President Millis earned his B. S. in mathematics and astronomy (1924), M. S. in physics (1927), and Ph.D. in physics (1931) from University of Chicago. He taught at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin and was Dean of Administration at Lawrence before becoming president of University of Vermont and State Agricultural College in 1941. In 1949 he came to Western Reserve University and was the first WRU president with an educational background in science.

President Millis with sketch of the new science center

During his tenure, WRU grew in size by several measures: physical plant, research grants, faculty size, fundraising. He worked with T. Keith Glennan, president of the neighboring Case Institute of Technology, in consolidating activities and programs eventually leading to Federation. He was also involved in the establishment of University Circle Development Foundation (now University Circle, Inc.).

President Millis and Vice President Webster Simon at cornerstone laying ceremony

The new science center was the result of one of the fundraising campaigns. It was built at a cost of $6,270,000 with donations from almost 3000 donors. The new science center was named for President Millis in July 1960 and was dedicated 10/13/1962. A symposium, The Living State, was held over 3 days (10/10-10/12/1962) in conjunction with the dedication of the new Millis Science Center and the new Joseph Treloar Wearn Laboratory for Medical Research. The building housed the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics. It was originally to have 3 wings added, but plans changed after Federation with CIT.

The new building featured the Andrew E. Schmitt Lecture Hall with a 385 seat capacity. This was a technology-enhanced room for the time: AM/FM stereophonic system, a public address system, 6 motor-operated blackboards with 1200 square feet of writing space, facilities for television camera operators and a projection booth. The chemistry benches in Millis were equipped with 17 services. The physics research labs used elevated flooring under which all gas, vacuum, water and electrical services were distributed. Electronic, machine, wood, and paint shops were in the building. A library, located on the second floor housed 50,000 volumes, and 250 journals were received monthly.

John Schoff Millis Science Center, 1962

Almost 40 years after its dedication, the Millis Science Center underwent a major renovation and reorganization and became part of the Agnar Pytte Center for Science Education and Research, which was dedicated 10/5/2001.

President Millis died 1/1/1988.

He coached at Baldwin Wallace for a number of years before returning to WRU as football coach (1951-1965), golf coach (1954-1958), track coach (1963-1966), and athletic director (1951-1968). He was also professor of Health and Physical Education. Over his 15 seasons as head football coach, Finnigan won 57 games, lost 49, and tied 7.

He was a well respected figure in Cleveland sports and 11/4/1967 was declared Eddie Finnigan Day in Cleveland and Berea.

Eddie Finnigan, 1954 and Finnigan Fields, 1976

In October 1968 the new athletic complex at E. 115th Street was named Edward L. Finnigan Playing Fields by the CWRU Trustees. Finnigan Fields were used by CWRU athletic teams from 1968-2003. A part of the complex, named Fleming Field by the team, was used by the Cleveland Browns as a practice facility till 1972.

Finnigan was one of the inaugural inductees into the Spartan Club Hall of Fame in 1975. His nomination began, "Both coaches and athletes are eligible for admission to Case Reserve's Athletic Hall of Fame. Eddie L. Finnigan is perhaps the only person in the University's history to merit admission on both counts... Finnigan returned to his alma mater in 1952 to provide his magic touch to a grid team that lacked the luster of pre-WWII days. In two years Eddie fielded a winning team... A great competitor as an undergraduate, Eddie knew how to inspire his players when he coached... Eddie once said, 'The function of a coach is to eliminate mistakes.' By the two generations of Red Cats who mourned his passing, he is remembered as one of the best at that function."

“This year’s Hudson Relay festivities were interrupted by controversy. The class of 1986 was without a CIT class president and ran only one class president. The race rules state that for each class racing the WRC and CIT class presidents must run the last two legs of the race. The freshman class had understood that they would not be disqualified for this point, but none of the other classes were notified. The judges’ final decision was that regardless of who would have run the final leg, the class of 1986 would have won. The freshman class was declared 1983 Hudson Relay winner. The Other teams finished as follows: 1983 second, alumni third, 1984 fourth, and 1985 last.

