The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame

The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame was founded in 1978 to honor and publicly recognize the outstanding contributions by Ohio's women throughout the state's history. The program was run by the State of Ohio until 2011, at which point it became inactive. The Ohioana Library held the physical archives until 2019 when the files were transferred to us at the State Archives in the Ohio History Center. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (JFS) previously compiled and maintained the online records of the Hall of Fame until the data was recently transferred to us as well.
Disclaimer: All of the biography text was written/compiled by JFS and is as it was on their online resource. As such, no changes can be made to the entries. Images Disclaimer: All photographs were collected and donated to the Ohio History Connection by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. The Ohio History Connection is unable to provide high-resolution copies of the photographs.
Image First Name Middle Name Last Name County Category Induction Year Biography
Berenice Abbott Berenice Abbott Clark Arts, Music and Journalism 1991 Get Biography

American photographer Berenice Abbott was born in Springfield, Ohio on July 17, 1898. She attended Columbus Public Schools and studied briefly at Ohio State University before moving to New York City. In 1923, she was a darkroom assistant to the American Dadaist and Surrelist Man Ray in Paris. While there, she came into contact with the French photographer Eugene Atget, whose documentary work was at that time virtually unknown. In 1925, Abbott set up her own photography studio and made several portraits of well-known Parisian expatriates, artists, writers and aristocrats. After Atget's death, Abbott retrieved his prints and negatives, saving them from destruction and promoted his work.

Returning to New York City in 1929, she continued to do portraits and began documenting the city in photographs. Her five decades of accomplishments behind the camera range from portraiture and modernist experimentation to documentation and scientific interpretation. Her contributions as photographic educator, inventor, author and historian are equally diverse. She authored seventeen books, received four U.S. patents and taught photography at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Abbott's photographs effectively unite the personal and the impersonal in one penetrating body of work. In 1991, she died at her home in Monson, Maine.

Mary Jobe Akeley Mary Jobe Akeley Harrison Math, Science and Health Services 1979 Get Biography

A native of Tappan, Ohio and a graduate of Scio College (later Mt. Union College) Bryn Mawr, Akeley was a renowned explorer, educator, author and lecturer. After receiving a masters' degree from Columbia University in 1912, she became one of the world's leading explorers by traveling to remote reaches of the Canadian northwest, making ten expeditions in all. The Geographical Board of Canada acknowledged the importance of her achievements by naming a high peak of the Canadian Rockies Mt. Jobe in her honor.

In 1926, accompanied by her explorer-husband, Carl Ethan Akeley, she made her first African expedition. Journeying to the Kiva, Belgian Congol, in fulfillment of a mission given to them in Brussels by King Albert of Belgium, they undertook a study of the mountain gorilla. In addition, she mapped much of Kenya, Tanganyika and the Congo and completed a photographic study of Ugandan pink flamingo. After this expedition, Akeley spent eight years as special advisor to the Akeley African Hall in the New York American Museum of Natural History but later returned to Africa in 1935. In the great game reserves of Transvaal and Zululand, she made a comprehensive survey of the wildlife, taking still and motion pictures of rare and interesting African animals.

Akeley was the author of four books-Restless Jungle, Carl Akeley's Africa, Lions, Gorillas and Their Neighbors and Adventures in the African Jungle. She was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the American, Canadian and French Alpine Clubs.

In 1966, she died in her home in Connecticut. She is buried in Harrison County, Ohio.

Florence Allen Florence E Allen Cuyahoga Law 1978 Get Biography

Florence Allen's pioneering career in federal, state and local judicial systems has played a pivotal role in allowing young women to explore careers in the once male-dominated legal field.

Allen made history in 1922 when she was the first female ever elected to serve on a state supreme court. Before this historic election, she played an integral role in the county judicial system as both an Assistant County Prosecutor and a Common Pleas Court Judge for Cuyahoga County. In 1934, Allen made history when she became the first woman to be appointed a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During her 25 year tenure, she became Chief Judge of the 6th District Circuit Court which included Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. She authored the famous opinion supporting the right of congress to establish the Tennessee Valley Authority which was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Her name was mentioned time and again (by three Presidents) as a U.S. Supreme Court prospect, although the inability to envision a woman justice may have denied her that final "first".

As an active member of her community, Allen served on the Board of Directors for several organizations promoting the advancement of women in the workplace such as the Cleveland Business and Professional Women's Club and was a charter member (1916) of the Women's City Club of Cleveland. Through her work in the courtroom and the community, Florence Allen was a committed advocate for women in the workplace.

