The History of Franklin University

Introduction
Franklin University was founded in Columbus in 1902 as the YMCA School of Commerce. Franklin University has grown to become central Ohio's leading educator of working professionals, providing the quality education and options they need to advance their careers. Today, Franklin offers a wide variety of Undergraduate Majors and three Graduate Programs. More than 1,800 students earn degrees from Franklin each year.

Early Days
The YMCA School of Commerce started with just a few students studying bookkeeping. In 1913, a two-year college course in accounting was added, and by 1917, 40 men were studying accounting. A number of other courses (such as exporting, advertising and insurance) were offered as the need arose for them, providing an innovative student-centered approach.

In 1917, offering programs leading to degrees or diplomas became a purpose of the YMCA school. In 1921, the University was conferred a degree-granting authority by the State of Ohio.

By 1920, production engineering, accounting, banking and finance, marketing and business administration were offered in four-year evening programs leading to a Bachelor of Commercial Science degree. Overall, the curriculums and courses offered were devoted to help students advance in their profession. Classes were scheduled primarily in the evenings, so they didn't interfere with students’ full-time jobs – a practice Franklin continues today.

Throughout our history, we have been dedicated to removing the barriers to higher education for working adults while responding to their educational needs.

Franklin's first formal commencement was held in 1923 with a total of 24 students in the graduating class. In 1933, the name Franklin University was adopted and was organized as a separate branch of the Columbus YMCA.

A Separate Entity
Franklin separated from YMCA sponsorship in 1964 and became incorporated under Ohio law as a not-for-profit, independent educational institution governed by its own Board of Trustees.

Moving to a new site in 1969 established Franklin as a fresh entity on Columbus’ educational landscape. Franklin’s 201 S. Grant Ave. location was named after the first president, Dr. Joseph F. Frasch, Sr., who served from 1951 to 1977.

Additional buildings acquired in the 1980s and 1990s include James W. Phillips Hall, Alumni Hall, John E. Fisher Technology Center and the Paul J. Otte Center for Student Services. Today, Franklin’s Main campus, downtown includes multiple buildings, all within easy walking distance of one another.

Years of Growth
The Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Frederick J. Bunte took over as President of Franklin University in 1977. During Dr. Bunte's tenure, he expanded Franklin's downtown campus significantly to more than 11 acres. He successfully led the University's first capital campaign, which raised funds for University buildings and properties. Dr. Bunte dedicated Phillips Hall in 1980, adding nearly 60,000 additional square feet in classroom and library space. Local media lauded Bunte's accomplishments as well as Franklin's contribution to the development of downtown Columbus.

President Otte
Dr. Paul J. Otte became President of Franklin University in 1986 and ushered in an era of progressive and steady growth as well as diversification of course offerings and methods of delivering instruction.

Following the distinct Franklin tradition of developing programs based on students’ needs and requests, Dr. Otte's tenure as president saw the addition of suburban locations as well as the creation of the innovative Virtual Campus, the Community College Alliance and GoArmyEd.

In addition, Dr. Otte established Franklin's Graduate Programs, which confer an MBA degree as well as Masters of Science degrees in Marketing & Communication and Computer Science.

Dr. Otte oversaw the creation of the Community College Alliance (CCA) Program, which has fostered partnerships with more than 240 community and technical colleges in the United States and the Bahamas to serve students in the communities in which they live and work.

President Decker

David Decker, Ph.D., was approved by unanimous vote of the Franklin Board of Trustees on February 10, 2007 to become president of Franklin University. Dr. Decker came to Franklin from the New York Institute of Technology where he served as Vice President for Global Academic Programs and Dean of the School of Management.

Dr. Decker has international teaching experience in China, Malaysia, Russia, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Jordan. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and also speaks Russian. Dr. Decker said he was attracted to Franklin because of the school’s mission of meeting the needs of adult students who have the ambition to continue their education in combination with other responsibilities.

“I am honored to be chosen to serve as President of Franklin, the most innovative provider of adult education in the state and perhaps the nation. I believe in the Franklin mission and I’m proud to be leading a university which makes such a strong contribution to central Ohio and to society in general. Franklin truly changes the lives of students, and it’s exciting to play a part in that.”

Dr. Decker has also held faculty positions at three other universities. In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Decker has had extensive experience as a corporate executive. He served as president and chief executive officer of a $130 million manufacturing company and held vice presidential positions in management information systems and marketing at a Fortune 200 company. He has also conducted executive development programs in Asia, Europe, France and Latin America.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Decker is the author of two books on economic and business issues in Latin America, along with many articles and presentations on higher education, marketing and literature. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Kansas; and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and his B.A. from Grinnell College.

Franklin Today

The 12-acre Main Campus, downtown has an updated look and feel today, thanks to a new courtyard and completely refurbished buildings (Alumni Hall and Fisher Hall) as well as the renovation and opening of the Paul J. Otte Center for Student Services, which houses all student-oriented services in one location.

Franklin holds 3 commencement ceremonies each year, giving students the opportunity to graduate – and celebrate – at the end of the trimester in which they complete their studies.

The business model taught at Franklin University is also applied to the running of the institution, which has earned the praise and admiration of the central Ohio business community. Franklin operates under seven guiding principles. Our students are our customers and our product is the education we offer.

While we share similar attributes with for-profit institutions, we also distinguish ourselves. We take a long-term approach versus a short-term focus. We put our faculty in charge of our curriculum, so students’ needs continue to drive our offerings, rather than our own desire, for financial gain. We are committed to maintaining a non-profit status in order to keep our tuition as low as possible. And we remain firmly rooted in the central Ohio community, which has been our home and our anchor for more than 100 years.

We are proud of our history and excited about our future as we continue this rewarding journey together with our staff, faculty, students, alumni and the Columbus community.