Henry Solomon Lehr (March 8, 1838 – January 28, 1923) was the founder of

Ohio Northern University Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private United Methodist Church–affiliated university in Ada, Ohio. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers over 60 programs to ...

. The Lehr Building at that school was named in his honor. Born the 11th child to George and Salome Lehr in Oldtown,

Mahoning County Mahoning County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 228,614. Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown. The county is named for a Lenape word meaning "at the licks" or "there is a lick", refe ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, Henry Lehr first attended school at the age of 12 while still working full-time as a farm hand. His primary interest was in scholarship, so in 1854 he earned his teaching certification and began part-time teaching while still continuing to do his farm work. He then enrolled at

Mount Union College The University of Mount Union is a private university in Alliance, Ohio. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Mount Union had an enrollment of 1,958 undergraduate ...

in March 1857. As a student there, Lehr began to develop the idea that colleges should design their schedules and curriculum to the convenience of the student - an idea which up until that point had not been implemented in schools of higher learning. Lehr's studies were interrupted by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. When discharged, in 1865, Lehr was tired of the migratory life of teachers at the time, and felt compelled to do more with his teaching. In 1866 Lehr moved to

Ada, Ohio Ada ; ; is a village in Hardin County, Ohio, United States, located about southwest of Toledo. The population was 5,952 at the 2010 census. History Following the 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs, the Shawnee Indians held reservation land at Hog Cre ...

and became the schoolmaster there. He negotiated to use the facilities after classes to teach a “select school” for those wishing education beyond that offered during the day. As his reputation grew throughout the area, the number of select school students increased, and in 1870, Lehr felt sufficiently well established to approach the citizens of Ada for funds to purchase land for a campus and an academic building. In August 1871, the Northwestern Ohio Normal School, later Ohio Northern University, was launched. While all this was going on, Lehr managed to find time to commute back to home to complete the requirements for his PhD degree at

, graduating 10 years behind the class with which he had entered. During Ohio Northern University's early years, Lehr attempted to keep tuition as low as possible to enable as many people as possible to afford to enroll. Unfortunately, by the 1890s, the school faced financial difficulties. To place the university on sound financial footing, Lehr transferred Ohio Normal University to the Methodist Church, and since 1899, the institution has been affiliated with the Church. In 1903, Ohio Normal University became

. Lehr, was president of

from 1871 to 1900. Dr. Leroy Belt was selected as the new president in May 1901. From 1901 to 1903 Lehr agreed to continue on as secretary, treasurer, and general manager. Due to differences with Dr. Belt, Lehr severed his ties with the university at the end of the 1902–03 academic year. He then moved to

Winona Lake Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census. Geography Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contiguo ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. On April 27, 1905, President Belt resigned, and Dr. Albert Edwin Smith became Ohio Northern's third president. With the change of administrations, Lehr returned to Ada in September 1905. Lehr's memoirs appeared in serial form in the University Herald of Ada; the memoirs occupied Lehr from 1904 to early 1909. Henry Solomon Lehr died Jan, 28, 1923 in

External links

* (Detailed coverage from the school's creation in 1871 to roughly 1903 when Lehr retired, written by his daughter, * (The serialized memoirs of Ohio Northern University's founder)) * (Album of photographs that originally resided in the Lehr/Kennedy house on Ohio Northern University's campus.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lehr, Henry Solomon People from Mahoning County, Ohio People from Ada, Ohio Ohio Northern University University of Mount Union alumni 1838 births 1923 deaths