case western reserve university



What Is In A Name?

On July 1, 1967, the world welcomed a new arrival among the nation's leading research universities known as Case Western Reserve University. Efforts to explain the name began immediately and continue to this day.

Here it is, word by word.

Adapted from The Oxford English Dictionary (second edition), Webster's New World Dictionary, and other sources.


case (kas)  [ME. cas, caas, a. OF. cas in same sense: L. casu-s, cassu-s fall, chance, occurrence, case, f. stem cas- of cadere to fall.]. 

I.   1.   a. A thing that befalls or happens to any one; an event, occurrence, hap, or chance. b. A deed, a thing. Obs.

2.   a. Chance, hazard, hap. Obs. b. Chiefly in phrases: by case, of case, upon case = 'perchance perhaps.'

3. a. An instance or example of the occurrence or existence of a thing (fact, circumstance, etc.).   b. An infatuation; a situation in which two people fall in love. So to have a case on: to be infatuated with or enamoured of. slang (orig. U.S.).

4. a. the case: The actual state or position of matters; the fact. it is not the case: it is not the fact, it is not what actually is or happens. b. A state of matters relating to a particular person or thing. in the case of: as regards (a specified thing or person); in that case: if that is true; if that should happen; that being so; similarly, in the first case, etc. Also in any case: whatever may happen, whatever the fact is (cf. 13); in many cases: in a number of instances; similarly, in some cases.

5. a. Condition, state (of circumstances external or internal), plight. in good case: well off.sc b. esp. Physical condition, as in good case (arch.); also simply, in case, out of case. Also, esp. in U.S., spec. of tobacco. c. in case to or for: in a condition or position to or for; prepared, ready. arch.

6. Law. 'The state of facts juridically considered' (J.).    a. A cause or suit brought into court for decision.    b. A statement of the facts of any matter sub judice, drawn up for the consideration of a higher court.    c. A cause which has been decided: leading case, one that has settled some important point and is frequently cited as a precedent. d. The case as presented or 'put' to the Court by one of the parties in a suit; hence, the sum of the grounds on which he rests his claim. Also fig. as in to make out one's case, a case. e. A form of procedure in the Common Law. f. An incident or set of circumstances requiring investigation by the police or other detective agency.

7. case of conscience: A practical question concerning which conscience may be in doubt; a question as to the application of recognized principles of faith and obedience to one's duty in a particular case or set of circumstances. A transl. of L. casus conscientiæ (F. cas de conscience), according to Ames (1576-1633), 'called casus, because it is wont to happen or occur (cadere) in life; and casus conscientiæ, because when it happens, conscience ought to give a judgment with the greatest carefulness'. These cases or questions are divided into two classes, (1) those which concern a man's state before God, (2) those which concern his actions in that state. It is mainly to the second of these, or cases of conduct, that CASUISTRY is understood to refer.

8. Med.   a. The condition of disease in a person. b. An instance of disease, or other condition requiring medical treatment; 'a record of the progress of disease in an individual' (Syd. Soc. Lex.). Also (colloq.), a patient. c. U.S. slang. of persons: A 'specimen', 'cure'.

9. Grammar. [L. casus used to translate Gr. πτωσισ, lit. 'falling, fall'. ] a. In inflected languages, one of the varied forms of a substantive, adjective, or pronoun, which express the varied relations in which it may stand to some other word in the sentence, e.g. as subject or object of a verb, attribute to another noun, object of a preposition, etc.   b. But as many modern languages have nearly or quite lost these variations of form, case is sometimes loosely used for the relation itself, whether indicated by distinct form or not.

