Upham Hall (Miami University)

Academic in Oxford, Ohio

Upham Hall

Upham Hall at Miami University from Bishop Circle in 2022

General information
Type| Academic
Architectural style| Georgian
Location| 100 Bishop Woods, Oxford, Ohio 45056
Coordinates| 39°30′31.23″N 84°43′59.42″W﻿ / ﻿39.5086750°N 84.7331722°W﻿ / 39.5086750; -84.7331722
Completed| dedicated February 17, 1946
Completed Center – 1949
North Wing – 1950
Southeast Wing – 1965
Costing $3,460,400 with an area of 160,792 square feet
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Center Section – C.F. Cellarius, North Wing and Southeast Wing – Cellarius & Hilmer[1]

Upham Hall is an academic building on the Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio, United States. It is located in the center of campus in the academic quad near the university’s seal.[2] Miami University was founded in 1809 and the first class graduated in 1824.[3]

## History[edit]

### Construction[edit]

Construction on Upham Hall began on February 16, 1946, with the laying of the cornerstone in honor of Dr. Alfred H. Upham. At the time, Upham Hall was to be the biggest building on campus. The first part constructed consisted of eighteen classrooms, two seminar rooms, 29 faculty offices, and other service rooms. In the cornerstone on this building was placed a box which contained information about Dr. Upham’s life and death. Some of the materials included in this box were a student directory, newspapers, a 1946 campus yearbook which was dedicated to Dr. Upham, and a photograph of the current president of Miami.[4]

### Alfred H. Upham[edit]

Dr. Upham was born March 2, 1877, and is from Eaton, Ohio. He first came to Miami University as a freshman undergraduate in 1896.[4] He received his Master's Degree from Harvard University in 1901 and his Ph.D from Columbia University in 1908. He married Mary Collins McClintock on June 28, 1905. With her he had one daughter, Margaret Louise.[5] He was president of the University of Idaho from 1920 to 1928, when he then became the president of Miami University until his death on February 17, 1945.[4] He led Miami during the difficult times of the Great Depression and World War II.[6] Dr. Upham was known for many of his writings, including the “Old Miami” anthem, penned in 1909 for the Miami University Centennial .[7] Upham also wrote  Old Miami, the Yale of the Early West.[8]

## Uses[edit]

Upham Hall is the home to many different departments at Miami University. They include anthropology, the Center for Environmental Education, the Scripps Gerontology Center, history, humanities center, Jewish studies, pre-law programs, sociology and gerontology, and statistics.[9] In addition to being the home of these departments, this academic hall is the home to many professors offices and classrooms.[10]

## Upham Arch[edit]

A sketch of the center section of Upham Hall from the Miami University Archives.

Perhaps the most famous part of Upham Hall is the Upham Hall Arch, located in the center of the building. Engraved over the arch, which was added to the building in 1948, are the words of John 8:32: “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The arch was a midpoint between the two parts of campus. To the west of the arch was the campus that already existed, and to the east was the part of Miami’s campus not yet built.[11]

According to the Miami legend, “if you kiss your true love under the Upham Hall Arch, you will marry and the bond will never be broken.”[11] This may be the most famous of the Miami University legends. Related to the Upham Arch superstition is the term “Miami Mergers.” This term is used to describe a marriage between two Miami graduates. As a way to recognize these mergers, Miami sends them a Valentine’s Day card every year they are married, a tradition that started in 1973. Miami has an unusually large number of students who marry each other, approximately 14%, compared to 3–4% for other colleges and universities.[12]

On June 20, 2009, Miami broke a world record due to their long legend of Miami Mergers. 1,087 couples renewed their wedding vows under the Upham Hall Arch. This constituted a Guinness World Record for the most people renewing their wedding vows at once. This number almost doubled the previous record. All 26,472 mergers were invited to the event.[13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Facilities, Physical (May 24, 2005). "Upham Hall". Miami University. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
2. ^ "Miami University – Inside Scoop". College Prowler. 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
3. ^ "Miami University". June 11, 2002. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
4. ^ a b c Wright, Gilson (February 8, 1946). "Upham". Plain Dealer Special.
5. ^ Glos, R. E. (1967). The Buildings of Miami University.
6. ^ "Miami University Presidents". Miami University. December 15, 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
7. ^ "Test Your Miami Knowledge". Miami University Alumni Association. 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
8. ^ Upham, Alfred H. (1909). Old Miami, the Yale of the West. Book. The Republical Publishing Co. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
9. ^ "College of Arts & Science – Miami University". Miami University. 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
10. ^ "Farmer School of Business". Miami University. March 2, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
11. ^ a b "Past Ornaments". Miami University Alumni Association. 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
12. ^ "Miami reports high percentage of married alums". News Release. Miami University. February 5, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
13. ^ Staff Report (February 4, 2010). "Miami breaks world record for wedding vow renewals". Hamilton Journal News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2010.

* v
* t
* e

Miami University

Located in: Oxford, Ohio

Academics|

* College of Arts and Science
* Farmer School of Business
* Center for Performing Arts & Art Building

Centers, Institutions
and Programs|

* Karl Limper Geology Museum
* King Library
* American Classical League

Campuses|

* Middletown
* Hamilton
* Voice of America Learning Center
* Dolibois European Center

Buildings|

* Alumni Hall
* Bachelor Hall
* Benton Hall
* Bishop Hall
* Collins Hall
* Elliott and Stoddard Halls
* McGuffey Hall
* Hall Auditorium
* Harris Hall
* Harrison Hall
* Hoyt Hall
* Kumler Chapel
* Laws Hall
* MacCracken Hall
* Ogden Hall
* Peabody Hall
* Pearson Hall
* Richard Hall
* Sesquicentennial Chapel
* Shriver Center
* Upham Hall
* Williams Hall
* Withrow Hall

Media|

* WMUB
* Miamian
* WMSR
* The Miami Student
* University Press

Traditions|

* Miami Triad
* Green Beer Day
* Public Ivies
* Mother of Fraternities
* Puddle Pull

Athletics|

* Football
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Baseball
* Ice hockey
* Synchronized Skating
* Cradle of Coaches
* Victory Bell
* Goggin Ice Center
* Hayden Park
* Miami Field
* Millett Hall
* Yager Stadium

People|

* Miami people (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma)
* Robert Hamilton Bishop
* William Holmes McGuffey
* Phillip Shriver
* Miami University People

National Register of Historic Places|

* William H. McGuffey House
* Dewitt Log Homestead
* Elliott and Stoddard Halls
* Langstroth Cottage
* Oxford Female Institute
* Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chapter House of Miami University
* Western Female Seminary Historic District
* Herron Gymnasium (former)
* Fisher Hall (former)

* Founded: 1809
* Students: 24,377
* Endowment: 535 million

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