Henry Solomon Lehr is the founder and first president of Ohio Northern University.
He was born in Ohltown, Ohio, on March 8, 1838, the 11th child of George and Salome Lehr.
His family lived in a log cabin, and Lehr was unable to attend school until age 12 because he needed to work in the fields to help feed his large family. His parents, especially his mother who was a devout German Lutheran, imbued him with a strong faith.
Possessing a brilliant mind, Lehr eventually obtained schooling, and in 1854 he earned his teaching certification and began teaching part time while working as a farm hand. He then enrolled at Mount Union College in March 1857 but his studies were halted by the American Civil War. During the war, he fought in the Union Army and helped care for injured soldiers.
Post-war, Lehr moved to Ada, Ohio, to become a schoolmaster, and then in 1871 he established the Northwestern Ohio Normal School, later to become Ohio Northern University. To open the school, he pledged all his personal resources and enlisted the support of the local community.
He explained his vision with these words: “There should be a school patterned to the needs of the common people and it must recognize God in all its teachings.”
Lehr oversaw the school from his founding in 1871 to the beginning of the new century, 1900. He established the focus of the university on professional education, creating programs for education, engineering, pharmacy, and law.
He was beloved by his many students. He infused his school with the simple values that laid at the foundation of his Christian faith—dedication, kindness, compassion, and service. In doing so, he left a great legacy, for these values not only resonate with students from all faith traditions, but have endured through the decades.
During the initial years of the university, tuition was kept as low as possible to increase affordability for all applicants. By the 1890s however, the school faced financial difficulties and Lehr decided to transfer the Ohio Normal University to the Methodist Church for financial support.
In May 1901, Dr. Leroy Belt was chosen as Lehr’s successor but Lehr continued to serve the university in a number of administrative roles for the next couple of years. After the 1903 academic year, Lehr left Ohio Northern University due to differences with Dr. Belt. When Dr. Belt resigned in 1905 and Dr. Albert Edwin Smith became president, Lehr returned to Ada to live out his retirement.
Henry Solomon Lehr died on January 28, 1923 in Ada, Ohio.
A statue on campus commemorates the University’s founder. Additionally, a stained-glass window in Presser Hall contains a life-sized portrait of Lehr with these words:
“In honor of the founder.
Dr. Henry S. Lehr, patriot, soldier, renowned educator,
and distinguished citizen.
His work was the enrichment of many lives.
His fame is with the Ages.”