Owens N Alvarene Montgomery Law 2010 Get Biography

Attorney Alvarene N. Owens has been a trial lawyer for 35 years, beginning as a prosecutor, becoming a criminal defense attorney and ultimately establishing a practice specializing in personal injury and wrongful death claims. She was the first woman and African-American (or minority of any kind) to be appointed to the board of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Ms. Owens is a member of the National Bar, the American Bar, the Ohio State Bar and the Thurgood Marshall Law Society of which she enjoyed the longest tenure as President. She continues to be a board member of the Miami Valley Trial Lawyers. In the Dayton Bar Association, she was a long time member of the Bar Exam-Qualifications Committee; co-chairperson of the Sole Practitioners Committee and the Diversity Committee. She was a previous member of the Ohio State Bar Association's Committee on Character and Fitness and a previous member of the board of the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority.

Ms. Owens is a member of the NAACP, the Dayton Urban League, SCLC and of the National Council of Negro Women. She is a Golden Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a member of the Dayton Chapter of the Links, Inc., Sinclair Community College Foundation, the African American Visual Arts Guild and the Dayton Urban League.

Harriet Anderson Harriet J Anderson Athens Arts, Music and Journalism 1983 Get Biography

Harriet Anderson received an B.A. in Fine Arts from Ohio University in 1933. She returned to graduate studies in techniques of modern art at The Ohio State University in 1961. Shortly thereafter, she began to develop her unusual style of collage using acrylic paints, natural-found materials and Japanese paper. As a painter and textile artist, Ms. Anderson placed her art works in numerous Ohio collections.

She was also responsible for establishing "The Dairy Barn", a center for Ohio craftsmen and women in Southeast Ohio and home of the National Quilt competition. In 1977, the State of Ohio planned to raze the 63-year old structure. Mrs. Anderson admired the barn and envisioned it as a cultural arts center for southeastern Ohio. The structure, however, had already been scheduled for demolition. Harriet, along with her husband, petitioned the Governor and the building was saved just nine days before it was due to be torn down. The Barn, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has become a nationally respected arts center.

Presently, the Dairy Barn is one of the largest tourist attractions in southeastern Ohio. The Quilt National and the National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships bring in visitors from all over the world. In addition to tourism, the Barn provides an economic base for the community and an outlet for artists and craftsmen.

Margaret Andrew Margaret J Andrew Montgomery Math, Science and Health Services 1986 Get Biography

Dayton native Margaret J. Andrew was the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking and Finance from The Ohio State University. After graduation, she was employed as an experimental engineer with the Frigidaire Division of General Motors and a pioneer for women in the non-traditional fields of science and technology.

Ms. Andrew invented and received patents for improvements in dishwashing and clothes washing appliances. These included dish racks to improve the effectiveness of water action for cleaning dishes, an automatic clothes washing apparatus with improved agitation control and a washing machine for cleaning woolens without shrinkage.

In 1982, she researched, tested and perfected a method of cooking, sealing and freezing food at home with resulted in a publication, "Home Food Care".

Ms. Andrew was the first female President of the Ohio Valley Section of Food Technologists. She was very active in her community serving on numerous boards and organizations.

Paige Ashbaugh Paige Ashbaugh Summit Sports and Athletics 2000 Get Biography

Fitness legend Paige Palmer has spent her life striving to change the image of American women during her multifaceted career as a broadcast personality, journalist, world traveler, art collector, and philanthropist.

As the First Lady of Physical Fitness, Palmer starred in her own TV exercise/lifestyle show for 25 years (the first in the nation) and hosted her own radio show for 10 years. She was the first fitness expert to develop and promote her own exercise equipment (The Complete Home Gym), along with apparel. She has written hundreds of articles and books on travel and fashion and continues to do so. She has been honored seven times at the invitational Buckeye Book Fair, which exclusively presents authors who either write about Ohio or who are Ohioans.

Born and raised in Akron and educated at the University of Akron and the University of California at Berkeley, Palmer parlayed her win in a national "Perfect Figure Contest" into an international career that has spanned more than 60 years. Her entrepreneurial and imaginative spirit led to the "The Paige Palmer Show," a live, one-hour, five-day per week TV show broadcast for 25+ years from WEWS Cleveland studios of Scripps Howard during 1948 , 1973. With that prize-winning, innovative show as a springboard, Palmer used her multiple talents and forged a path as a TV star, fashion maven, author, fitness pioneer, teacher, broadcast journalist, model, dancer, athlete, museum donor and honoree, inventor and community activist, along with being a wife and mother.

She is also a world traveler who has written 20 award-winning travel books for Pilot Books of New York, along with countless articles for magazines and newspapers. In recognition of her career, Palmer was honored by the U.S. Congress, as recorded in the Congressional Record, for improving the quality of life for American women.

