In 1878, The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College formally was renamed The Ohio State University. With that change, the educational emphasis moved towards a liberal arts education rather than strictly agricultural and mechanical arts. Many in the agricultural community were concerned about this broadened focus. In 1882, in an attempt to heal this rift, the Agricultural Experiment Station was founded at the university.
After attempts by professors to divide their time between classroom duties and directing research at the station, Charles E. Thorne (1846-1922) was named the first full-time director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station and served in that position from 1887 to 1921. During Thorne’s tenure, the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station moved from Columbus to Wooster in Wayne County. Thorne also worked with university officials to offer more agricultural and mechanical courses to students. Today this station is known as the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and is the premier center for agricultural research in Ohio
In addition to his work with the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Thorne authored many publications concerning the maintenance of soil fertility and was recognized as a national authority on this subject.
Thorne received many honors throughout his career, including the presidencies of the American Society of Agronomy during 1914-15, the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations during 1915-16, and the Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science during 1915-16. In 1926, Ohio State conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.