Co-founded in 1804 by Major General Rufus Putnam and Reverend Manasseh Cutler, Ohio University is the oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Ohio and the first in the Northwest Territory. The history of the Ohio University Bands is one rich in heritage and tradition. Diamond Ohio chronicles the triumphs and struggles of the band's fourteen directors (and supporting faculty) as they guided the marching and concert bands under their tenure.