Fisher Hall and Marcum Center (Miami University)

Construction and Planning

Fisher Hall was constructed over a period of four years and completed in 1856. The simple and reserved style of the windows and spacing suggested a Georgian

Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

tradition. The three-story building formed the letter T and the head of the T, which is the east-west section, was designed to have a major porch with an entry at each end. The center had a projecting section that enclosed a third story ballroom

Ballroom

A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...

. There was a full basement that contained a kitchen

Kitchen

A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...

.

It was initially built as an independent college building and then Oxford Female College

Oxford Female College

Oxford Female College was one of three women's colleges in Oxford, Ohio in the 19th Century. The college merged with the Oxford Female Institute, forming the Oxford College for Women which existed as an independent school until it merged with Miami University in 1928...

occupied a remote location northeast of the developing town of Oxford, Ohio

Oxford, Ohio

Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...

as well as Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

. The site is level and spacious and was easily reachable by car from High Street and Ohio Route 73. The building was not crowded by adjacent buildings and was surround by well-developed trees and landscaped lawns. The whole area nearby was especially attractive for strolling and enjoying a quiet corner of the campus. The building’s brick shell varied from 12” to 16”, and is a local, pale red and sand molded brick. The floor area of Fisher Hall was variously stated between 46286 square feet (4,300.1 m²) and 61,384 square feet.

History

Fisher Hall was dedicated on September 3, 1856 for the Oxford Female College. It was founded and constructed under the leadership of Reverend Dr. John Witherspoon Scott, who was a pioneer educator and father-in-law of President Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...

. The land was given by Ebenezer Lane, which was 44 acres, on the northeast edge of Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

as well as a substantial endowment. The building was designed by James K. Wilson, who was a charter member of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

American Institute of Architects

The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...

. Fisher Hall stayed apart of the women’s college until 1882. According to Eric Johannesen, who wrote “Ohio College Architecture Before 1870”, called the Oxford College building “one of the finest examples of institutional architecture from this period in the Midwest”.
In 1867, there was an attempt to preserve the College. President Robert D. Morris combined it with the Oxford Female Institute. The building was to serve as a boarding institution. After Morris’ death in 1882, the old college building was sold to George F. Cook, founder of the Oxford Retreat Company, for $45,000 and used as a sanitarium by Dr. Cook until the mid 1920s.

Miami purchased the building on August 15, 1925 and remodeled it as a freshman men’s residence hall from 1926-1941. Then it became a Naval training school from 1941-1944. The radio school trained 5,854 men and women (WAVES

WAVES

The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...

) and Miami contributed to the war effort. The U.S. Navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

established officer-training units across the nation, and this helped to develop Miami’s present Navy ROTC program. It later became a women’s residence hall from 1944–1945 and then once again, a men’s residence hall until 1958. In 1958 the upper floors were declared unsafe. These two floors were abandoned and the first floor became the Miami University Theatre. The Center for Performing Arts was completed in 1968. Therefore, the University Theatre moved into the new building and Fisher Hall became a storage repository.

There were a lot of efforts to try and save Fisher Hall. If the building was renovated, the possible uses would include for academic, dormitory or cultural and social use reasons. An academic reason would be the freshman class orientation center, continuing education and conference center or a study. Dormitory uses included honor student dorms, married student dorms or a guest lodge for V.I.P.’s or others as a supplement to the Mustein Alumni Center. The cultural and social uses included the Museum of Miami University Lore, specialized fine arts museum or a locale for alumni-memorial special programs.

Fisher Hall had a lot of importance:

One of Ohio’s several female academies of the mid-19th century
Housed Oxford Female College
Oxford Female College
Oxford Female College was one of three women's colleges in Oxford, Ohio in the 19th Century. The college merged with the Oxford Female Institute, forming the Oxford College for Women which existed as an independent school until it merged with Miami University in 1928...

, One of the first colleges for women in Ohio
As the Oxford Retreat, served as a major sanatorium in Ohio over an unusually long period, 1882–1926
As a dormitory of the university for the years 1927-1942 and 1946-1958 is identified with hundreds of Miami students as well as members of the university staff who acted as residence hall staff

But, it was destroyed because the calculated cost of restoration was roughly comparable to the cost of new construction.

