Heman Oviatt endowed the first chair (professorship) at Case Western Reserve University. An article about the endowment, including a picture of Heman, can be found here.
But wait, there's more!
In 1815, Heman Oviatt lent money to a guy named Zenath Kent and went into a business partnership with him to open a general store in Ravenna. The store was very successful. With this excellent start, Zenath was able to buy Oviatt out and move on to several other developments in the town of Franklin Mills.
Zenath's son carried on this business tradition. He was so influential in bringing railroad business into Franklin Mills that the town voted to change the name of the town to Kent. As in Kent State University.
Don't you get the feeling that Heman Oviatt was pretty much the Forest Gump of the 1800's? He was involved in damn near everything.
Does this have any bearing whatsoever on camp? Maybe.
If we play our cards right.
Something good will come of it, eventually.
