The history and character of the University of Cincinnati are often revealed through the achievements and opinions of alumni and faculty. For today’s class in UC minutia, UC Magazine springs a pop quiz.
1. Which UC college has graduated the greatest number of students?
Answer: 1a. A&S has produced a total of more than 45,000 alumni. Next largest group is from the College of Education — more than 30,000. The College of Engineering is third with more than 24,000 graduates.a. College of Arts and Sciences
b. College of Education
c. College of Engineering
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2. Which UC alum was chief justice of the Supreme Court?
a. Joseph CannonAnswer: 2c. Taft, Law 1880, is the only person to have served as U.S. president and Supreme Court chief justice. His other leadership roles included dean of the Cincinnati College Law School, governor-general of the Philippines and U.S. secretary of war. He called chief justice his favorite job.
b. Gilbert Young
c. William Howard Taft
d. Thomas Berger
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Other choices: “Uncle Joe” Cannon served as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1903-11. Young is a contemporary black painter, muralist and arts advocate. Berger, A&S ’48, is author of more than 20 novels, many of which have been made into films, including “Little Big Man.”
3. Which UC Hall-of-Famer played for the 1964 U.S. Gold Medal Olympic Team?
a. Connie DierkingAnswer: 3d. Wilson was an Olympic gold medalist in ’64. He played pro ball for Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle and Buffalo until 1971.
b. Jack Twyman
c. Oscar Robertson
d. George Wilson
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Other choices: Oscar Robertson, Bus ’60, was on the 1960 U.S. Gold Medal Olympic Team. He was the nation’s leading scorer in each of his three UC varsity seasons, played for the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks and was named to the national basketball Hall of Fame. Twyman, another NBA Hall of Famer, was UC’s first All-American (1954) and played professionally until 1966 for Rochester and the Cincinnati Royals. Dierking was in the pros until 1971 (Cincinnati, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Syracuse). All four earned MVP and All-American honors at UC.
4. What UC memento did designer/builder Joseph Strauss, Eng 1882, insert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge?
a. A padlock from the College of LawAnswer: 4b. Strauss placed a brick from the original McMicken Hall inside the bridge’s south anchorage.
b. A brick from the original McMicken Hall
c. A mortarboard tassel from the College of Engineering
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5. Which UC researcher invented Benadryl, the first antihistamine?
Answer: 5b. George Rieveschl made up his antihistamine’s commercial name by linking the first and last syllables of the compound’s scientific title with the vowel “a.” Dabney and Benedict are former presidents of the University of Cincinnati.a. Charles Dabney
b. George Rieveschl
c. Wayland Benedict
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6. Which TWO black Americans have buildings on UC’s main campus named in their honor?
a. Education professor Vera Clement EdwardsAnswer: 6a. and 6c. The Edwards Center’s offices and garage were completed in 1992. Turner Residence Hall was dedicated in 2002. The other two people are real, but their buildings are not.
b. Jennie Davis Porter, the first black woman to earn a doctorate at UC
c. Darwin Turner, academic writer/critic and youngest UC graduate
d. Sports legend Oscar Robertson
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7. How many of the following UC alums have won Grammy awards?
a. Kathleen Battle, opera star
b. Al Hirt, jazz trumpeter
c. Tennessee Ernie Ford, country/gospel singer
d. Ward Swingle, classical a cappella
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Answer: All of them.
8. What is the original title of the University of Cincinnati school song?
a. “Alma Mater”Answer: 8d. Although “Alma Mater” is the name given to the school song in a 1927 UC songbook, the same tune was called “A Varsity Song” in a 1917 book. Otto Juettner, a native of Germany and an 1888 graduate of the medical college, composed the melody and wrote the lyrics while a student. He also composed Xavier University’s school song while he was an undergraduate there. “Cheer Cincinnati” is the university fight song.
b. “Cheer Cincinnati”
c. “Hail Cincinnati”
d. “A Varsity Song”
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For more information on movies with a UC-Hollywood partnership, read the "Horizons" article (MNstory.)
9. What key element of every Cincinnati Reds game was invented by UC student Winston Kock in the 1930s?
a. Hot dog sandwichesAnswer: 9b. The electronic organ was Kock’s melodic invention.
b. The electronic organ
c. Wax-coated drink cups
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10. Charles G. Dawes, Law 1886, was a remarkable person. Which of the following was NOT among his accomplishments?
a. Vice president of the United StatesAnswer: 10b. Dawes was not voted “professor of the year.” He excelled as a businessman, politician, diplomat, soldier and composer.
b. Voted “professor of the year”
c. Nobel Peace Prize winner
d. Composed the melody for a 1958 hit, “It’s All in the Game”
e. U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain
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11. Alumna Libby Holman was known as the “first great white torch singer” on Broadway and in nightclubs. Which of the following is NOT true about her?
a. Earned a fine arts degree at UCAnswer: 11d. Holman, A&S ’24, never used a microphone in performances, claiming she didn’t like “anything mechanical.”
b. Adopted the “Moanin’ Low” blues as her signature song
c. Helped finance Martin Luther King’s visit to India to meet Ghandi
d. Insisted on using only the best microphones
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12. “Kiss me, my fool!” is a movie line made famous by which of these stars who attended UC:
a. Sarah Jessica Parker
b. Hugh O’Brian
c. Theda Bara
d. Dorian Harewood
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Answer:
12c. Bara, known as Theodosia Goodman at UC, originated
the movie image of a cruel temptress (the “vamp”) in her 1915
silent film “A Fool There Was.”
Other choices: Harewood’s role in the 1978 miniseries
“Roots” brought him to national attention, as well as later
television and film appearances such in “Full Metal Jacket”
and “Pacific Heights.” O’Brian was Wyatt Earp on 1950s
television and has appeared in other television and film roles, including
“Twins” and “Return To Tombstone.” Parker’s
current fame stems from TV’s “Sex and the City” and
films such as “LA Story” and “First Wives Club.”
So, how did you do?
Grade your answers to our multiple-choice
trivia as follows:
| 1-4
Correct |
Time
to sign up for summer school. Good work, but capable of better. Excellent effort! |