Naming of Fisher Hall

Dr. Alfred H Upham, president of Miami University

Miami University

at the time named the building after Judge Elam Fisher, a trustee of the university. The name Fisher Hall was appropriate because while the building was occupied by Oxford Female College

Oxford Female College

, Elam Fisher was kicked out while courting a young lady. Judge Fisher was a man with many interests. 16
A few of his interests and positions held included:
-Counsel of the C.H. and D. Railroad
-Director and counsel of the Eaton National Bank
-Resident of the Eaton Lighting Company
-Director and treasure of the Eaton Telephone Company
-Judge of the Court of Common Pleas
-Second Judicial District of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

for 18 years
-Served in the Ohio House of Representatives

Ohio House of Representatives

The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....

1891-1894
-Torrens Land Commission 1894-1896
-Member of Phi Delta Theta

Phi Delta Theta

Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...

-Master of arts degree from Miami University

Miami University

-Graduate in law of the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

Ronald Tammen

Ronald, 19, was a sophomore

Sophomore

Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...

who was enrolled in Miami University School of Business Administration, now known as the Farmer School of Business. He was an above average student in both studies as well as getting along with others. He was also involved in a number of campus activities and appeared a happy, well-adjusted person. Ronald was studying in his room in Fisher Hall between 7 and 9 pm on April 19, 1953. He left his books open and other personal belongings and stepped outside but never returned to his room. His roommate, Charles Findlay from Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

, reported his disappearance the next day to the Miami University

Miami University

campus officials. The following day they notified law enforcement officers. After a few months, the case was placed in the unsolved files. There were three theories on his disappearance. The first was that Ronald Tammen “met foul play”. The second, he was a victim of amnesia and finally, that he deliberately planned to leave the campus and start a new life under an assumed name. The third option is what is considered most likely by authorities.

As of an article written on April 20, 1960 from the Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...

mentioned that his roommate Charles Findlay still believed he was alive and the two of them were “very, very close”. Charles was under a nervous disorder for some time after Ronald Tammen’s disappearance and still cannot talk about the situation. Mrs. Findlay, who occasionally corresponded with Tammen’s parents in Maple Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, said his parents have never given up hope and “they feel that he’s somewhere in the world today, and that someday he may come back to them.” Ronald Tammen’s brother Richard, who was then a freshman at Miami, was a graduate assistant in the school of architecture for some time.

The Marcum Center

The Marcum Center opened in September 1982. It was based on Georgian

Georgian architecture

architecture and luxury furnishings that integrated modern learning technology. The principal meeting room can accommodate a group as large as 250 people and is best suited for educational conferences and meetings for groups ranging in size from 25 to 150. There is a fully equipped kitchen

Kitchen

and very comfortable dining room

Dining room

A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...

. There are 40 guest rooms in a mix of singles and doubles. The single rooms include one double bed and doubles have 2 twin beds. The Marcum Center as a whole can house 60 people. The Presentation Room, room102, is a spacious lecture hall

Lecture hall

A lecture hall is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity from one to four dozen, the capacity of lecture halls is typically measured in the hundreds...

holds 48 executive chairs but additional seating and desks to accommodate 66. The Executive Conference, room112, one large boardroom table, 30 armchairs, 48 projection screens are concealed in the ceiling. The Seminar, room124, and the Library

Library

In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...

, room126, are furnished in “living room” or lounge furniture. The main dining room has capacity to fit 150 with arrangements of tables holding 4 to 6 people per table.

Joseph Timothy Marcum is the son of Joseph L and Sarah (Sloneker) Marcum. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....

on January 16, 1951 and attended Deerfield Academy

Deerfield Academy

Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....

from Sept1966 to June 1969. Following graduation from this prep school, he enrolled at University of Denver for the school year 1969-1970. The following year he entered Miami University-Hamilton and after 2 quarters transferred to the Oxford Campus. On June 10, 1973 he graduated from the School of Business Administration with a Bachelor of Science in Business majoring in Finance

Finance

"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...

.

But three weeks later, on July 1, 1973, while in route from his home in Hamilton to a wedding reception in town he was involved in a car accident that took his life. His obituary noted that he was a member of the first Presbyterian Church and the YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

. At this time his father was serving as the president of the Ohio Group of Insurance Companies and graduate of Antioch College

Antioch College

Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...

and received his MBA degree from Miami in 1965 and was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree at the December 1980 commencement. He served as a member of the Advisory Council of the School of Business Administration and as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the School of Applied Science. This tragic loss of his eldest son prompted him to make a generous contribution to the Goals for Enrichment campaign to help finance the proposed conference center. In appreciation of this gift it seemed most appropriate that the name of center should memorialize Timothy Marcum.

External links

Marcum Conference Center Webpage

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