“After the class of 1982 received champagne last year for winning the relay four years in a row, this year’s competing classes were quick to elaborate on that theme. The class of 1983 promised generic beer and the class of 1985 offered a cake as inspiration.”

Class of 1982 Champagne at the Rock tee shirts

Class of 1983 Generic Beer on the Quad tee shirts

The class of 1986 went on to win 3 of its 4 years competing in the Hudson Relay.

Class of 1985 cake

Note regarding the colleges: WRC was Western Reserve College, the undergraduate college consisting of the humanities and arts, and the social and behavior sciences. CIT was Case Institute of Technology, the undergraduate college consisting of engineering, mathematics and natural sciences. For a chart and brief summary of CWRU's schools and colleges see The Schools of CWRU.

“Sophs win May Day Hudson Relays

The fastest runners of Adelbert College assembled in the wee hours of the morning in front of Adelbert Main to begin the May Day Hudson Relays last Friday, May 3. Lining up at the starting line in Hudson, a representative of each of Adelbert’s four classes began the 26-mile run in great spirits.

“The sophomores took an early lead which they never relinquished as they won their second straight race. The race itself was the closest of the past few years: at the end of the first 13 laps 200 yards separated the front-running sophomore and the tail-end seniors. But at this point the sophomores and the frosh ran away, making it a two-team race.

“Sophomore Prexy Larry Singerman suffered the last lap, clipping 10 minutes off the record set by his team that won last year. The frosh came in second, while the juniors and the seniors finished in that order.”

The Class of 1965 did not win another Hudson Relay, the freshmen winning in 1964 and in 1965. Learn more about the history of the Hudson Relay by visiting the University Archives web exhibit and viewing the video, Through the Years, created for the centennial celebration in 2010.

“That popular feature of undergraduate day which originated in the brain of Monroe Curtis -- the Hudson Relay -- has become one of the most looked for events of the week. Never was there greater enthusiasm and rivalry among the students nor greater interest evinced in ‘college doings’ by the friends of the university than on June 9, 1913. Most thorough preparations were made by the undergraduate day committee and the entirely successful race was due to its well planned work. At two o’clock the runners, twenty-four from each class, were taken from the campus in automobiles and one from each class stationed at every mile post along the route from the former campus of Western Reserve at Hudson, Ohio. At 3:00 o’clock the message from Mayor Sullivan to President Thwing was handed to the Senior captain, Arthur Portmann. ‘Doc’ Von den Steinen’s revolver cracked and the long grind had begun. A chart ten feet in length had been placed upon the steps of the main building at Adelbert so that by little flags placed in accordance with telephone messages from different houses along the road, it was possible for the anxious throng awaiting the runners to watch their progress.

Runners transferring the baton

“A surprise was in store for everyone. In the estimation of all, the real race was between Freshmen and Sophomores. But it wasn’t long before the chart showed the Seniors far in the lead. Some began to doubt their eyes, for the number of Seniors who are in training near the close of their college career is limited rather exclusively to those who were on the track team. But before long the source of the Seniors’ surprising strength was apparent. It was gasoline! That is, they had ridden in friendly automobiles to save breath.

