In 1910 the State of Ohio was prepared to authorize the funds to create two new normal, or teacher-training, schools in Northern Ohio. Kent was one of many surrounding communities in Northeastern Ohio poised to build a new school. When a board of commissioners came to Kent, it did not go as planned at first, but by the end of their visit they were convinced that Kent was the place to build when William S. Kent offered land to build the school. Kent eventually became a university in 1935 and currently offers over 300 majors. Kent State University now boasts renown programs in architecture and fashion and is even the birthplace of the LCD screen.
Photo courtesy of Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives