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Otterbein dedicates
The Austin E. Knowlton C Students majoring in equine science at Otterbein University are now attending classes at the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Equine Science. A $1.5 million gift from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, Inc. in Cincinnati secured the naming rights of the facility on behalf of its horse-loving founder, who died in 2003. Approximately 150 people attended the Center’s dedication on Sept. 22, which featured the unveiling of the Center’s new entrance signs. Equine Science students served as tour guides, performed riding demonstrations and spoke at both the dedication and dinner. “They are excited about the gift and are grateful to the foundation for the value it has placed upon their education,” said Sheri Birmingham, chair of the Department of Equine Science. “The gift will allow us to support and expand the Center, which serves as a living laboratory for the students, offering hands-on experience in equine veterinary medicine and best-practices management,” Birmingham said. Austin E. Knowlton was a trained architect and spent much of his career at the helm of a successful construction business in Ohio. He built, designed and financed
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| O t t e rbe i n To w e rs | Fall 2012
Equine Science student Savannah Byrne ’13 with Knowlton Foundation Trustee Charles Lindberg. more than 600 buildings, including more than 160 college and university buildings on every major college campus in Ohio and more than 200 elementary and secondary schools. His alma mater, The Ohio State University, renamed its School of Architecture the Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture in 1994, following a significant contribution. In Cincinnati, Knowlton was perhaps best known for his investments in professional sports. He was a minority owner of the Cincinnati Reds and was instrumental in building Riverfront Stadium, which opened in 1970. He was co-founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, which joined the NFL in 1970, and was the team’s largest shareholder and chairman of the board for 20 years.
The partnership between the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, Inc. and the Otterbein Equine Science program is a natural one. Knowlton raised champion American Saddlebred horses at his former horse farm, Emerald Farms, which was located 11 miles north of the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Equine Science. He also raced thoroughbreds and was a trustee of the Little Brown Jug Society, which runs the Triple Crown for Standardbred pacing horses in Delaware, Ohio. Otterbein has been a leader in equine science education for more than 30 years. The University’s $5.2 million equine complex opened to students in fall 2009. The world-class facility is the first of its kind — combining horses, stables, pastures, education, community outreach and best use practices in a suburban setting. In addition to educational and community outreach activities, the facility hosts equine events in dressage, eventing and jumping with competitors from colleges across the country. The gift from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, Inc. has been placed into an endowment for the support and maintenance of the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Equine Science and its programs. •