“The race the year before had been close, in fact the class of 1915 won it by only ten yards. Predictions were that this race would be close also. The sophomores forged ahead in the second mile and had acquired almost a quarter of a mile lead in the first half of that distance. But this was not to endure, for several runners of ‘16’s best quality pulled up, up up, until at the 19th relay both Sophomore and Freshman were even. Then Greek met Greek, and a true tug of war ensued. Up and down the hills and over the never-ending level stretches they fought, followed by frenzied, wildly cheering adherents in dust-covered machines. Finally Ehlert, Herbert and Shimansky, three picked men from 1915, were pitted against Volk, Schuele and Atwood of 1916. Each ran the race of his life to give his class the lead on the home stretch. Finally the last runners were reached. Parrish, the sophomore vice-president, substitute runner for President Rosenberger, was given a lead by Shimansky. Taylor, Freshman president, came flying along behind, bending every effort to make up the intervening space. But the strain was too much and he suddenly collapsed, having run only about half a mile. Baird, captain of the Freshmen team, was riding along side in an automobile. Upon seeing Taylor fall he jumped out and took up the race, and being comparatively fresh he soon gained on Parrish, then passed him and crossed the tape ten seconds before the latter. Great was the joy among the Freshmen, but on the protest of the Sophomores a consultation of judges was held. When the facts had been rehearsed, victory was awarded the 1915 team, since Taylor did not finish his mile, but allowed another to run the last half, which was obviously unfair. It was the ’15’s turn to rejoice. The mishap was unfortunate, but wherever victory went, both teams deserved credit for their remarkable physical endurance and fighting spirit which kept the result always in doubt. The official distance was given as 22.8 miles; the time of the winning team 2 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds.

Runner dashes through the crowd of spectators

Both Junior and Senior presidents followed later in turn, the latter carrying Mayor Sullivan’s message, which read as follows:

“The relay race of today affords the people of Hudson an opportunity to send you this message of appreciation of the interest which your University continues to manifest in this village, the birth-place of your University. We are glad to assure you upon this occasion that the old Western Reserve College grounds at Hudson are being modernized and will continue to be an educational institution which we hope will be a source of pride and usefulness to Western Reserve University as it is sure to be to the people of this village. I extend to you the best wishes of the people for the success of Western Reserve University and the continued usefulness of this annual race.”

Learn more about the history of the Hudson Relay. View images from past Hudson Relays in Digital Case.

As early as 1981, Case Western Reserve’s student newspaper, The Observer, honored April Fool’s Day with a special edition. With a special motto, “The birdcage liner of Waste Restroom Preserved University...” the editors proceeded to lampoon tenure, Cleveland weather, university fundraising (”Extortion: Mega bucks for CWRU” featuring quotes from Lemme Attem, Commander of the Major Gifts Task Force) career planning, sororities (”SAE bids for frosh; told ‘not for sale’”), and sports (”Action frisbee: game of steel”). Even the masthead was fair game, describing the Observer as “published sometimes by a few disco people from some University in Ohio from September to May, except when we have exams.” Classified ads included “Wanted: Edible, flavorful food. Contact dorm students.” In later years the special edition acquired its own title, The Obscurer.

But student satire was not confined to April Fool’s Day. Both the Case and WRU student yearbooks incorporated a particular brand of student humor aimed equally at students and faculty. These inside jokes, puns, and cartoons were often incorporated into the advertising section. Draw your own conclusions about the significance of that placement. The humor sections were most common during the early years of the 20th century. They seem to have gone out of fashion by the mid-1940s. Some choice examples can be seen in the University Archives Student Yearbook collection in Digital Case.

At Reserve, student satire needed a broader platform for its full expression. From 1924 till 1942 the students published the Red Cat. Puns, both visual and textual, limericks, cartoons, one-line jokes, and satirical essays filled the pages. Campus personalities and events and the news of the day were the targets of the Red Cat writers and artists. In the first issue the editors explained themselves, “Next to football there is perhaps no college product which attracts as much attention and appeals to the reader as much as the humorous magazine... The debut of the Red Cat heralds great things for the literary and artistic side of the University.”

The University Archives holds complete runs of The Observer, student yearbooks, and the Red Cat and welcomes users who wish to explore, or simply appreciate, our students' humorous perspective on university life.

Examples of Red Cat covers from the 1920s

Margaret Hilda Johnson was the first woman dean of the School of Applied Social Sciences (SASS) of Western Reserve University (WRU), now known as the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of CWRU. She was appointed dean in 1950 and served until her retirement in 1958.

