Miami University's Missing Student Investigation Continues 69 Years After His Disappearance
April 19, 2022 at 10:19 a.m.
On April 19, 1953, 19 year old Miami sophomore Ronald Tammen Jr was seen studying in his dorm room at 225 Fisher Hall. This would be the last day that anyone saw or heard from him.
Ronald, who preferred to go by Ron, was an exceptional student at Miami University. He played string bass for the Campus Owls, worked as a resident assistant on campus, and he was one of the few students on campus who had a car permit, making him particularly distinguishable. With the goal of being a bond salesman, Ron was a dependable student who was known as punctual and tidy. When Ron failed to attend a meeting on Monday, April 20, 1953, fellow students and friends of Ron became concerned. By April 23, a missing persons report had been filed. During the initial investigation, Ron’s wallet, fiddle, keys, and car were discovered left behind, causing many including former Butler County Coroner Garrett Boone and resident assistant Jim Larkin to suspect foul play. In fact, Dr. Boone publicly addressed his concerns that the Oxford Police Department was not investigating Ron’s disappearance properly, even confronting Miami University on the topic. An article written at the time of Ron’s disappearance by The Cincinnati Enquirer stated “University officials said Tammen might be suffering from amnesia as he took no clothing or personal articles with him.”
While speculations and rumors have run rampant, the case has yet to be officially solved and Ron has never been found. There have been few cases in which amnesia has occurred and even fewer cases in which a missing person suffered from amnesia, a condition that is not fully understood because of its rarity and complexity. Another note to add is that Miami University employed numerous psychology professors that had ties to unethical human hypnosis and mind-altering drug experiments. Miami University extensively searched the rubble of Fisher Hall when it was demolished in 1979 looking for evidence of Tammen's remains, however, nothing was found.
Miami University Alum Jennifer Wenger has always been drawn to the disappearance of Ronald Tammen JR, making it her life’s work to investigate the many coverups and questionable practices that occurred during the original investigation. Wegner’s investigation can be found at RonaldTammen.com.
Whatever your theory is, it is likely that we may never know the truth about what really happened to Ronald Tammen, as many FBI files have been destroyed or remain classified.