Upham Hall (Miami University)
| Upham Hall | |
|---|---|
Viewed from Bishop Circle | |
Interactive map of the Upham Hall area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Academic |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Location | 100 Bishop Woods, Oxford, Ohio 45056 |
| Coordinates | 39°30′31.23″N 84°43′59.42″W / 39.5086750°N 84.7331722°W |
| Completed | 1949 (central wing) 1950 (north wing) 1965 (south wing) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | C.F. Cellarius; Cellarius & Hilmer[1] |
Upham Hall is an academic building on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, United States. It is located in the center of campus in the academic quad.[2] Upham Hall is the home to departments of the university's College of Arts and Science.[3] The Hefner Museum of Natural History, in the north wing of Upham, exhibits native and exotic organisms and covers biodiversity and ecological issues.[4]
History
Planning for a new classroom and laboratory building began in the mid-1940s in response to post–World War II enrollment growth.[5] Upham Hall was named in honor of Alfred H. Upham, a member of the Miami class of 1897, who served the university as an instructor of Latin and Greek, professor of English, and president from 1928 to 1945.[5] Construction on Upham Hall began on February 16, 1946, with the laying of the cornerstone in honor of Upham. The cornerstone contained time capsule materials, including a student directory, newspapers, a 1946 campus yearbook dedicated to Upham, and a photograph of the current president of Miami, Ernest H. Hahne.[6]
The center section and part of the south wing were completed in 1949, followed by the north wing in 1950 and the remainder of the south wing in 1965.[5] From its inception, the building was organized to serve multiple disciplines: the center section housed the English and history departments, while the north wing was designed for botany and zoology, and the south wing for geology and physics.[5]
Architecture
Upham Hall is a three-story building on a U-shaped footprint.[5] It is built in the Georgian Revival architectural style. A central arch that passes through the center of the building, with the inscription "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free".[5] On the building's courtyard side, stone tablets feature inscriptions of Percy MacKaye, Miami's poet in residence in the 1920s.[5]
According to Miami legend, if you kiss your true love under the Upham Hall arch, you will marry, and the bond will never be broken.[7] Related to the Upham Arch superstition are "Miami Mergers", married Miami graduates. On June 20, 2009, 1,087 couples renewed their wedding vows under the Upham Hall arch. This constituted a Guinness World Record for the most people renewing their wedding vows at once.[8]
References
- ^ Facilities, Physical (May 24, 2005). "Upham Hall". Miami University. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ "Miami University – Inside Scoop". College Prowler. 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ "College of Arts & Science – Miami University". Miami University. 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ "Hefner Museum of Natural History, College of Arts and Science". Miami University. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ohio Historic Inventory Form - Upham Hall" (PDF). Ohio Historic Preservation Office. July 30, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ Wright, Gilson (February 8, 1946). "Upham". Plain Dealer Special.
- ^ "Past Ornaments". Miami University Alumni Association. 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ Staff Report (February 4, 2010). "Miami breaks world record for wedding vow renewals". Hamilton Journal News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2010.