Cleveland State University is a comprehensive, urban university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 as a state-assisted university to provide public higher education for citizens of greater Cleveland and northeast Ohio. In that first year, the University acquired the buildings, faculty, staff and programs of Fenn College, a private institution of 2,500 students, and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law merged with CSU in 1969.

The Beginnings: YMCA

The origins of Cleveland State University date back to 1870 when the Cleveland Young Men’s Christian Association initiated its educational program by offering free evening classes in French and German. Following a period of sporadic course offering in the 1870’s, the YMCA’s evening educational program became firmly established in the 1880’s. In 1906 the YMCA combined its newly created day school with the evening school under the name of the Association Institute.

Four different day schools were established in 1909: The School of Commerce and Finance, The Technical School, The Preparatory School, and the Special School (dropped in 1913). The first female students were admitted in 1918. In 1921 the YMCA’s educational branch was re-named the Cleveland YMCA School of Technology.

Finding a demand, the YMCA began offering its first college credit classes in engineering and business in 1923. Classes were conducted at the Central YMCA building on Prospect Avenue and East 22nd Street and three converted residences on Prospect adjacent to the Central YMCA: the Johnson Building; the Edwards Building, and the Medical Building.

Two significant events marked 1927. The first college class graduated, and planning began for a junior college program that became the Nash Junior College in 1931. In 1928 the first building built exclusively for the college, the Fenn Building, was constructed next to the YMCA, behind the Johnson Building .

Fenn College

The need to achieve accreditation led the YMCA to re-organize its education program in 1929. Also at this time the schools’ name was changed to Fenn College, officially in honor of Sereno Peck Fenn, who had served as president of the Cleveland YMCA for 25 years and as a Board Director, 1868-1920. College lore has it that another reason reported for the name change was that students desired a more prestigious sounding name on their diplomas than YMCA.

The Preparatory School and the Nash Junior College ceased operations in 1935 as a School of Arts and Science was added to the Engineering and Business Administration schools. With several prestigious private colleges, including Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University nearby, Fenn College focused on students for whom college otherwise would be financially unattainable by offering a low-cost quality education.

In line with this policy Fenn College became the second college in Ohio, after the University of Cincinnati, to adopt the cooperative education program. This program of alternating classroom work with actual employment was required for all day students and was optional for evening division students.

In 1937 Fenn College purchased the National Town and Country Club building at Euclid Avenue and East 24th Street. Renamed Fenn Tower in 1939, it provided needed classroom and office space. It additionally gave the college a more prestigious “Euclid Avenue” address. Fenn’s reputation was further enhanced when it received accreditation from the North Central Association in 1940.

Dr. Cecil Vincent Thomas, who served simultaneously as the YMCA’s Executive Director and as Fenn’s first President, 1930-1947, was responsible for Fenn’s early development. During the administration of Dr. Edward Hodnett, 1948-1951, Fenn constructed Foster Hall, an engineering building financed by a donation by Cleveland entrepreneur Claude Foster, and at the recommendation of the North Central Association, separated its operations from the YMCA.

Dr. G. Brooks Earnest served as President from 1951 until the State of Ohio’s takeover of the college in 1965. In 1953 Fenn expanded again purchasing the Ohio Motors building on East 24th Street. Renovated for classroom use the building was dedicated in 1959 as Stilwell Hall in honor of Board Chairman Charles Stilwell.

Throughout its history Fenn College never operated with a deficit. However, by 1963 increasing operating costs, competition from the new community college, and rumors of a possible state takeover had placed Fenn in severe financial straits. That year the college released A Plan for Unified Higher Education in Cleveland-Northeastern Ohio, calling upon the State to develop a state university in Cleveland using Fenn College as its nucleus.

During James Rhodes’ 1962 campaign for governor, he proposed that there should be a state university within a 30 mile radius of every citizen. At that time the nearest state university to Cleveland was Kent State. On 18 December 1964, Governor Rhodes signed legislation creating Ohio’s seventh state university, CSU and announced the appointment of a board of trustees with James Nance as chairman.

