We like visiting college campuses when we travel because they're usually great places to take a walk, there is often some interesting architecture or public art on campus, you can learn a bit about the history of the area on campus and college T-shirts and sweatshirts are among our favorite types of souvenirs to buy on our travels.
Defiance College in northwestern Ohio is a liberal arts university with about 1,000 students. More than sixty-five percent of the school's students live on campus, which offers 41 major areas of study leading to bachelors, masters and associate degrees in education and business.
The Ohio State Legislature chartered the school in 1850 as the Defiance Female Seminary.
Like many places in this area of Ohio, there is a canal connection with the school because the early college trustees sold some canal lands granted to them in order to start the school. Local business man William Curtis Holgate also donated much of the land that the college still sits on today.
The school opened to its first students in the mid-1880s and struggled financially through many of its early years.
The United Church of Christ changed the school's name to Defiance College after taking over leadership of the institution in 1902.
The 150-acre campus has nearly 20 buildings. A lot of the buildings date from the last 20 years, and while there don't seem to be many buildings dating back to the college's early days, there are a couple of architecturally interesting buildings like the college's Pilgrim Library and Serrick Campus Center.
Those interested in the early history of the Defiance area should check out the large statue in front of the library and a carving on the building's walls that honors Little Turtle, a Native Miami leader and peace maker.
The campus is also adjacent to the 200-acre Thoreau Wildlife Sanctuary.
Defiance College is a NCAA Division III school with more than 20 teams that include men's and women's basketball teams, men's and women's swim teams, women's softball, swimming and volleyball teams and mean's baseball and football teams.
The team mascot is a yellow-jacket wasp, and the school colors are purple and gold. The campus has a nice bookstore, and we got some great deals on Yellow Jacket wear during our visit late last year.
Many readers and movie fans remember the story of Evelyn Ryan, a Defiance native who used her knack for writing commercial jingles and funny poems to win many prizes that helped support her family of 10 children during the 1950s and 1960s. The life of Evelyn and her family became the subject of a book by one of her daughters, and movie, called The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. The college recognizes Evelyn and her talent with the Evelyn Ryan Endowment, which offers yearly scholarships to students to study writing at the college level.
You can connect with Defiance College at the school's Web site or Facebook page.
© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved
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