II. Proper Name. 13. Case: a. A Connecticut family that moved to the Western Reserve of Connecticut (now northeastern Ohio) in the early 1800s. Leonard Case was a businessman and civic leader. One of his sons, Leonard, Jr., created a trust in 1877 to be used after his death for a school of applied science. b. Case School of Applied Science, founded in 1880 by the terms of the trust established by Leonard Case, Jr., and renamed Case Institute of Technology in 1947. c. The name commonly used by students since the early 1970s to refer to Case Western Reserve University, created in 1967 by the federation of Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University.

western (wæstern) [OE. westerne (f. west WEST adv. + -ERN): cf. OS. and OHG. westrôni, (Norw. dial. vestrøn).]  adj. 1. Coming from the west. Of the wind, a gale, etc.: Blowing from the west. Of a current of water: Flowing from the west.

2. a. Dwelling in the west (of a country, esp. of England or Scotland); spec. living or originating in the 'West country' or south-western counties.   b. Of things: Of or belonging to the southwestern counties.

3. a. Having a position relatively west; lying towards or in the west. Western Approaches, the area of sea immediately to the west of Britain; b. of the sky or the horizon, esp. as the place of the sun's setting; also of the sun, or the evening star.  c. Of or belonging to the west; found or produced in the west

4. a. Of or pertaining to the Western or European countries or races as distinguished from the Eastern or Oriental. In mod. use also spec.     (a) applied to the countries of western Europe that opposed Germany in the wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45;     (b) of, pertaining to, or designating the non-Communist states of Europe and America.   b. Western Church, the Latin as distinguished from the Greek or Eastern Church; also, one or other of the early Churches of Western Europe.   c. Of or belonging to, connected with, characteristic of, the Western Church.   d. Western Empire, the more westerly of the two parts into which the Roman Empire was divided in 395 A.D.   e. western man (also with either one or two initial capitals): man as shaped by the culture and civilization of Western Europe and North America. 

5. a. With States: Constituting the more westerly of the United States of America: cf. WEST n. 3b.   b. Of or belonging to the Western States. western equine encephalitis or encephalomyelitis, a mosquito-borne viral encephalitis in the U.S., South America, and eastern Europe that affects chiefly horses but also people and is sometimes fatal, esp. to children; western roll (Athletics), a method of high-jumping in which the athlete jumps from the inside foot, swings up the other leg, and rolls across the bar on his side; Western saddle (see quot. 1946); western sandwich (N. Amer.), a sandwich filled with an omelette containing onion and ham.

reserve (ri- 'zerv). [a. F. réserve, f. réserver.]

I. 1. a. Something stored up, kept back, or relied upon, for future use or advantage; a store or stock; an extra quantity. b. The amount of capital kept on hand by a banker, insurance company, etc., in order to meet ordinary or probable demands. Also pl. Also, that part of the profit of a joint stock company which is not distributed to shareholders. hidden reserve: see HIDDEN ppl. c. The amount of a mineral, or of oil or natural gas, which is known to exist in the ground in a particular region and to be capable of exploitation. d. spec. Extra energy; a supply of energy or resilience. Usu. pl.

2. Mil. a. pl. Those troops or portions of an army which are withheld from action in order to serve as a reinforcement, or, in case of retreat, as cover to the main body. Also sing. in the same sense. (Cf. also 4b.) b. That portion of the military or naval forces of a state which is maintained as a further means of defence in addition to the regular army and navy, and is liable to be called out in time of war or emergency; also, in recent use, a member of this force, a reservist. Also attrib. c. In games, an additional player kept in readiness to take the place of another if required. Also pl., the reserve or second team.

3. a. A certain amount of some quality, feeling, etc., still retained or remaining. Obs. rare. b. A place or thing in which something is preserved or stored. Obs. c. A thing or means to which one may have recourse; a refuge. Obs. rare.

4. a. in reserve, kept or remaining unutilized; still available. b. of reserve, acting as, or destined for, a support or recourse. Chiefly Mil. in army, body or corps of reserve, after F. armée or corps de réserve.