In 1999 Palmer's fashions and memorabilia were showcased in an exhibition at the Kent State University Museum. Panache: Paige Palmer , A Salute to 50 Years of Fashion and Fitness recognized her work that had influenced and changed the way of life for innumerable people during the latter half of the 20th century. In January 2000, The Paige Palmer Gallery was dedicated at the Kent State University Museum in honor of Palmer's gift of her 130-piece collection of Ohio art pottery "Uncommon Clay" to the museum's permanent collection of decorative arts.

Palmer is the recipient of numerous national and international awards.

Earladeen Badger Earladeen Badger Hamilton Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

Dr. Earladeen Badger, Ph.D. has devoted over 45 years to improving the quality of life for future generations. As an associate professor in the Newborn Division of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Badger developed a parent training curriculum for low-income families. When federal funding for these types of programs waned, she revised the format to target middle-class parents and began to market the service.

In 1986, Dr. Badger produced the first "All About Kids Show" at the Cincinnati Convention Center. The event grew to be an annual event with proceeds from the show going to the All About Kids Endowment for Young Investigators in the Perinatal Research Institute at Children's Hospital, Cincinnati. The success of this program spawned a monthly news publication, regular parenting segments on local television and radio public service messages. It also was sponsored by six other Children's Hospitals in their cities.

Dr. Badger was founder and president of United Services for Effective Parenting (USEP), a statewide network of over 300 program deliveries of birth to three programs in the State of Ohio.

Retiring in 2001, Dr. Badger is an active community volunteer.

Sheila Bailey Sheila G Bailey Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2003 Get Biography

Dr. Sheila Bailey is a senior physicist in the Photovoltaic and Space Environments Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center.

Bailey was the technical lead for "Advanced Concepts" in the Power and On-board Propulsion Technology programs, which gave birth to three new research areas in 2002: Quantum Dot Solar Cell Technology which she currently leads, Solar Arrays and Blankets, and Extended Temperature Solar Cells. She is the only female technical lead in the Photovoltaic and Space Environments Branch.

She has authored or co-authored over 113 books, journals and conference publications, 6 book chapters and two patents. NASA awarded her the Exceptional Service Medal in 1999.

Dr. Bailey has served on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC) Executive Committee since 1987. She was named the 2006 International Conference General Chair,the first woman Chair in the PVSC's history and the only female member of the International World Conference Advisory Committee.

Bailey is an active and ardent mentor, introducing women to physics.

Carol Ball Carol L Ball Darke Arts, Music and Journalism 1997 Get Biography

Carol L. Ball is publisher and chief executive officer of Ball Publishing Company in Greenville, Ohio, which publishes The Early Bird, a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 27,000 and offers commercial typesetting and advertising and marketing consulting services.

In April, 1997, Ball was elected as the first woman to chair the board of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, of which she was a 10-year member and held a seat on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She also held the position of regional vice chair and was elected to her first term as treasurer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1994. In addition, Ball has been involved with the Darke County Chamber of Commerce where she participated in Main Street America, Economic Development, Legislative and School Business Advisory committees.

Ball contributed to several committees of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and is past chair of the Ohio Small Business Council. She also was instrumental in establishing the Ohio Chamber's first permanent Columbus headquarters in its 103-year history and is involved with a variety of community and education committees and organizations.

Her commitments are far reaching through her past involvement with Edison Community College, Governor's Human Resource Investment Council, Ohio Council on Vocational Education, Central Region of the National Association for State Councils Vocational Education, Ohio's Job Training Task Force, Ohio Forum 2000, Congressional Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, Ohio's Legislative Task Force on Health Care and Health Insurance and the National Commission on Work-Based Learning.

Kathleen Barber Kathleen L Barber Cuyahoga Education 1986 Get Biography

Kathleen L. Barber's work in the fields of education and politics have made a profound impact in the Cleveland community. Barber is a Professor Emerita of Political Science at John Carroll University and chaired the department for several years. Even after retirement, she continues to conduct and publish research findings and is active in community affairs. She has been published in several legal and political journals and has written two books: Proportional Representation and Election Reform in Ohio (1995) and Right to Representation: Election Systems for the Twenty-First Century (2000).She has been a life-long activist in politics. Dr. Barber has served as a city council member and Vice Mayor of Shaker Heights. She was also a member of the Ohio State Democratic Executive Committee and a two-time Ohio delegate to the Democratic National Convention. As an active member of the community, Barber was a founding trustee of both the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Public Radio and served on the board of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs.

