Friday, July 23, 2010

Sandusky Business College

First known as the Buckeye & Great Western Business College, the school was founded in Sandusky in 1865 by Professor E. A. Hall. By 1867, the name was shortened to Buckeye Business College. The school was located at Union Hall, on the left side of Columbus Avenue, between Water and Market Streets.

In the 1870’s, James D. Parker, grandfather of Drs. Watson and Lester Parker, was the proprietor of the Buckeye Business College. A copy of a 1915 brochure from the Sandusky Business College is in the holdings of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Roy D. Mitchell was the principal and proprietor at this time. of the A brief history of the Sandusky Business College, appears on page five of the brochure. The historical sketch reads in part: “Distinctively a pioneer in commercial education, for half a century the school has served the needs of the business community. Its former students dominate the leading business and financial interests of Sandusky. Hundreds of them are engaged in business pursuits in our sister cities of Ohio.” The Sandusky Business College had a variety of proprietors and locations through the years. The school moved to the Mahala Block in the 1890’s. After the Mahala Block fire of 1909, the school moved to the Feick Building on East Market Street. At that time the Feick Building had only three stories.

The final home of the Sandusky Business College was the former Rush Sloane residence, located at 403 East Adams Street. The school was in operation there from 1923 until 1949, when the school closed due to declining enrollment. William O. Loudenslagel was the last owner of the Sandusky Business College.
The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is fortunate to have several photographs from the Sandusky Business College, dating from about 1908 through 1928.

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