Miss Johnson was born 11/3/1893 in Lowell Massachusetts. Her father, George H. Johnson, was a Congregational minister and he moved the family to Cleveland when he became minister at Euclid Avenue Congregational Church. He also served as professor of History and Economics at Case School of Applied Science 1909-1927. She had 5 sisters.

Miss Johnson graduated from Central High School before entering the College for Women of WRU. She received the A.B. degree in 1917. As an undergraduate she was a member of Sigma Omega sorority. In 1919 she received the first Master of Science in Social Administration degree from SASS.

She entered the work force as personnel secretary for the H. Black Co. in Cleveland. One of her duties was to make sure that the immigrant workers attended their English classes. She became executive secretary of the Cleveland chapter of the League of Women Voters and in 1924 moved to Washington, D.C. as assistant executive secretary of the National League of Women Voters working with Belle Sherwin, president of the League.

In 1927 Miss Johnson returned to Cleveland and SASS as executive secretary of the School. The next year she became an instructor, and in successive years became assistant and associate professor. She was promoted to professor in 1939. In addition to her duties as a faculty member she served as assistant dean and was acting dean several times.

Dean Johnson in front of the School of Applied Social Sciences at 2117 Adelbert Road

Miss Johnson was a vital part of the School’s growth and development from 1917 to 1958, as a student, faculty member, and dean. Upon her retirement in 1958 she stated that, “The School of Applied [Social] Sciences has developed greatly in the last few years. This development, especially the revised program and the new building, gives me a feeling of great satisfaction.”

Dean Johnson served the community as chairman of the American Association of Social Workers, executive committee member of the National Conference of Social Work, member of the Advisory Committee of the Department of Public Welfare of Ohio, Advisory Committee of City Relief Administration of Cleveland, Board of Directors of Women’s City Club, Board of Trustees of Welfare Federation, chairman of Directors of the Association of Social Workers of Cleveland.

She received numerous awards for her work including a citation at the convocation honoring the 75th anniversary of the founding of Flora Stone Mather College (1963) and an honorary degree from WRU in 1966.

In 1976 Margaret Johnson passed away at the age of 82 in Cleveland.

Emma Maud Perkins and Perkins House

Emma Maud Perkins, Woods Professor of Latin, joined the faculty of Western Reserve University’s College for Women (later Flora Stone Mather College) in 1892, only four years after its establishment. There she taught Latin for thirty-seven years. Upon graduating from Vassar College in 1879 as valedictorian, Miss Perkins moved to Cleveland where she taught at Central High School. At Mather College for decades Miss Perkins was responsible for explaining the College’s traditions to new students at the beginning of each academic year. She was a prolific speaker, a gardener, and a supporter of women’s suffrage. Miss Perkins also served a term on the Cleveland Board of Education and was president of the College Club. She also served as president of the American Association of University Women. She died in 1937, leaving $10,000 to fund a scholarship at Flora Stone Mather College in memory of her mother, Sarah M. Perkins.

Olive Elnora Davis Streator graduated from Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University in 1926, attended the Graduate School in 1928, and graduated from the School of Applied Social Sciences in 1931. She was born in 1905 in Washington, D.C., the oldest child of Elnora Dickerson and Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr. (the first African-American general in the U. S. Army). She attended Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., Tuskegee Institute, and Atlanta University before entering Mather College in 1924. She majored in English and received the B.A. in 1926. As a student she was a member of the Musical Arts Club. She taught at Bluefield State Institute in West Virginia (a historically black teacher’s college) for 3 years (1926-1929) before returning to Cleveland to enter the School of Applied Social Sciences in 1929. She received the M.S.S.A. in 1931. Her major field of interest was child welfare. She taught at Bennett College for Women after her graduation from SASS. She attended the University of Chicago before moving to New York City where she worked for various social service agencies. Olive was a member of the American Association of Social Workers (later the National Association of Social Workers.) She and George had a son, George Davis Streator.