Judy Barker Judy Barker Franklin Business and Labor 2002 Get Biography

Judy Barker is the first African-American woman to become president of an international corporation's philanthropic foundation. In her 30 year tenure, she has made an impact on more than 20,000 non-profit charitable organizations.

Barker is an experienced executive with diversified background in the initiation, implementation and administration of worldwide corporate contribution and social investment programs. She is a strong innovative leader and effective team builder in developing strategies that increase profit and enhance corporate image. Recently, Judy formed a philanthropic management and organizational development consulting company applying her expertise to assist local and national corporations and non-profit organizations.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Barker was a Senior Vice President of Civic Affairs and Corporate Contributions and Chairwoman of Key Bank Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio whose $21 million national contributions budget assisted organizations in 46 states. She developed and implemented Key's first national charitable contribution strategic plan that included a vision and mission reflective of the company's business objectives.

As Global Vice-President of Avon Products, Inc. and President of the Avon Products Foundation in New York, Barker developed the first worldwide strategic contributions policy administered in 130 countries. While living in Manhattan, she was involved with numerous women's organizations that enhanced the lives of a diversified population. Her philanthropic career began at the Borden Foundation Inc., where she was President of its Foundation and the only minority to serve as an executive officer of its 14 member leadership team.

Barker holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree from Xavier University. Her numerous honors and awards include the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, both in Columbus and New York; the National Council of Negro Women Award, Washington D.C.; Role Model Image Award, Bennett College; Citizens Union Leadership Award, New York; and Ohio State University Distinguished Citation of Community Service Award. She is listed in Who's Who of American Women. Additionally, Judy has been named in Ebony Magazine as one of the "50 Top Black Executives in Corporate America" and "10 Top Corporate Women Power Players" and has been featured on CNN.

Despite a busy schedule, she continues to serve on the national board of The United Negro College Fund, Paine College, COSI, the International New York-based Women's Forum and Project People Foundation, an international economic development charitable organization serving women in South Africa and the U.S.

Dorothy Baunach Dorothy Baunach Cuyahoga Business and Labor 2008 Get Biography

Dorothy Champion Baunach is a leader in technology development and entrepreneurship. Currently, she is the President and CEO of NorTech, a group of business and technology leaders in Northeast Ohio. Baunach was the founding President of the Edison BioTechnology Center (now BioOhio). Dorothy has served on the Industry, Technology, and Enterprise Council as a Governor's Appointee since 1998; a Governor's Appointee to the Midwestern Higher Education Collaborative from 2000 to 2006; and participated on an expert panel for the National Research Council for the report on "Harnessing Technology for American's Economic Future" in 1999. She serves on the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition as treasurer; the boards of OneCommunity, Council on Competitiveness' Regional Innovation Initiative Expert Committee and President's Council, Ohio Innovation Fund Advisory Board, and NEOSA.

Dorothy received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Cleveland Engineering Society's Leadership Award, the Greater Cleveland Partnership Richard A. Shatten Leadership Award, and was deemed a "Rainmaker" by Northern Ohio Live. She was elected President of CES in 2004 and was the first woman in that position in its 125 year history. Dorothy was named by Crain's Cleveland Business as one of the 20 most influential women in Northeast Ohio in 2000 and one of the top 100 most powerful people in the region by Inside Business.

Dorothy, a Cleveland, Ohio native, has lived and been socially active in Northeast Ohio for more than 30 years. She is currently leading a two million dollar campaign for a women's center in the Cleveland neighborhood where she grew up.

Mildred Bayer Mildred Bayer Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1981 Get Biography

A 1932 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing, Mrs. Bayer is founder and president of Health Clinics International (HCI), a non-profit organization based in Toledo. Through her work with HCI, she established mobile health clinics in Nigeria after volunteering her services to a West African missionary hospital in 1970. She was also the inspiration for the beginning of two clinics in India, one near Delhi and the other east of Madras.

Bayer was instrumental in forming two clinics for migrant workers in Lucas County in 1960. She also initiated the Friendly Visiting Program to the Aged and Chronically Ill in northwestern Ohio and was a co-founder of the Mobile Meals Service for Toledo and Lucas County.

Ms. Bayer was instrumental in passage of State legislation requiring nursing home operators to be licensed.

She received the 1969 Outstanding Service Award from the Toledo Educational Association and the Stella Maris Award from Mary Manse College.

MaryoftheAnnunciation Beaumont MaryoftheAnnunciation Beaumont Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1992 Get Biography

Mother Mary of the Annunciation (Mary Beaumont) of the Order of Saint Ursula, was only 32 years old when she left France and came to Cleveland in 1850 with four other religious women from Boulogne-sur-Mer to be the foundress of the Ursuline Nuns of Cleveland.

