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Title: The Makio 1973 Ohio State University Yearbook with the infamous \"worm cover\"
Author/Editor: Ohio State University
Publisher: Ohio State University
Publication Date: 1973
Format: Hardcover Yearbook
Category: Antiquarian & Collectible Books
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This 1973 edition of The Makio, Ohio State University’s official yearbook, captures a transitional moment in both campus history and American youth culture. Equal parts Buckeye football document, visual art experiment, counterculture artifact, and student time capsule, this volume feels notably different from the polished institutional yearbooks of earlier decades.
Most recognizable for its now infamous “worm cover,” the book jokes about its own strange symbolism in a humorous exchange printed near the front pages. The editors play with ideas of ecology, metaphysics, and symbolic interpretation, giving the yearbook a self-aware tone rooted in the post-1960s campus atmosphere.
Rather than presenting only a formal portrait of Ohio State University, the 1973 Makio often feels observational, experimental, and quietly rebellious. The photography uses candid black-and-white imagery, unconventional cropping, emotional portraiture, and layouts that reflect the influence of early-1970s magazine design and student media.
The volume includes strong coverage of Ohio State athletics during the Woody Hayes era, with football photography featuring Archie Griffin before his historic Heisman Trophy years. It also documents Ohio State’s appearance in the 1973 Rose Bowl against USC, placing the book within an important moment in Buckeye football history.
Beyond athletics, this Makio preserves a vivid record of student life in Columbus during the early 1970s. Long hair, changing fashion, concert photography, modern graphic design, graduation scenes, and candid campus imagery show a university culture balancing tradition with the aftershocks of the counterculture era.
One especially notable section features Rod Stewart concert photography, adding strong music and pop culture appeal. His presence in the yearbook reflects the growing connection between university life, rock music, youth identity, and contemporary visual culture during the period.
The worm cover itself functions almost as an anti-traditional statement. Instead of heroic football imagery, formal campus architecture, or conventional school symbolism, the editors chose a strange natural close-up paired with ironic commentary, making this edition especially memorable among Ohio State yearbooks.
The early 1970s were also a period when yearbook culture was changing nationally, with student interest shifting toward alternative media, underground publications, and more experimental forms of campus expression. This edition reflects that moment clearly, making it especially relevant for collectors of Ohio State history, Buckeye memorabilia, 1970s campus culture, genealogy material, counterculture ephemera, and university photography.
Yearbooks from this exact transitional era often experienced lower long-term survival and retention rates than earlier university annuals, as student interest in traditional yearbook culture declined during the early 1970s. The unusual visual identity and counterculture tone of this Makio make it especially memorable and less commonly encountered compared to more conventional Ohio State yearbooks from surrounding decades.
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Key Features
Original 1973 Ohio State University Makio yearbook
Now infamous “worm cover” edition
Archie Griffin football photographs
Woody Hayes era Ohio State athletics coverage
1973 Rose Bowl coverage featuring Ohio State vs USC
Rod Stewart concert photography
Early 1970s counterculture and campus life content
Strong genealogy, alumni, and Columbus Ohio research value
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Condition
Please see the photos to assess the item\'s condition. Additional images are available upon request. We ship throughout the U.S. and internationally. International orders are always welcome. Feel free to message us with any questions.
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05/27/2026
YEARBOOK OHIO STATE MAKIO ARCHIE GRIFFIN ROD STEWART WOODY HAYES ROSE BOWL 1973