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law developed from the merger of the John Marshall and Cleveland law schools. Cleveland Law School dates from 1897 when Willis Vickery, Arthur Rowley, Charles Bentley, Frederic Howe and Clifford Neff organized the Baldwin University Law School. At the same time Frances Wing founded the Cleveland Law School. The schools merged in 1899 and incorporated as the Cleveland Law School, the law department of the Baldwin University (Baldwin-Wallace), an association that lasted until 1926. Cleveland Law School began instruction in the America Trust Building in downtown Cleveland and soon moved into the Engineer’s Building. It was the first law school in Ohio to admit women.

Established by Alfred Benesch, Frank Cullitan and David Meck, John Marshall Law School began classes on 20 September 1916 in the New Guardian Building on Euclid Avenue. In 1919 Marshall moved to the old courthouse on Public Square. Two years later Marshall moved to 242-248 Superior Avenue. Marshall moved again in 1938, this time to the Hippodrome Building, 720 Euclid Avenue. The successful results of its first year’s instruction resulted in affiliation with Ohio Northern University in May 1917. After six years the relationship cordially ended and Marshall received authorization to confer degrees under its own name.

In 1946 the two downtown evening law schools consolidated as the Cleveland-Marshall Law School and moved operations to the 1240 Ontario Building, a site occupied until the building was razed for the Justice Center. Between 1963-1967, C-M had a nominal relationship with Baldwin-Wallace College. After regaining independent status C-M initiated its first full-time legal program, graduating its first full-time class in 1970. C-M received state institutional status in 1969, becoming part of CSU as the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, the largest law college in Ohio.

Cleveland State University

Negotiating committees from Fenn and CSU reached an agreement in April 1965 whereby the State would take control of Fenn College, its facilities and personnel on 1 September 1965. Dr. Harry Newburn served as acting president until the appointment of Dr. Harold Enarson as CSU’s first president in February 1966. Dr. Newburn returned in 1972 as interim president until the appointment of Dr. Walter Waetjen as CSU’s second president in 1973.

Dr. Enarson’s tenure as President marked a time of tremendous growth. The campus expanded from nine acres and three buildings to over 27 acres with four new classroom and office buildings. Enrollment increased three-fold from 5000 to 15,000. The faculty increased from 90 to 450 members. The academic program added a college of education in 1966, graduate degree programs in 1967, and doctoral degree programs in 1969.

Dr. Waetjen’s tenure, 1973-1988, marked a period of maturation as CSU sought to define its role as an urban university. Its academic program grew and significant research and public-service programs such as the Legal Clinic, the Speech and Hearing Clinic, and the Center for Neighborhood Development were add. Campus growth during this period included the openings of the Physical Education Building (1973), University Center (1974), the Law Building (1977), and the Science and Research Building (1981).

During the administration of Dr. John Flower, 1988-1992, the University instituted a major organizational change that reflected the importance of positive racial and community relations. Dr. Flower’s tenure also marked the start of a transition period in University labor relations as first the classified staff, followed by the faculty and the professional staff all formed unions to represent them in negotiations with the University. In 1990 the Music and Communications building opened, and a long time desire was realized when the Convocation Center opened in 1991.

Faced with the demographics of a stagnating or declining pool of college age students, the University undertook several major projects to improve student services and retention during the administration of Dr. Claire Van Ummersen, 1993-2001. Improvements included the conversion to the semester system in 1998 and the implementation of a modern information technology infrastructure. While attempting to update its computer system the University encountered delays and substantial increased costs in implementing the computer software that was supposed to allow the University to integrate its various administrative functions. This, combined with a period of decreasing levels of financial support from the State of Ohio resulted in a rapid increase in tuition and has limited program development and improvements. In the later half of the 1990’s the campus continued to grow with the opening of the Health Sciences Center (1997), Monte Ahuja Hall (2001) and the Urban Affairs College building (2001).

On 26 September 2002, Dr. Michael Schwartz was installed as CSU’s fifth President, pledging that Cleveland State will become "A student-centered institution of academic excellence and a leader in innovative collaborations with business, industry, government, other educational institutions, and the community”.

Today, more than 1,000 courses support 200 major fields of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as professional certificate and continuing education programs. The University also offers an Honors Program to academically talented and highly motivated students. The University is organized around eight academic colleges: Liberal Art and Social Sciences, Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Engineering, Science,Law, Urban Affairs and Graduate Studies. The largest "footprint" in downtown Cleveland, the University has 40 buildings on 85 acres, as well as extended campuses in Solon and Westlake, Ohio.