 Alumni of the school have prominently engaged in controversial issues of their times on three central issues—the scope of justice; distributive justice based on race, gender, and income; and institutions related to preserving social structures.On August 5, 1846, the university's first president, Edward Thomson, delivered his inaugural address.He maintained that the college was a product of the liberality of the people of Delaware, and it was fortunate that Ohio Wesleyan was founded in a community divided in religious and political opinions; Thomson believed that the friction of a mixed society prevented dogmatism and developed energy.