An outstanding educator and early leader in the education of women, she founded Ursuline College in 1871, the first chartered college for women in Ohio. As the Catholic parish grew in number, they became teachers of the poor, the immigrants, and the upper classes as the Catholic parish school grew in number and spread throughout northern Ohio. With her energetic initiative and educational insight, this resolute, pioneer Ursuline Nun inspired hundreds of women in Ohio to follow her example. She and the other sisters established academies for girls in Toledo, Tiffin and Youngstown.

The sisters' concern for the poor was legendary, their cardinal tenet being: "Whatever you have, graciously share it with others." With the founding of Ursuline College in 1871, Mother Mary of the Annunciation Beaumont had the foresight and vision to provide education for women at all levels. Over the years, graduates of Ursuline College have become responsible, caring women and leaders in society.

Sandra Beckwith Sandra Beckwith Hamilton Law 1995 Get Biography

Sandra Shank Beckwith became the first woman judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in 1992, appointed by President George H. Bush. Prior to that, she had broken ground as the first woman president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners (1990); the first woman to be appointed, then elected, to the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners (1989); the first woman elected to the Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations in Hamilton County (1982); and the first woman elected to the Hamilton County Municipal Court (1977). Judge Beckwith's career started in a private law practice with her father, Charles L. Shank, in Harrison, Ohio.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has provided leadership to the United Way of Cincinnati, Great Rivers Girl Scout Council, National Association of Women Judges, University of Cincinnati College of Law Alumni, University of Cincinnati Friends of Women's Studies and University of Cincinnati College of Law Board of Visitors. She currently serves on the Boards of the Red Cross and Tender Mercies, and chairs the Board of Collaborative Law Center, promoting an innovative approach to alternative dispute resolution.

Judge Beckwith has spearheaded efforts to enact and enforce laws prohibiting domestic violence. As a Judge and County Commissioner, she worked to ensure effective enforcement of child support laws. She remains vitally interested in issues affecting families.

MaryJo Behrensmeyer MaryJo Behrensmeyer Knox Education 1999 Get Biography

Learn, teach and serve. The phrase serves as a mission statement for Mary Jo Behrensmeyer, a dedicated educator and archaeologist.

For 24 years, Behrensmeyer has taught Latin classes at Mount Vernon High School. In 1985, she developed the School College Articulation Program (SCAP) through a partnership with Kenyon College. As a result, Mount Vernon is the only public school in Ohio to offer SCAP Latin.

In 1977, Behrensmeyer published Augmenting Reading Skills Through Language Learning Transfer. This 678-page text, made possible through a grant under Title III, was developed to improve reading skills of inner-city children reading below grade level. The program is still used in Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Philadelphia and has received national recognition in Time magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

In addition to her distinguished teaching career, Behrensmeyer is the Senior Staff Archaeologist and House Excavation Director for The Ohio State University excavations at Isthmia, Greece. In Greece, she serves as conservator of the largest monochrome mosaic east of Rome. The Mosaic, a Roman bath that measures 70 feet by 24 feet and is 2000 years old, was discovered in 1976. Behrensmeyer is working with other archaeologists to restore and preserve this ancient artifact.

Behrensmeyer received one of only 12 William Fulbright Foreign Fellowships awarded in 1999. She spent four weeks at the American Academy in Rome and four weeks in Pompeii conducting research on various sites. Throughout her teaching career, Behrensmeyer has received several scholarships and fellowships to conduct her research. In 1998, she was recognized as Mount Vernon's Outstanding Educator of the Year and the Knox County Business Advisory Council's Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Behrensmeyer frequently speaks to groups and is involved in many professional organizations, including the American Classical League, the Ohio Classical Conference, the Smithsonian, the Indiana Classical Conference, Pompeiiana Inc., the Archaeological Institute of America and the Greater Columbus Latin Club. She is a member of Charles J. Ping Institute of the Humanities and a recipient of their fellowships to Ohio University and Italy.

Mildred Benson Mildred Benson Lucas Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

Mildred Wirt Benson received her first award for creative writing at the age of 14 and went on to become the first woman to earn a master's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa.

In 1930, she wrote the Secret of the Old Clock, the first in the original series of Nancy Drew mysteries for the Stratemeyer Syndicate and subsequently wrote 23 of the first 27 of these books under the pen name Carolyn Keene. In total, Benson has authored more that 130 published books and 100 magazine stories and articles including Dangerous Deadline, for which she received the Dodd-Mead-Boys' Life National Prize.

