also, The (October) 2007 Public Accounting Report named Miami's undergraduate accountancy program 11th in the nation[34] The business school is endowed by Richard T. Farmer, founder and chairman of the Cintas Corporation and one of the wealthiest men in Ohio (according to Forbes).[35]
Miami also offers one of the nations largest senior scholarships, the Goldman Prize[5]. The prize is awarded to one graduating senior and is valued at $26,000 for use in a year long independent research study.

[edit] Greek Life
Miami University is known as "Mother of Fraternities" for the six national fraternities and sororities founded on its campus: Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, Delta Zeta, Phi Kappa Tau, and Delta Sigma Epsilon. With the initiation of its chapter of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Miami was the first school west of the Appalachian Mountains to host fraternities. Delta Sigma Epsilon had 12 chapters and initiated over 20,000 members by the time it merged with Delta Zeta in 1956. 2008 marked the 175th year of Greek Life at Miami, making it the third-oldest university to host fraternal groups. Oxford, Ohio is also home to the international headquarters of four of Miami's founding fraternal organizations. With the goal to establish a fraternity and sorority museum on campus, Miami recently accepted the donation of the Mike Raymond Greek History Collection, considered by some to be the largest collection of fraternity and sorority historical memorabilia at close to 5,000 items. The basis of the television show "Greek" on ABC Family was researched at Miami.[citation needed]
Today, Miami University is home to the only endowed fraternity and sorority life and leadership office, The Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Leadership with about one out of three Miami undergraduate students claiming membership in a Greek letter society. This puts Miami among the top public universities in America in student Greek letter organization member percentage with the spring semester (when fraternity/sorority recruitment is held) percentage in some years having been possibly the highest of any public university in the nation.[36] Miami today hosts roughly 50 fraternities and sororities co-governed by three student governing councils. Most fraternities have privately-owned houses off-campus and all sororities lease suites and block rooms in Central Quad residence halls on campus. A current roster of active general Greek letter societies include:
Interfraternity Council-member Fraternities
Alpha Delta Phi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Sigma Phi
Beta Theta Pi
Chi Phi
Chi Psi
Delta Chi
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Upsilon
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Sigma
Lambda Chi Alpha
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Tau
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Phi
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Chi
Sigma Nu
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Pi
Sigma Tau Gamma
Theta Chi
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Zeta Beta Tau
Panhellenic Association-member Sororities
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Xi Delta
Chi Omega
Delta Gamma
Delta Zeta
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Mu
Pi Beta Phi
Sigma Lambda Gamma
Zeta Tau Alpha
National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Professional and Fraternities and Sororities
Alpha Kappa Psi
Alpha Nu
Alpha Phi Omega
Delta Omicron
Delta Sigma Pi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Pi Sigma Epsilon
Tau Beta Sigma
Phi Mu Alpha
Phi Sigma Pi
Phi Alpha Delta
Honorary Societies
Phi Beta Kappa

[edit] Notable campus features
Beta Theta Pi Campanile
Phi Delta Theta Gates
Phi Kappa Tau Circle
The Upham Arch
Slant Walk
The Tri-Delt Sundial, decorated with Turtles. This landmark tells the correct time four times a year.
Verlin L. Pulley Carillon and Clock Tower
The Hub

[edit] Closing of Western College Program
On June 23, 2006, the Board of Trustees passed a controversial decision to remove the Western College Program as a separate college within Miami University.[37] Originally founded in the early 19th century as the Western College for Women by westward travelers from Mount Holyoke College, the women's college functioned for more than 100 years until financial difficulties forced the Western College For Women into near bankruptcy. Through a partnership between Miami University and the Western College for Women, Miami agreed to purchase the Western College for Women and promised to preserve its unique character. It operated as the School of Interdisciplinary Studies for more than 30 years until 2006 when it ceased being a separate academic division. The Western Campus, its distinctive stone buildings and bridges providing a contrast to the red brick of the main campus, remains a part of Miami University. At one time around the closure of the Western College, the university was in talks to convert the school into an honors college.

[edit] Historic landmarks
William Holmes McGuffey Museum, a National Historic Landmark
Zachariah Price DeWitt Cabin, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Elliott and Stoddard Halls, oldest dormitories in use in Ohio
Langstroth Cottage, a National Historic Landmark
Old Manse (home of the Department of Comparative Religion) Presbyterian Parsonage, East High Street, listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey
Simpson-Shade Guest House, listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey
Lewis Place, home of Miami presidents