Oberlin College

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Students passing through the Oberlin Memorial Arch in front of Peters Hall on the Oberlin College campus
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Students passing through the Oberlin Memorial Arch in front of Peters Hall on the Oberlin College campus

Oberlin College is a small liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1833, and today has a student population of approximately 2,850. It is home to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a distinguished music school. Oberlin is frequently recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States. In fact, a recent study found that more Oberlin College alumni receive doctorates than do alumni from any other liberal arts college in the country.

Oberlin was the first college in the United States to accept African-American students regularly (1835), and is also the oldest continuously-operating coeducational institution. The first four women to enter as full students were Mary Kellogg (Fairchild), Mary Caroline Rudd, Mary Hosford, and Elizabeth Prall. All but Kellogg graduated. Oberlin has long been associated with progressive causes; both students and faculty were involved in the controversial Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of a fugitive slave in 1858. One historian called Oberlin "the town that started the Civil War."

The school's varsity sports teams are the Yeomen. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the North Coast Athletic Conference. Oberlin's football team was the first team coached by legendary coach John Heisman, who led the team to a 7-0 record in 1892. In modern times, however, the football team was more famous for losing streaks of 40 games (1992-1996) and 44 games (1997-2001).

Oberlin College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association and The Five Colleges of Ohio consortium, including Ohio Wesleyan University, Denison University, Kenyon College, and The College of Wooster.

Oberlin College's motto is "Learning and Labor" (see College seal, below). Its school colors are officially crimson and gold, though more often than not maroon and white are used.

The Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, or OSCA, is a non-profit corporation that houses 175 students and feeds 630 students.


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History

The Oberlin campus in 1909
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The Oberlin campus in 1909

Both the college and the town of Oberlin were founded in 1833 by a pair of Presbyterian ministers, John Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart. The ministers named their project after Jean Frédéric Oberlin, an Alsatian minister whom they both admired. Oberlin attained prominence because of the influence of its second president, the evangelist Charles Finney, after whom one of the College's chapels, also a prominent performance space, is named.

The college was built on 500 acres (2 km²) of land specifically donated by the previous owner, who lived in Connecticut. Shipherd and Stewart's vision was for both a religious community and school. For a more detailed history of the founding of the town and the college, see Oberlin, Ohio.

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Notable alumni

Image:Learningandlabor.png
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"Obie" Culture

Oberlin has always cultivated a lively community of talented musicians. The local radio station WOBC, and the party circuit (including the popular on-campus venue, The 'Sco) contribute to the success and popularity of their homegrown talent. Some notable alums go on to have lucrative careers on the indie music scene. Some popular Oberln musicians, past and present, include Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jug Free America, Di$h and ShiQuana, The Trashbirds, Skeletons and the Girl Faced Boys, Guerilla 16, and Skeleton Breath.

Oberlin is also famous for Safer Sex Night and Oberlin Drag Ball, two annual school-sponsored parties that garner the attention of the nation and the criticism of the Religious Right.

The students have a reputation for being radically liberal and/or progressive. Oberlin has a thriving LGBT community and most students are well informed as to the intricacies of gender politics. Students also tend to dress as they feel comfortabse. Mohawks and crossdressing are just as "normal" to Oberlin students as anything else.

Given the quirky culture of the college, long-standing student traditions such as streaking through Mudd Library or smoking under the Wisdom Tree with the Arboreal Sages have become cherished and embraced by those who attend.

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External links


Five Colleges of Ohio
Oberlin | Kenyon | Wesleyan | Denison | Wooster


Great Lakes Colleges Association
Albion | Antioch | Denison
DePauw | Earlham | Hope | Kalamazoo
Kenyon | Oberlin | Wesleyan | Wooster|
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