II. 5. a. Something reserved or set apart for some reason or purpose. In later use also in technical applications (see quots.). b. A district or place set apart for some particular use, or assigned to certain persons, as in the Western Reserve of Connecticut, granted to the Connecticut Colony by King Charles II in 1662 and included in the Northwest Territory by the U.S. Congress in 1789. The area corresponds to the northeastern portion of the present state of Ohio. Also "Reserve" was the common short form for the name of Western Reserve University. c. A distinction given to an animal or other exhibit at a show, indicating that it will receive a prize in the event of another being disqualified. d. In textile or pottery decoration: an area which is left the original colour of the material or the colour of the background. Also phr. in reserve. e. In full, central reserve. A central area separating lanes of a dual carriageway or motorway.

6. a. An expressed limitation, exception, or restriction made concerning something; a condition of this nature. Now rare. b. A mental limitation or qualification of the adherence one gives to some principle, article of belief, etc. c. without reserve, without limitation or restriction of any kind. In modern use chiefly with reference to sales by auction. d. = reserve price.

university (yun i versi ti) [a. AF. université, universeté, univercyté, OF. universitei, universiteit, université (13th c.; mod.F. université, = Pr. universitat, It. università, Sp. universidad, Pg. -idade; also in sense 1 MDu. universitet, MDu. and Du. universiteit, MG., MLG. universitête, MHG. universitêt, G. universität, Dan., Sw. universitet): L. universitat-, universitas, (1) the whole, entire number, universe, (2) in later and mediæval Latin (chiefly in legal use), a society, company, corporation, or community regarded collectively; f. L. universus (see UNIVERSE).] 

I. 1.      a. The whole body of teachers and scholars engaged, at a particular place, in giving and receiving instruction in the higher branches of learning; such persons associated together as a society or corporate body, with definite organization and acknowledged powers and privileges (esp. that of conferring degrees), and forming an institution for the promotion of education in the higher or more important branches of learning; also, the colleges, buildings, etc., belonging to such a body. In recent use, const. without article: at (or to) university, etc.  b. "A circus that never leaves town." Anon., 20th century.

2. a. The whole body, aggregate, or number of creatures, persons, things, etc.; = UNIVERSALITY 5.   b. Without const. The whole of something; all things, etc.; universal nature. Obs.    c. The universe; = UNIVERSALITY 5b. Obs.   d. The whole people; = UNIVERSALITY 5c.   e. Law. (See quot. 1832.)  

3. your university, the collective whole of the members of a body, group, or company of persons specifically addressed in some formal or official document. Also pl. in Sc. use. Obs.   Chiefly in renderings of the common phrase Noverit universitas vestra.       

4. a. A body or company of persons associated together for some purpose. Obs.    b. A body or class of persons regarded collectively; esp. an aggregate of persons forming a corporate body or society, a corporation. Obs.

II.   5. Extension to the whole (of something); = Universality 1. Obs. rare.

III. attrib. and Comb. (in sense 1).

6. a. Simple attrib., passing into adj. use (rarely with hyphen): Of, pertaining or belonging to, characteristic of, prevailing or obtained at, a university or universities, as university campus, course, court, education, entrance, grant, learning, lecture, library, oath, town, etc.; university-level adj.    b. That is (or has been) a member of a university; educated or studying at a university, as university chum, man, student, etc.   c. With the names of officials, etc., attached to or connected with a university, as university auditor, don, lecturer, librarian, orator (see ORATOR 5), preacher, professor, register, staff, teacher, etc.   d. With past or pres. pples., chiefly in locative combs., as university-bred, -educated, -taught, -trained; -going adjs.; also with vbl. ns., as university teaching.

7. Special combs., as university cap, the academical cap worn by the members of a university, a square cap or 'mortar-board'; university chair, the chair or office of a university professor; University Chest, at Oxford and Cambridge, the funds of the university, or the office which receives and administers these; university college = COLLEGE n. 4d, spec. one which is not or was not empowered to grant degrees (see also quot. 1981); university extension: (see EXTENSION 9g); university member, a member of the House of Commons representing a university or a group of universities (university seats were abolished in Britain in 1948); university sermon, a sermon preached before the members of a university, usually by a specially nominated person; research university, a school of advanced learning that makes parallel and inseparable commitments to teaching and research.