George Walter Streator was born in 1902 in Nashville, Tennessee. He received the A.B. degree from Fisk University in 1926 and also attended Columbia University and the University of Chicago. He was a teacher when he entered Western Reserve University Graduate School in 1929 and received the M.A. in Mathematics in June 1930. His thesis was The Newton-Leibniz Controversy and the Later History of the Calculus in England, with a Short Account of the Ideas that Resembled the Calculus Before Newton and Leibniz. His thesis is available for use in the University Archives. Throughout his career Streator was a teacher, writer, and labor organizer. He was business manager then managing editor of The Crisis in 1933-1934. He worked for the War Production Board during World War II. In 1945 Streator became the first African-American reporter for the New York Times.

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. in 1911. The family moved to Tuskegee in Alabama before moving to Cleveland in 1924. He graduated from Central High School in 1929. He attended Fisk University in the summer before entering Adelbert College of Western Reserve University in the fall. While his father moved to Wilberforce University to teach Military Science and Tactics, young Benjamin stayed with his sister Olive who was his guardian while he attended WRU. After leaving WRU, Benjamin attended the University of Chicago before entering West Point in 1932. Davis had a distinguished career in the military like his father, becoming the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force. He was the leader of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Other African-American History Month alumni highlights include John Sykes Fayette, class of 1836.

The Western Reserve College campus at Hudson

From the perspective of 2013, the prospect of listening to a nearly two-hour speech in Ohio’s July heat and humidity seems an unlikely attraction. But, in the 1850s public, written communication consisted of newspapers and magazines - and not too many of them were available on the Ohio frontier. Consequently, long public speeches were the norm. In fact, the student literary societies, like the Philozetian, existed to give students practice in debate and declamation.

Douglass urged his listeners to take an active role in the slavery debate. “The relation subsisting between the white and black people of this country is the vital question of the age. In the solution of this question, the scholars of America will have to take an important and controlling part. This is the moral battle field to which their country and their God now call them. In the eyes of both, the neutral scholar is an ignoble man.”

Quotations are all from John W. Blassingame, ed. The Frederick Douglass Papers. Series One: Speeches, Debates, and Interviews. Vol. 2 1847-1854 (Yale University, 1982): 496-525

Strosacker Auditorium, ca. 1960s

The 38-foot long, stainless steel mural by artist Buell Martin depicts the unlimited horizons of youth in the eternal quest for knowledge. Case President T. Keith Glennan commissioned the mural. (There is another Buell Martin mural on campus - in the Canavin Room on the fourth floor of the Glennan Building.)

The main speaker at the dedication was Chancellor Edward Litchfield of the University of Pittsburgh who discussed the importance of institutions such as Case in science education and the growing role of science in modern society.

Charles Strosacker (1882-1963) attended Baldwin Wallace College for 1 year before transferring to Case. He received the B.S. in Chemistry 5/31/1906. Case awarded Strosacker the honorary doctor of engineering degree at commencement convocation in 1941. Stro (as he was known by his friends and colleagues) joined Dow Chemical Company in 1908, first working in the analytical laboratory. He continued to work at Dow for 54 years and at the time of the gift announcement in 1956 he was vice president, production manager, and director of Dow Chemical Company. Stro was member of the American Chemical Society, Sigma Xi, Midland Country Club, Rotary Club, and Saginaw Valley Torch Club.

Charles J. Strosacker

Renovations were made to Strosacker Auditorium in 1977-1978 with rededication on 4/17/1978. Funds were provided by the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation: $300,000 for the renovation and the balance to be invested in a permanent endowment fund with income to be used for the continuing maintenance of the building. The renovation consisted of installation of new seating, painting, lighting, mechanical equipment and acoustical treatment, as well as restoration of the mural. The funds also covered the purchase of color television equipment to allow the university’s Instructional Television Network to tape classes and special programs held in the auditorium.

The Film Society equipped the auditorium with 35mm motion picture projectors and a stereo sound system for the regular film series and the annual science fiction film marathon.

