Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Edward Harrington Jennings served as the 10th president of the Ohio State University from 1981 to 1990, then as interim president from July 1 to September 30, 2002. He also served as professor of finance in the Fisher College of Business until his retirement on April 1, 2002. Before OSU, Jennings served as president of the University of Wyoming from 1979 to 1981 and as vice president of finance and university services at the University of Iowa, where he served on the finance faculty for 10 years from 1976 to 1979. In addition, Jennings held visiting appointments at the University of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania and the University of Hawaii. He received his doctorate in finance from the University of Michigan, a master's of business administration from Case Western Reserve University, and a bachelor's in industrial management from the University of North Carolina. During Jennings’ tenure as President, the University Honors Program and the Byrd Polar Research Institute were both founded, in 1985, and the University’s Selective Admissions policy began, in 1986. Before the policy, any Ohio resident was eligible to attend OSU, but under the new program, the University was more academically selective in choosing the freshman class for its Columbus campus. Under the policy, the freshman retention rate rose, as did the overall GPA. He is the namesake of the Botany and Zoology Building on the Columbus campus; after extensive renovations in 2007, the building reopened as Jennings Hall.
From the guide to the Edward H. Jennings Papers, 1981-1990, 1981-1990, (The Ohio State University Archives.)
