Dear Marietta College Family,
On Tuesday, February 12th — two days early — we will recognize an important custom at Marietta, as the College recognizes being officially chartered by the state of Ohio on February 14, 1835.
You can say it — Happy 184th Birthday, Marietta College!
In the face of long odds, our founders established Marietta College to provide higher education in a frontier that was then known as the Northwest Territory. Henry Smith, one of the original faculty members and Marietta President from 1846-55, described the early times as, “a most emphatic illustration of the foolhardiness of young men and the wisdom of God in accomplishing his own purposes by just such human folly. Men of experience would have shrunk from the work, as (a) desperate and foolhardy enterprise, the work of attempting to build a college in an almost inaccessible western town.”
I’m glad we had those “foolish men,” and because of their sacrifices, we are all proud members of this amazing institution. We are also part of the long and rich history that defines Marietta College, and the generations that follow will be equally as proud of what we are accomplishing. We will also be remembered for our commitment to tradition — maintaining the liberal arts as a hallmark of a Marietta College education, which is something that continues to serve our graduates well. The College has been celebrating Founders Day on a consistent basis since 1921, and I hope you will join us for a reception at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 12th, and a dinner at 5:15 p.m. at the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.
Thank you to all of you who make Marietta College your home, a great place to live and learn, and for sharing your love and passion every day.
Bring Forth a Pioneer,
Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management