Dr. Grace is a very knowledgeable source for the history of the city and university of Cincinnati. His very informative presentation of UC’s history shed light on the stories of many civilians that had strong connections with the University, the physical underground ties to the city, and the sharing of valuable educational resources to the public, through which I was able to learn about the many indispensable ties UC has with the city.
The people Dr. Grace mentioned came from very different walks of life and some are even recognized today as iconic historical figures. I found it surprising to learn that William Howard Taft, the 27th US president, was dean of the UC College of law, that Neil Armstrong, the first person to ever walk on the moon, was an engineering professor at UC, and that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, was a telegraph operator at the University and also an avid visitor of the UC library. These three historical figures are known nationwide and yet they have their own unique ties to UC, which of course impacted the city of Cincinnati in its own way.
The contributions of people to the community can be seen by the actions that are taken by those persons, but sometimes a connection can be in a physical form. The underground tunnels that run underneath the University of Cincinnati and make their way to Over the Rhine is an impressive example of the cohabitation of these two large communities that existed many years ago but continues to be used in the present.
Dr. Grace did not forget to mention the importance of community connections in the modern world through the distribution of information; in fact, he surprised me once more when he revealed that the University Archives are, “open to the public. People simply sign in to register, state why they are there, show a photo id, and then they can have access to all of the stacks.” I think the availability of educational resources is very important to a growing community but the UC archives is just one of the ways the city and the university are connected. The rare books collection in the archives is especially impressive even more so because the books all have an educational contribution and not just an aesthetic appeal. However, Dr. Grace did share that, “the rarest book found in the archives is the Book of Hours” which contains delicately drawn pictures meant to be seen by wealthy people of the medieval era, and that “there is also a book that covered with human skin”.
Not only are there many historical figures associated with UC that also contributed to the city with their fame and prestige, but there are also physical connections like the underground tunnels, as well as the sharing of information through the UC Archives which is made very available to public. These amazing connections between the city of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati, that I have been made aware of, may have originated at different points in time, but it is important to understand that both the old and new ties serve to create a more united and prosperous community within the city.
The people Dr. Grace mentioned came from very different walks of life and some are even recognized today as iconic historical figures. I found it surprising to learn that William Howard Taft, the 27th US president, was dean of the UC College of law, that Neil Armstrong, the first person to ever walk on the moon, was an engineering professor at UC, and that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, was a telegraph operator at the University and also an avid visitor of the UC library. These three historical figures are known nationwide and yet they have their own unique ties to UC, which of course impacted the city of Cincinnati in its own way.
The contributions of people to the community can be seen by the actions that are taken by those persons, but sometimes a connection can be in a physical form. The underground tunnels that run underneath the University of Cincinnati and make their way to Over the Rhine is an impressive example of the cohabitation of these two large communities that existed many years ago but continues to be used in the present.
Dr. Grace did not forget to mention the importance of community connections in the modern world through the distribution of information; in fact, he surprised me once more when he revealed that the University Archives are, “open to the public. People simply sign in to register, state why they are there, show a photo id, and then they can have access to all of the stacks.” I think the availability of educational resources is very important to a growing community but the UC archives is just one of the ways the city and the university are connected. The rare books collection in the archives is especially impressive even more so because the books all have an educational contribution and not just an aesthetic appeal. However, Dr. Grace did share that, “the rarest book found in the archives is the Book of Hours” which contains delicately drawn pictures meant to be seen by wealthy people of the medieval era, and that “there is also a book that covered with human skin”.
Not only are there many historical figures associated with UC that also contributed to the city with their fame and prestige, but there are also physical connections like the underground tunnels, as well as the sharing of information through the UC Archives which is made very available to public. These amazing connections between the city of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati, that I have been made aware of, may have originated at different points in time, but it is important to understand that both the old and new ties serve to create a more united and prosperous community within the city.