Description: Dated April 26, 1937, this photograph shows a view of Cedarville College in Greene County, Ohio. The General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church was granted a charter in 1887 by the Ohio State Legislature for Cedarville College, but it wasn’t until 1894 that it officially opened. The college was released from the General Synod in 1928 in order to gain financial assistance from the Presbyterian Church, and when denied, were left with no supporting constituency. The college continued to struggle financially and finally, after much negotiation, the college merged with the Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland (B.B.I.) in 1953. The institution continued to emphasize religion, requiring students to attend bible classes during their time at Cedarville College. Now known as Cedarville University, bible study is still required today. The institution also requires students and faculty members to sign a pledge every year to uphold their own and the college's religious morals. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F02_031
Subjects: Cedarville College (Cedarville, Ohio); Education; Universities and colleges; College campuses
Places: Cedarville (Ohio); Greene County (Ohio)