Ohio Central College, initially known as Iberia College, was a college located in Iberia, Ohio (located fifty miles north of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

) in northwestern Morrow County, Ohio during the second half of the 19th century. Open to both genders and all races, the college was founded by the Free Presbyterian Church and led by the Rev. George Gordon, a strong abolitionist. It counts among its alumni

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

, a native of Morrow County and the 29th

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

History

In 1854, the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of the United States took control of about of land in Iberia on which had been a ladies' seminary. It obtained a charter to found a college from the state legislature. Iberia College was founded in 1854 with the Rev. George Gordon serving as its first president. From its beginning, the college was open to all, regardless of race or gender. After 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 th ...

, control of the college was transferred to the United Presbyterian Presbytery of

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...

. The name of the institution was changed to Ohio Central College. Eventually, the Mansfield Presbytery transferred the college to a group organized as an independent stock company. The college continued as a Christian, though not sectarian, institution. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the college ended classes. The records and alumni of Ohio Central College were assumed by Muskingum College. The campus buildings were used as a school for the blind until they burned in a fire. The only remaining structure of Ohio Central College is the Iberia Presbyterian Church, which served as the college chapel in the 1800s. The old 19th-century college is not to be confused with a 20th-century institution of the same name. Ohio Central Bible College was established at Iberia in 2009. It is an independent, nondenominational Bible college in the evangelical Christian tradition that was created for the people of Morrow County and the six county region. Ohio Central Bible College offers a one-year program leading to a diploma in Bible studies. Classes are currently held in the Reverend George Gordon conference room of the Iberia Presbyterian Church.

Notable people related to the college

*The Rev. George Gordon, a local Presbyterian minister and abolitionist, served as the first president of the college. *In 1882, future president

graduated from the college. While a student, Harding helped create a school newspaper. He then learned about journalism while working for the '' Union Register'' in Mount Gilead, Ohio. Harding went on to own a newspaper, '' The Marion Star'', in nearby

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...

. This paper helped serve as the launching pad for his political career, which culminated in his election as President.

Sources

*''History of Morrow County and Ohio,'' O.L. Baskin & Co., 1880. *''The Shadow of Blooming Grove,'' McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1968. *''History of Morrow County, Ohio, 1989,'' Walsworth Press, Inc., 1989. {{Coord, 40, 40, 10.2, N, 82, 50, 32.6, W, display=title, type:edu_region:US-OH Defunct private universities and colleges in Ohio Education in Morrow County, Ohio Educational institutions established in 1854 1854 establishments in Ohio