Although the institution now known as The University of Akron was founded by Universalists, by 1907, Buchtel College’s emphasis on local rather than denominational interests led it to become a private, nondenominational school. The college’s strong ties to the community and its challenging financial situation prompted Buchtel College trustees, led by President Parke R. Kolbe, to transfer the institution and its assets to the city of Akron in 1913. For the next 50 plus years, The Municipal University of Akron, assisted by city taxes, brought college education within the reach of many more people who otherwise may not have been able to afford it. During those years, enrollment swelled from 198 to 10,000.
The University’s growth paralleled the remarkable expansion of Akron. People were drawn to the city, already a major manufacturing center, by the promise of jobs. Companies such as the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, and B. F. Goodrich Company were headquartered in Akron, so it was only natural that the world’s first courses in rubber chemistry would be offered at the University, beginning in 1909. With the formation of the Rubber Technical Institute in 1942, University researchers and students were well-prepared to contribute to the development of synthetic rubber to aid the Allied war effort during the Second World War.
A long era of expansion followed World War II. Overseeing much of this growth was the University’s 10th president, Dr. Norman P. Auburn. Under Auburn’s leadership, the institution made the transition in 1967 from a municipal to a state university. In the years to follow, as tire production jobs left the Akron area, the University’s pioneering research was instrumental in helping the once-undisputed Rubber Capital of the World evolve into Polymer Valley. In 1988, the University established the world’s first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering—now the largest academic program of its kind in the world. Then, the University began a whole new kind of transformation in 2000 with its New Landscape for Learning campus enhancement program that resulted in 22 new buildings, 18 major additions, acquisitions and renovations, and 34 acres of new green space to accommodate a growing student population.
Led today by its 18th president, Dr. Gary L. Miller, The University of Akron is the region’s most influential public research university, contributing to the resurgence of the local economy, providing a workforce highly trained in diverse disciplines, and known for an innovative approach to higher education. With 80 buildings on 218 acres and four branch campuses, today’s UA has over 19,000 students representing 46 U.S. states and 71 foreign countries. The University offers more than 200 in-demand associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate and law degree programs, many that are recognized nationally for their excellence. Since its first commencement in 1873, the University has awarded over 218,000 degrees. The University of Akron has survived several depressions, two world wars, two fires to its main building, the Spanish Flu epidemic, numerous financial crises, protests, overcrowding, and now a global pandemic. It stands today, 150 years after its founding, as a testament to the incredible will, vision and determination of the college founders and those who followed in their footsteps. The University will continue to thrive and transform today and into the future, for in the words of President Miller, “We Rise Together!”