According to an old proverb, the best indicator of the future is the past. For Sinclair’s sprawling Dayton campus, nothing could be more fortuitous. As students and faculty prepare to celebrate the completion of another year downtown, there’s no better time to look back and reflect on how Sinclair’s roots continue to inspire in the present.
The story of Sinclair’s downtown campus is one of ambitiously promoting educational opportunity. Sinclair College’s roots go back to the late 19th century, when it was founded as the educational department of the local YMCA.
While it may be difficult for us to picture what the Dayton area must have been like at the time, it’s easy for us to appreciate just how linked education and economic opportunity has always been. Once a major hub of industrial development in the Midwest, the Gem City would be no different to other important centers of growth in the US at the time. Education, then and now, was key to the post-Civil War economic boom in the country. In 1887, Sinclair was founded with the vision of making that happen for as many people as possible.
Related article: Gem City History: David A. Sinclair
According to Shelby Beatty, Archivist and Records Manager at the college, Sinclair was established based on its founder’s desire to help locals gain access to education. In a time where most Americans did not complete high-school, the college’s eponymous founder David Sinclair sought to give residents access to the industrial boom sweeping the nation. Despite the change in times, the twinning of economic prosperity and learning remains relevant today.
“Back in the 1880s, a lot of people were being left behind because they lacked the technical knowledge required for many of those new jobs. David Sinclair figured that education was the best way to prepare locals to enter the workforce,” said Beatty. “Our college has really stuck close to that model. Even today, we are always looking to serve students in ways that best prepare them for life after graduation.”
Sinclair was originally located within the YMCA’s building on Ford Street. In 1908, they moved to where Dayton’s City Hall is now. In 1948, the college would officially be named Sinclair College of the YMCA. By 1959, it would separate from the YMCA and begin looking for a new home. They broke ground on the site of the current campus in 1969. The site was then part of Dayton’s Urban Renewal Area.
“The first seven buildings of what became our home are hugely significant. They would open in 1972 and allow us to begin expanding rapidly,” said Beatty. “In the late 60s, we had around 2,000 students enrolled. By the fall semester of ‘72 we had 6,500 students.”
Sinclair’s enrollment has grown to almost 32,000 students in recent years, and has never experienced a decrease.
“It was those first seven buildings that allowed us to expand so quickly,” said Beatty.
“Our campus truly represents the ideals of equal opportunity. When Sinclair initially opened in 1887, only men were allowed to enroll,” said Beatty. “But from 1920 onward, the college has served everyone in the wider Miami Valley region. If you need an education or help getting to the next step employment-wise, Sinclair has become the place to go.”
Ismael Mujahid
Intern