Past Celebrations

Stand and Be Counted: Risking It All for the Stage
November 11, 2010

The Delaware Opera House was the site of the 1885 scandal that rocked the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University.

Photo courtesy of the OWU Historical Collection.

Heritage Day will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in Gray Chapel in University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St. The public is invited to attend this free event, which will be streamed live, and archived afterward, at StreamOWU.

During the 1800s, many American church leaders considered theatre to be “the Devil’s playhouse.” As a result, the faculty at Ohio Wesleyan determined that theatrical performances were “detrimental both to the scholarship and to the morals of our students, therefore, no students will be permitted to attend any entertainment belonging to the above-mentioned class.”

But on Oct. 29, 1885, at least 59 Ohio Wesleyan students defied campus authority and went to the Delaware Opera House to see a performance of “Richard III” by celebrated Shakespearean actor, Fredrick Warde. After campus administration learned its order had been defied, the students were required to state whether they attended the event. The resulting controversy included the suspension of 59 male senior students, who were told that they could remain at the university only if they re-signed their matriculation cards along with a confession of wrong doing and a pledge to follow college regulations in the future.

In the years following, theatre was accepted and performed at Ohio Wesleyan, with the first public performance of a Shakespeare play, “As You Like It,” in 1905. The 2010 Heritage Day event also will explore the evolution of theatre at Ohio Wesleyan through today.

“It is truly ironic that this scandal occurred at Ohio Wesleyan,” said Bonnie Milne Gardner, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance and a member of the Heritage Day Committee. “Shakespeare has been such a rich tradition in our drama program here. For most of the 20th century, one of his plays was performed here each and every year. And since the early 1980s, our department has sponsored an annual trip for our students to attend the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada.”

The Heritage Day celebration is sponsored by the OWU Student Involvement Office, the Heritage Day Committee, and the Department of Theatre & Dance. Heritage Day is held each year on or around Nov. 13, the first day of classes when Ohio Wesleyan opened its doors. Each year, an event, building, or theme of historic interest is highlighted during the celebration.

Read more information about OWU’s Department of Theatre & Dance.

Read more about the 2010 Heritage Day Celebration in the 2010 Heritage Day Program (PDF*)

The Mock Presidential Convention: Celebrating Civic Participation at OWU
November 12, 2009

The third Heritage Day was a great success and all who took part had a fun time. The topic was the history of the Mock Presidential Convention and civic participation at Ohio Wesleyan University. Dr. Craig Ramsay, Chair of the Politics and Government Department at Ohio Wesleyan, helped to guide the audience from the first Mock Convention in 1884 up through the next Mock Convention in 2012. Along this journey, various speakers came up to add insight and personal stories about what they remember from the Mock Convention and civic participation at Ohio Wesleyan. Benjamin F. Marsh, Class of 1950, spoke of Professor Ben Arneson, who had revived the Mock Convention in 1920 after a 28 years hiatus in holding the event. Jon Peterson, Class of 1976, and Dave Staley spoke of acting as chairs for various Mock Conventions over the years. Jon Peterson chaired many Republican conventions, while Dave Staley chaired many Democratic conventions. Jon Peterson also spoke of his father Art Peterson, who helped to run the Mock Convention as a professor at Ohio Wesleyan. Professor Joan McLean and Professor William Louthan discussed their memories of many of the recent conventions. Professor McLean has been the Faculty Advisor for the Mock Convention since 1996. Professor Louthan has been the Parliamentarian since 1972. Laura Hausman, Class of 1984, and Nicole Daily, Class of 2000, were members of the Mock Convention in 1984 and 2000, respectively. They spoke of their work and what they remember from the conventions. Laura Hausman was also able provide a unique perspective since she worked as the Faculty Advisor in 1992. Dan Sharpe, Class 2005, spoke of building the stage for the 2004 Mock Convention. All the speakers spoke of civic participation and how it is so crucial for everyone to be involved.

In addition to the speakers, a variety of other attractions were involved in the celebration. The a cappella group, The OWtsiders, entertained the audience with a variety of campaign songs that spanned the history of the Mock Convention. Songs ranged from Benjamin Harrison’s “He’s All Right” to Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can.” There was a slide show that included pictures of the speakers and items relating to the Mock Convention. Heritage Day intern Chris Potterton was responsible for the media presentation. There were even video clips from some of the later Mock Conventions. These include a mock interview Nicole Daily did with Steve Forbes from 2000 and Professor Louthan giving his “ Party of the People” speech from 2004. At the end of the celebration, members of the audience were asked so sign pledge cards to be civically engaged, just like Ben Arneson asked his students to do when he used to teach.

Loyal Hearts Sing: Music, Mission, and Memories
November 13, 2008

The second Heritage Day celebration was the first one to be held on November 13th, the opening day of classes in 1844. The focus of the celebration was on Ohio Wesleyan’s Methodist roots through song. The OWU Choral Arts Society performed songs that reflected important periods in Ohio Wesleyan’s history. One song was sung by some of the school’s Chinese students, emphasizing the rich missionary history of OWU. To go along with the singing, there were readings depicting important segments of OWU’s history. The program ended with a presentation about where Ohio Wesleyan is today spiritually, and how the school celebrates its diversity and tradition of service. Based on the theme, special invitations were extended to local Delaware area churches and Ohio high school choirs.

Celebrating the Liberal Arts at Ohio Wesleyan: 100 Years of ΦΒΚ
March 5, 2008

The first Heritage Day celebrated the Phi Beta Kappa honor society’s 100 year existence on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus. The ceremony consisted of inducting three Ohio Wesleyan professors into the society, who were unable to be inducted as undergraduates since their institution did not have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. Those inducted were Jed Burtt, Ph.D.; David Johnson, Ph.D.; and Robert Olmstead, M.A. The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. John Churchill, Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. To add to the celebration, members of local high school chapters of the National Honor Society were invited. OWU graduate Edward Rynearson, class of 1893, started the National Honor Society as a principal in Pittsburgh, PA in 1921. The first Heritage celebration was not held on the traditional November 13 date, but rather March 5th, the anniversary of the Ohio Wesleyan’s chartering.