In 1944, she began her long and continuing professional association with the Toledo Times and Toledo Blade, serving as city hall and courthouse reporter and writing the award-winning aviation column, Happy Landings. Until her death, Millie remained a reporter and columnist for The Blade, writing a weekly column, On the Go with Millie Benson.

Benson has received numerous awards and honors, including those from the Ohioana Library, Ohio Women Newspaper Association, Ohio Aviation Trades Association and the 1990 Lifetime Achievement Award from Phantom Friends, a group of Nancy Drew fans. In 1992, she donated her Underwood typewriter to the Smithsonian. She then composed her stories on a computer.

In May, 2002, Millie became ill at work at The Toledo Blade while working on her column and was later taken to the hospital where she died at the age of 96. Her final column celebrated her love of books and libraries.

Grace Berlin Grace F Berlin Lucas Math, Science and Health Services 1980 Get Biography

A native of Monclova, Berlin was one of the first Ohio women graduates to earn a degree in ecology.

Graduating from Oberlin College in 1923, she had previously journeyed across the continental United States by automobile with her ecology class and recorded the trip with photographs, which are now on file in the Oberlin College Archives.

Berlin was a past office holder in The National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Association and several Historical Societies. An avid naturalist and historian, she has written papers on Ohio architecture, including early one-room schoolhouses and roads.

Daeida Hartell Wilcox Beveridge Daeida Hartell Wilcox Beveridge Defiance Business and Labor 1995 Get Biography

Daeida Hartell Wilcox Beveridge (1862-1914) succeeded in a time and place where many others ,women and men alike , failed. Born in Hicksville, Daeida Hartell attended private school there and later public school in Canton. After marriage to Harvey Wilcox, she moved to California. In 1886, the couple purchased 120 acres of apricot and fig groves in a frost-free belt outside of Los Angeles. They subdivided the property into 400' x 400' blocks, landscaped them with pepper trees and gave the streets beautiful names like 'unset Boulevard."

The Wilcoxes called their subdivision Hollywood, a name Mrs. Wilcox came up with on a train trip back home to Hicksville. The property, which had been bought for $150 an acre, now sold for $1,000 per lot. Although widowed four years later, Mrs. Wilcox fueled development of Hollywood into a thriving city by maintaining a unique vision of community, exercising keen business judgement and allowing the sheer force of her personality to influence and attract others. She donated land for three churches, the first library, the city hall, a park, a primary school and a police station. She developed a commercial district, built the Hollywood National and Citizen's Savings banks, a post office, a theatrical playhouse, and the city's first sidewalks.

In 1894, Mrs. Wilcox married Philo Judson Beveridge, son of the governor of California. The Beveridge's had four children and continued their philanthropic and civic-minded good works until Mrs. Beveridge's death in 1914.

Mary Ann Bickerdyke Mary Ann Bickerdyke Knox Math, Science and Health Services 1979 Get Biography

A native of Knox County, Bickerdyke was one of the best-loved nurses of the Civil War. She was a 44-year-old widow supporting her step-children as a "botanic" physician when, at the urging of her pastor and a friend, she started her career of caring for wounded soldiers in camp hospitals.

Bickerdyke was present at 19 battles, at several tending the wounded on the field as well as the hospitals. She not only directed the management of diet kitchens, but rounded up supplies when others could not. General Sherman, a fellow Ohioan, made special arrangements for Bickerdyke to remain on the campgrounds after regular hours to better care for the men. With her fighting spirit and fierce determination to give enlisted men the best possible care, she became the terror of doctors and incompetent officers and the idol of soldiers.

On May 24, 1865, at the Grand Military Review in Washington, D.C., Bickerdyke rode with General John Logan at the head of the 15th Corps of 65,000 men. After the war, she ran a boarding house and helped veterans homestead in Kansas. Invited to New York City, she spent four years in the slums helping immigrants get started in the new world.

A monument to Bickerdyke was erected in 1904 on the courthouse lawn in Galesburg, Illinois (her family home) and during World War II, a victory freighter was named the S.S. Mary A. Bickerdyke in her honor.

Anna Biggins Anna Biggins Trumbull Business and Labor 1988 Get Biography

Anna Ash Biggins has exhibited outstanding leadership within the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Congress of Labor Union Women (CLUW) and her community.

Biggins was appointed to the position of full time International Representative on the staff of UAW Region 2, Cleveland, in 1988 by Director Warren Davis. Her duties for the local unions included contract negotiations, grievance handling and arbitration.

