[19] A university in the Ohio Country was first envisioned by Manasseh Cutler, credited as the school's founder along with Revolutionary War Brigadier General Rufus Putnam.

In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly referenced his Great Society initiative for the first time on the College Green,[28][29] giving the university exposure across America and internationally.

On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard was ordered to open fire on students demonstrating against the Vietnam War at Kent State University, killing 4 and wounding 9.

Development of the campus began in 1812 with the erection of the university's central building, Manasseh Cutler Hall, a registered national landmark, and built only 20 years after the White House.

[34] College Green features Galbreath Chapel, the spire of which, topped with a brass weather vane, is modeled after that of the portico of Nash's All Souls Church in London.

The facility replaced the original Baker Center located on East Union Street across from College Green and serves as the hub of campus activity.

[36] The building features Georgian-influenced Federal architecture and large windows that admit natural light and afford expansive views of the southern and western sides of the campus.

The Front Room, a large coffee house named after a former popular university rathskeller, features a stage, artwork and a community fireplace.

It serves Starbucks products and university bakery items and is housed on the fourth floor, which opens onto its own outside terrace as well as onto the intersection of Park Place and Court Streets, making it a popular spot for students between classes.

East Green is also home to Shively Court, a newly renovated dining hall with dine-in, take-out, and grab-and-go options.

[46] The Ohio Athletic Mall spans the western portion of the campus, near the end of the Athens bike path at the Union street crossing.

Japanese students sponsor an annual "Sakura Festival" each year, a cultural event celebrating the visually dramatic blossoming of the cherry trees and their evening lightings.

It is named in honor of Fritz J. Russ, an alumnus in electrical engineering and the founder of Systems Research Laboratories, a major bioengineering concern.

[57][58] It is based on the British tutorial system typically found at undergraduate colleges, where students are placed either one on one or in small group instruction.

[65] The college comprises students who design a major program with faculty approval and awards the Bachelor of Specialized Studies (BSS) degree.

The GRID Lab serves as an innovative and creative center for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff research and project development.

[17] The Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized the university as one of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright scholars by type of institution, with the highest number of recipients in the state as well as the Mid-American Conference in 2011–12.

Ohio faculty has achievements ranging from the first university to successfully accomplish a trans-genetic DNA injection, to Francis Bundy's work on early synthesis of diamond[108] to Paul Murray Kendall's celebrated biography of Richard III.

Some sense of research achievements at Ohio University can be seen in the biographies of the Edwin and Ruth Kennedy[109] Distinguished Professors[110] appointed annually since 1959.

Undergraduate admission to Ohio University is classified as "selective" by both the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and U.S. News & World Report.

Athens' annual Halloween block party is the most well-known and far-reaching tradition, with Ohio University providing support services for the thousands of partiers who attend.

The Student Activities Commission (SAC) sponsors a yearly springtime concert with prominent musicians, usually held at the Convocation Center.

The projects have included work with Good Earth Farms, Last Chance Corral, Cadillac Ranch, Habitat for Humanity, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi Omega, Pi Beta Phi, Project C, Rotaract, the Survivor Advocacy Program, and the Thursday Supper Volunteer Corps, among others.

[137] In early 1962, President Vernon Alden signed the first of several contracts with the federal government to facilitate Peace Corps volunteer training programs.

Today, Ohio University hosts a recruiting office for the Peace Corps in a tradition affiliated with that organization since Sargent Shriver's visit.

WOUB-FM 91.3 Athens, WOUC-FM 89.1 Cambridge, WOUH-FM 91.9 Chillicothe, WOUL-FM 89.1 Ironton, and WOUZ-FM 90.1 Zanesville broadcast the same programs throughout southeastern Ohio.

[148] OIT (Ohio Information Technology) is the university tech depot and help desk, responsible for a wide range of duties from CatMail (campus email) to hosting official websites.

They most recently triumphed over the Georgia Southern Eagles with a score of 41–21 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2023; another impressive win to come in 2023 was over Iowa State University of the Big 12 Athletic Conference.

[151] The stadium brought its largest crowd on September 8, 2012, when 25,893 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats decisively beat the New Mexico State Aggies by a score of 51–24.

[152] This mark overtook the previous record set on September 5, 2009, when 24,617 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats drop a 23–16 decision to the Connecticut Huskies.