I. The Beginnings of Ohio Tech University
The origins of Ohio Tech University can be traced back to Joseph McMaken; a Pennsylvania born settler who applied for the rights to a tract of land in what is present day West Chester, Ohio (a township in the southwest portion of the state) on July 4th 1791. McMaken was one among a group of farmers attracted to the area because of the high quality farm land. The new settlement was established in a location roughly equidistant from present day Dayton and Cincinnati. One of McMaken�s first actions was to utilize his considerable political sway and wealth to satiate his personal passion for higher education. In pursuing this goal McMaken founded an agricultural college to assist the new settlers in making the most of their new life in West Chester. In 1805 the West Chester Agricultural Technical and Mechanical College (WCAT&M) officially opened its doors to an enrollment of 50 students.
Needless to say the institution has expanded considerably since these humble beginnings. Beginning in 1845 Joseph McMaken�s son, Jay McMaken, who by this time had inherited the post of university president from his father enacted a much needed name change. The college had expanded its academic base considerably since its initiation and as such needed a name which both reflected this growth while paying tribute to its foundation in technology and engineering. As such, WCAT&M was renamed simply Ohio Technical University, or Ohio Tech for short. A commitment to academic excellence upgraded OTU from a top Midwestern University to one of the top ranking national research universities with a current enrollment of roughly 20,000 students. At present, Ohio Tech retains its strength in science and engineering while also attracting highly regarded faculty in other disciplines such as psychology and philosophy.
II. Ohio Tech Football
Athletics at Ohio Tech had always taken a backseat to academics throughout the universities history, evidenced by the fact that all sports competition had been in the form of various club orginizations. This all changed in 2007 when an Ohio Tech advisory board, under the direction of present current University president Jackie McMaken, decided that the University would finally establish a varsity athletics program for the first time beginning in 2009. A number of nicknames had been used for the University�s early club teams, but none had captured the favor of the student body. Instead, it was decided that all varsity athletic teams would go by the name of �Mounders.� At first glance an odd choice, but it was a reference to an ancient Native American group, the Mound Builders, who were prevalent in Ohio. In particular, the Fort Ancient culture of Mound Builders flourished in southern Ohio form 1000 to 1650 C.E. It was this historical significance which garnered the approval of the Tech faithful. Additionally, it was decided that Ohio Tech athletes would don blue and orange for varsity competition.
With regards to football, the first order of business was to construct a stadium. Once again it was the wealth of the McMaken family which would provide a significant portion of the funding, as well as the political sway to garner the remainder of the funds. The result was a 24,000 seat on campus stadium which was named McMaken Memorial Field in honor of the family line which had founded the University. The next step was to find out who would coach the Mounders in their initial season. University leadership elected to stay local hiring Mike Phillips who had formerly been head coach of the local Lakota East High School located right in the heart of West Chester. The players for this inaugural season came from a variety of sources; current players from Tech�s club football team, a modest recruiting class, and transfers from other Ohio Universities. Ohio Tech would begin competition as an FBS independent while actively discussing with the MAC and C-USA about the possibility of a future conference invite, and had preliminarily scheduled a first game with cross town opponent Miami Ohio.
III. General Information
University Name: Ohio Technical University (OTU)
Founded: 1805
Location: West Chester, OH
Enrollment: 20,998
School Type: Public
Athletic Nickname: Mounders
Team Colors: Blue and Orange
Conference Affiliation:
FBS Independents (2009 - 2012)
Conference USA (2013 - Present)
Big Ten (2018 - Present)
Football Stadium: McMaken Memorial Field 52,000)
Inaugural Football Season: 2009 (10 seasons completed)
Rivals: Ohio State "Battle for the 17th"
Cincinnati "The Queen City Showdown"
IV. Table of Contents
1. Record Book
2. Uniforms
3. Stadium and Field
4. Rivalry Records
5. Ohio Tech Hall of Fame
6. Season 1 Summary
7. Season 2 Summary
8. Season 3 Summary
9. Season 4 Summary
10. Season 5 Summary
11. Season 6 Summary
12. Season 7 Summary
13. Season 8 Summary
14. Season 9 Summary
15. Season 10 Summary
16. 2009-2018 All Decade Team
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Originally Posted by JBHuskers
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