Starting her career with the UAW as a benefit plans representative at General Motors in Lordstown, Biggins was the first woman in UAW Local 1112's history to be elected in a plant-wide election and is the first woman in Region 2 to be appointed International Representative. While with Local 1112, she served as a union delegate to the CLUW's National Executive Board. In 1983, and again in 1986, she was elected top delegate to the UAW Constitutional Convention from her Local.

Biggins has also served on the Executive Board of the UAW State Community Action Program Council and was a three time delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

She retired from General Motors, Lordstown, Ohio and her position with the UAW International Union in 1998.

Ione Biggs Ione M Biggs Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1983 Get Biography

As an advocate for world peace and social justice, Ione Biggs has dedicated her entire life to political and social activism. She has spent many years working with various committees and inner-city organizations concerned with crime prevention, gun control, public housing, women's rights, voter registration, hunger, poverty, and unemployment.

She served four terms as president for Women Speak Out for Peace and attended the United Nations End of the Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985. Concerned with the number of poor and minority young men being sent to fight in Vietnam, she actively lobbied against the war. She also organized the Cleveland Committee on the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1994.

She is a former board member of many community organizations, including the Advisory Board of the Women's Community Fund, the League of Women Voters, WomenSpace, Americans for Democratic Action, and the Cleveland branch of the N.A.A.C.P. She was extremely active in the Civil Rights Movement and was one of the organizers and co-chairs of the Northeast Ohio Anti-Apartheid Committee.

Biggs has attended international peace conferences in Sweden, the former Soviet Union, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia.

Fay Biles Fay R Biles Portage Education 1986 Get Biography

Fay R. Biles, Ph.D., became the first woman vice president of an Ohio university, serving in that capacity at Kent State University from 1972 to 1978. She is nationally and internationally known for her work and research in the field of human resource development.

Dr. Biles also served as the Vice President for North America for the International Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She replaced Menachem Begin, who became ill, as the keynote speaker at the 1985 conference in Israel, becoming the first woman speaker in the history of the council.

As a volunteer for the American Heart Association, she was chairman of the Health Education Committee for the Young. She organized and launched a fund raising project called "Jump Rope for Heart" which brought awareness of the importance of exercising for healthy hearts. She has been a consultant, speaker, workshop director and seminar leader for over 35 years on the subject of the prevention of heart disease.

A member of the U.S. Olympic committee, Biles was a coach and teacher of girls' and women's sports. She has had articles published in national magazines about women in the Olympics. She is a lifetime consultant to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Biles retired to Marco Island, Florida. She became very active in community activities including becoming a state officer in the Florida American Association of University Women. She was awarded their highest honor, "Woman of Change."

She is a memeber of Florida Gulf Coast University's Foundation Board and served as a consultant to the Foundation. She is a member of the Community Foundation for Collier County and Chairperson of the Water and Wastewater Authority of Collier County. She serves on the Collier County Sheriff's Association and is President of FAVA Associates, a consulting firm specializing in leadership and communication skills.

Eula Bingham Eula Bingham Hamilton Education 1983 Get Biography

Eula Bingham has demonstrated that individual citizens can and do make a difference. Through her pioneering work as a scholar and educator, future generations will benefit from her commitment to the health and welfare of others. Her achievements have earned her accolades from the workers she sought to protect, the business community she regulated and her professional colleagues.

In 1977, Bingham was the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) during the Carter administration. Her term included a time when the United States Supreme Court upheld the right of workers to refuse tasks they believed would endanger their lives or make them vulnerable to serious injury. Her efforts to improve the health of working Americans earned her a Rockefeller Public Service Award from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1980. Under Dr. Bingham's initiatives, OSHA's sense of purpose and priorities were restored. Agency performance, integrity and morale improved dramatically. She was dubbed the "laureate of the working person" by the media.

After her term ended at OSHA, Ms. Bingham returned to University of Cincinnati's Medical College, where she directed the Ohio Hazardous Substance Research, Education and Management Institute. She has published more than forty articles and monographs on her work in toxicology, chemical carcinogenesis and risk assessment.

Dr. Bingham is a member of the Society for Toxicology, Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health, the Society for Occupational and Environmental Health, the American Association for Cancer Research, Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Amelia Bingham Amelia Bingham Defiance Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

Amelia Swilley Bingham's career began in her hometown of Hicksville, Ohio, where her father owned a hotel near the Huber Opera House.

A student at Ohio Wesleyan University, Bingham spent the summer of 1890 being a waitress at Swilley House. There she met her future husband, Lloyd M. Bingham, a visiting New York manager who helped launch her theatrical career. Bingham toured the country to great acclaim and this rising star of American melodrama debuted on Broadway in 1893, playing the lead in The Struggle for Life. By 1900, Bingham organized her own theatrical stock company and undertook the management of New York's Bijou Theater. She continued her dual role of producer and star for a number of years and solidified her professional reputation with Clyde Fitch's play, The Climbers. Other successes included The Frisky Mrs. Johnson, A Modern Magdalene, Joan of Arc, The Bonnie Brier Bush and Cashel Byron's Profession.

