On June 12, 1849, representatives of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) voted to establish an academic institution, which would later become Hiram College. On November 7 that year, they chose the village of Hiram as the site for the school because the founders considered this area of the
Connecticut Western Reserve to be "healthful and free of distractions". The following month, on December 20, the founders accepted the suggestion of Isaac Errett and named the school the
Western Reserve Eclectic Institute.
College Reorganization (2016–2020) In response to enrollment challenges in the early 2000s, Hiram College underwent a comprehensive structural reorganization beginning in 2016. The restructuring resulted in the consolidation of academic departments into five interdisciplinary schools: the School of Arts, Humanity, and Culture; the School of Business and Communications; the School of Education, Leadership, and Social Change; the School of Health and Medical Humanities; and the School of Science and Technology. During this period, the college adopted a model branded as the "New Liberal Arts," which included the "Tech and Trek" initiative. This program was noted as the first 1-to-1 mobile technology initiative at an Ohio liberal arts college. Following her departure in 2020, President
Lori Varlotta was named President Emerita. In recognition of her leadership during the restructuring, the college's Board of Trustees designated the central campus quadrangle as the "Varlotta Green."
Principals and presidents The following is a list of the school's leaders since its founding in 1850. James H. Barrow, a biology professor at the college, founded the Hiram Biological Station on the land, causing the place to later be named in his honor in 1985. Originally, the property had a beech-maple forest, a stream and a bog, but over the years it grew into over 500 acres containing forests, fields, ponds, wetlands, and more. The Frohring Forest–150 acres of mature beech-maple trees–Silver Creek, Eagle Creek, and the Observation Pond–which has many waterfowl species, along with a pair of trumpeter swans–are some of the Field Stations' most well-known natural attractions. The property also contains multiple public hiking trails, and eleven facilities for different uses such as teaching, housing animals, research, and so on. Two of the most notable buildings are the Frohring Laboratory, which uses geothermal heating and cooling and was the first LEED certified building at Hiram, and also houses a miniature indoor aquarium with different breeds of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and occasionally mammals. The other is the Endangered Waterfowl Conservation Facility, which houses multiple different breeds of endangered birds and allows students to gain valuable hands-on experience. A unique program established by the Field Station is the Grassland Program. Beginning in 2011, Land Stewardship Manager Emliss Ricks has been working on establishing grasslands in three locations on the property. ==Academics==