Because of its early history of westward expansion and its diverse population, Ohio is home to many independent institutions of higher education. They range from prestigious and richly endowed colleges and universities to local and regional ones that have well served their student populace over the decades.

Cradles of Conscience is a collection of essays that relate the circumstances of the founding of 40 of these independent colleges and universities, recounts the history of each since its inception, and discusses how each has coped with modernization and how the pressures of the past 25 years have forced them to publicly evaluate and reassess their identities and missions.