Bowling Green State University, Office of the President (Ralph G. Harshman) records

Ralph Garling Harshman was born November 6, 1893 near Williamstown, Hancock County, Ohio, the son of Will and Alberta Harshman. He received his Bachelor’s degree in 1917 from Ohio Northern University, going on to receive both his Master’s and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 1926 and 1933, respectively.

Beginning his career at BGSU in 1936 as an assistant professor of business administration, Harshman eventually became the first Dean of the College of Business Administration. Under his leadership, BGSU gained full membership in the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1954. As dean, he oversaw an enrollment explosion as the college grew from fifty-one students in 1937 to over 1,400 following World War II. He also served as Dean of Administration and Vice President before the Board of Trustees elected him to be president of BGSU in 1961.

In 1963, Dr. Harshman was awarded the “Scroll of Appreciation” by the US Air Force, the highest honor that service may confer upon a civilian educator. Extremely active in university athletics as well, Dr. Harshman served for fifteen years as chairman of the University Athletics Committee. During that time, Bowling Green State University joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and helped found the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Harshman also served as secretary, vice president, and president of the Mid-American Conference.

Dr. Harshman died in January 1974.

Harshman's Term as BGSU President

Ralph G. Harshman served as BGSU's fifth president from 1961-1963, following the controversial presidency of Dr. Ralph McDonald. He was the first university president at Bowling Green State University to have come from the ranks of university staff, having been a faculty member and administrator at BGSU for 27 years, beginning in 1936. He had been retired for a year before the Board of Trustees chose him as president, and he agreed to return for a two-year term.

Upon taking office, Harshman acted swiftly to ease the unrest among students and faculty alike, working to instituted a number of policies aimed at improving faculty morale and instilling faith in the University. He began decentralizing the administration with policies delegating more authority to the college deans. He also invited faculty cooperation in the selection of department chairs and new deans for the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Education. Dr. Harshman also worked to restore student morale, largely through the creation of the Committee on Student Affairs.