CWRU’s newspaper, Campus News, reported that, “Giovanni entertained and invigorated the crowd with her spirited and wide-ranging address, earning her a standing ovation at the end of her anecdote-filled speech.”

Giovanni offered advice to the attendees, “Human beings are responsible for each other. We should continue to reach to see what we can do to make human life better - because that’s always what it’s about, the next generation. It’s not about you and me ... I would recommend that you use your life in the service of somebody, because all you’ll ever be is a memory.”

Processional, ca. 1929-1931

Additions to the service were added over time including scripture readings, processionals and recessionals, a benediction, and dance. At the service held 80 years ago, President Emeritus Charles Franklin Thwing gave the scripture reading. In 1933 a medieval mystery play, The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, was performed. Joining the Glee Club in 1936, the Dance Club performed to 3 carols: 15th Century English Christmas Carol, Bells, Carol of the Russian Children.

Glee Club and Dance Club at Christmas Carol Service, 1939

March 18, 1883
“Our carpenters promised to get out yesterday. I was not at the building yesterday, and do not know the result. But the end cannot be far off. I went to Hudson last Monday, in the morning, to pack up the chemical apparatus. I took with me the boy who prepares my lectures at the Medical College. He is the son of a druggist, and familiar with the handling of glass ware. He staid through the week, and is there still. I came up Monday evening, and went down and back each afternoon and evening till Saturday. Saturday, I went in the morning; and shall go in the morning tomorrow. Tomorrow will finish the whole matter. The boxes will come up by freight on the rail road; we loaded a good deal into the car yesterday, and shall finish that car, and perhaps put some things into a second car tomorrow; but shall not require the whole of a second car. At my rooms at the college I have nothing done. I have a lecture table making downtown; and an apparatus for supplying distilled water from the steam used for heating the building. Mr. Stone is sick, and hence we have not yet had the money paid over to us, and so do not know what our income is to be, nor when it is to commence. As salaries must first be paid, I have concluded to wait till we know what to expect. So the unpacking of my apparatus will take place under difficulties. There will be no place to put it but on the floor and on boards supported on packing boxes.”

April 22, 1883
“I am getting my laboratories into condition for work. Half of the senior class are at work in practical chemistry in the room intended for such purposes. In the lecture room, the lecture table is nearly finished for work; though the front on it is merely temporary; this front is made of matched flooring. Sometime one will be made of mahogany or cherry. The back of the table is of cherry; the top is also of flooring. There are sixteen drawers, and three closets, with six doors. There is a pneumatic sink, and gas and water and connections with air pumps, gas holders, and other connections very convenient. I have not yet used it for lecturing; it will be done and used during the week.”

Edward Morley's laboratory in the Adelbert Main Building

“That Turkey Day Game”

“From the dope on the playing of Reserve and Case, the apparent inability of Reserve to break up their opponents’ forward passing and Case’s good showing against Oberlin, Reserve was the "underdog" in all predictions on the Thanksgiving day game. However, Reserve, by the most optimistic, had not been dreamed to possess, our boys went at the team from across the fence. In the first six minutes of play they scored a touchdown. Not content with this, they scored eight more points during the first half. In the second half Case showed a flash of form and almost tied the score but Reserve came back strong with another touchdown and a safety. Thus Reserve had by a score of 24 to 13 defeated Case! Reserve, the underdog, had by spirit and fight defeated Case for the first time since 1908!”

Cartoon from The Reserve 1914

The account in the Case yearbook, Differential, had a different tone:
“Then came the regrettable Reserve game. There is no doubt but that Case was handicapped by the inch or two of snow on the field, for every one knows that we would have played a better game on a dry field. Whether or not we would have won is hard to tell, but as it was the team was merely defeated, not disgraced, by the combination of snow and hard luck.”

Scoreboard from the November 28, 1912 game

Case finished the season with a 4-6 record. Reserve finished with a 5-4 record.

Enjoy more stories of the traditional Thanksgiving Day Case-Reserve game from 2010 and 2011 blog entries.