Post by Ohio Northern University

As the United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday, Ohio Northern University is highlighting the incredible impact of Polar Bears across the country. When ONU was founded in 1871, just a few years after the Civil War, it was envisioned as a place where ordinary citizens could obtain higher learning and graduate to live exemplary lives of service. For more than 150 years, ONU alumni have built the American future. This is where Dr. George Washington Crile got his start before performing the world’s first successful blood transfusion and co-founding the Cleveland Clinic; where Cassius Jackson Keyser studied before becoming a pioneering mathematician and helping to establish the American Association of University Professors; where Lena Boggess Wilcox Mason broke barriers as our first female law graduate. Those early graduates established a legacy that’s continued with each subsequent generation. As we commemorate 250 years of American history, here’s a look at several of our early graduates who made significant contributions to our nation. In the coming days, we will also feature modern-day alumni—“Northern Lights”— who are shaping the future.