Griffith Memorial Arch

By Bridget Muñóz

The Griffith Memorial Arch has been the gateway to campus since its dedication on November 28, 1923. Framing the heart of campus and Old Main, the Arch is symbolic of new beginnings and celebrations. This year, the University commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Arch, acknowledging the role it has played in originating one of UF’s most honored traditions.

At the start of each academic year, faculty and staff welcome incoming students and their families with the annual Arch Ceremony. This marks not only the start of a new school year but also the beginning of the next chapter in the lives of first-year students. Students process through the Arch toward Old Main during orientation weekend to symbolize the official start of their college experience at Findlay. The incoming Arch Ceremony is anticipated by students, faculty and staff, family members, and friends, but this revered celebration was not initially considered when developing the Griffith Memorial Arch.

Named in memory of Caddie Griffith who graduated from Findlay College in 1909, the structure was funded by her parents following her untimely death from influenza in February 1923. Caddie Griffith served as head of the English department at Findlay College from 1914-1917 and had a special connection to her alma mater. Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Griffith wanted to ensure her legacy remained prevalent on campus for years to come and hoped the Arch would serve as a rite of passage for students entering the world following college graduation:

With Christian fortitude and invincible faith, her [Caddie Griffith’s] loved ones have arisen from the first shock of her homegoing, and erected an arch at the gateway of her Alma Mater, beneath which class succeeding class shall pass in hopeful review into the larger life for which their training has fitted them.

Just as Mr. and Mrs. Griffith intended, it is tradition that students process through the Arch toward Main Street following Commencement and are celebrated once again by faculty, staff, and their loved ones. It is believed the first class to engage in the Commencement Arch Ceremony was Findlay College Class of 1924.

Campus lore cautions students against walking through the Arch at any point before Commencement day for fear they will not graduate. In keeping with the superstition, students had worn a path in the grass surrounding the structure to avoid jinxing themselves. As a result, the University installed sidewalks around the outside of the Arch in 1990.

Additionally, Findlay College changed its name to University of Findlay in 1989 after significantly increasing the number of undergraduate and graduate programs offered. To acknowledge this triumph, the institution engraved “The University of Findlay” on the opposite side of the Griffith Memorial Arch and turned it around to face Main Street. Today, the original "Findlay College" inscription faces Old Main as a constant reminder of the institution’s roots and continued advancement.

Construction of the Griffith Memorial Arch not only paid tribute to Caddie Griffith and her contributions to Findlay College but also embodied the nature of the institution for the public. In the October 1923 edition of Findlay College’s school newspaper The Argus, a student details the importance of the entrance:

The memorial arch in process of construction at the main entrance to the college campus adds much to the beauty of the grounds. Its sole value is not, however, in the realm of the ornamental. It has a practical value in revealing to passersby the nature of our institution. No longer need strangers make haphazard guesses as to the purpose of the big building in the center of a beautiful 10-acre campus… They will need only glance at the inscription on the entrance gate, and they will know that they are entering the grounds of Findlay College.

University of Findlay, now known for its beloved Arch, has established itself and earned a place amongst accredited universities in Ohio. A campus landmark for 100 years, the Griffith Memorial Arch is a testament to the progress that has been made over the last century. The Arch has long embodied new beginnings and celebrations for our community, and its traditions will remain an integral part of UF campus culture.