Who is the oldest college newspaper?

There aren’t many college newspapers in the United States with a history of more than 200 years.

In fact, there are only two.

The oldest is The Dartmouth, which has been published by Dartmouth University students since 1799.

The second is The Miami Student, which has been publishing since 1826.

However, in the beginning, that isn’t what The Miami Student was known as. It began as The Literary Focus, publishing literary critiques and various articles, before shifting to the bi-weekly format of the Literary Register. Other smaller newspapers and magazines stemmed from these original publications, but they lasted no more than a few months, and very few records of them remain.

Jacky Johnson, the department head and university archivist for the Walter Havighurst Special Collections at King Library, said the reason The Miami Student was able to survive the test of time following the failure of so many of its precursors is because of its name.

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“The Miami Student really is the heart of the title,” Johnson said. “The Literary Focus talks more about the literary societies, right? But maybe this shift was because the publication would focus upon the lives of Miami students.”

For Susanne Morrissey, a sophomore marketing major, The Miami Student’s focus on the campus and student life is part of the reason that she keeps reading it every week.

“The Miami student has become known as such a pillar in the university,” Morrissey said. “I think it's just really important that it gives students a platform and a space to share their opinions, where they might not be able to.”

The Miami Student has continued to do just that by producing award-winning breaking news, covering wars, protests, presidential visits and being unafraid to ask tough questions, The Student has continued to champion the people it aims to serve — Miami students.

As for other college newspapers that may claim different “oldest” titles, The Student’s history far surpasses theirs. Brown University claims to have the second-oldest college newspaper, but The Brown Daily Harold was established in 1866 – just one year before The Student took its current form. The Colgate Maroon-News (1868) is the oldest college newspaper published weekly, and The Yale Daily News (1878) is the oldest published daily.

Sophie Karbstein is the editor-in-chief of The Colgate Maroon-News at Colgate University in New York, which has been publishing for more than 150 years. She said college newspapers with long histories have survived because of their role in the community.

“[This] longevity means that so many generations of students and community members trusted this institution to tell the truth about campus and reflect student conversations on campus,” Karbstein said. “I do always keep in mind that that legacy doesn't mean anything if we don't maintain that trust and that quality.”

In Ohio, the next-oldest college newspaper is The Oberlin Review at Oberlin College. Originally published in 1874, it’s almost 50 years younger than The Student.

James Foster, editor-in-chief of The Oberlin Review, said he recognizes the deep responsibility newspapers like The Review and The Student have in our current society.

“We're really rooted in the tradition and the history of being a newspaper,” Foster said. “We hold ourselves to a pretty professional standard. [We’re] making sure that we are still representing everyone in a way that people respect and people feel seen.”

Foster also said the legacy of every paper is not the content they publish, but the writers behind it.

“Be proud that you're a part of this paper,” Foster said. “Be proud of the history behind it. Be proud of the fact that you play an integral part, no matter if you're a section editor, if you're a staff writer [or] even if you decided to write an opinion once. The paper would not be what it is without that contribution.”

fahymm@miamioh.edu