Bingham thus became the first American woman to achieve success as both manager and producer of Broadway, this in addition to her accomplishments as an actress. Bingham's work occasionally returned her to her beloved Hicksville, where she was , and continues to be , admired as an example of what one woman from a small town can accomplish.

Tina Bischoff Lovin Tina Bischoff Lovin Franklin Sports and Athletics 1981 Get Biography

A Columbus native, Tina Marie Bischoff, is a world champion long-distance swimmer. Tina has an impressive background in marathon swimming and is one of the fastest swimmers in the sport. She set a new world's record August 5, 1976, by swimming the English Channel in a time of 9 hours and 3 minutes, 30 minutes faster than the previous record.

At the age of 12, Bischoff became an All-American Long Distance Swimmer and was a National Long Distance Champion by the age of 14. In 1976, on a 17-mile swim from Jabila and Latakia, Syria, in the Mediterranean, she won the International Amateur Long Distance Swimming Race, becoming the Syrian International Women's Champion.

She claimed the South American International Women's Amateur Champion title by swimming a 50-mile distance in 9 hours, 1 minute and won the 1976 International Long Distance Swim in the Nile. In 1980, Tina won the Naples to Capri Swim in Italy and the Nile Swim again. Tina has received the United Press Association Outstanding Women Award and is a member of the Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Her most memorable races have been the Hawaii Ironman races where she placed fourth in the Ironman World Series. She has extended her competitive range to a victory in the 1989 Ultraman in Hawaii which is a three-day, tortuous contest that ends with a double marathon.

Carrie Black Carrie Black Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 2008 Get Biography

Carrie Nelson Black founded the Columbus Society for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis (now known as The Breathing Association) in 1906. She was a woman dedicated to improving the quality of life for those less fortunate.

Born in Etna, Ohio Carrie lived in Columbus the majority of her life. In 1898 she studied nursing in Chicago, Boston and New York to learn how to adequately care for the "sick poor" and to incorporate the best ideas to treat tuberculosis in Columbus.

Carrie also founded the Instructive District Nurses Association (IDNA), the first Columbus Health Department home nursing service, and the Columbus Cancer Clinic, the first free cancer clinic in the United States. She served beyond the role of Tuberculosis Society President to guide daily operations as Chief Executive for 30 years without drawing a paycheck.

She was instrumental in the building of the first tuberculosis cottages by Franklin County. Children with tuberculosis could seek refuge at the Open Air School in Columbus because of Carrie's perseverance. Her health campaign also supported the Nightingale Cottage for children exposed to tuberculosis, which opened in 1931. Carrie Nelson Black was married to Probate Judge Samuel L. Black, who was also the Mayor of Columbus in 1897 - 1898. A mother of three children, she prevailed upon Governor Judson Harmon in 1911 to proclaim Ohio's first Mother's Day. She then served as Director of the Ohio Association for Mother's Day.

Her philosophy of life was an inspiration, as she poured unrelenting energy, compassion, and kindness into her missions. As a pioneer and health crusader, Carrie spent her life in service to humanity. Her legacy lives on in the work of the agencies that she founded more than 100 years ago.

Helen Chatfield Black Helen Chatfield Black Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Through her unselfish dedication to conservation and the protection of the natural environment of Ohio, Black has made a lasting mark on the conservation movement that has benefitted countless Ohioans. The Indian Hills resident has been involved at the local, state and national levels in many environmental and ecological organizations and has received numerous awards for her involvement in conservation.

Mrs. Black is one of the founders of both Little Miami, Inc. and the Cincinnati Nature Center (serving as vice president from 1967 to 1977). She served as president of Ohio's chapter of The Nature Conservancy from 1976 to 1978 and is a former board and executive member of the Ohio Environmental Council. Black has also been a member of the Little Miami Scenic River Advisory Council and the Cincinnati Art Museum Board.

In 1973, Helen Black was awarded the Oak Leaf Award from Ohio's chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the same year received the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Conservation Award. In 1972, the Garden Club of America awarded Black the Medal of Merit for Conservation.

Patricia Ann Blackmon Patricia Ann Blackmon Cuyahoga Law 1995 Get Biography

In 1990, Patricia Ann Blackmon became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Court of Appeals for any district in the State of Ohio. Judge Blackmon currently is a Judge on the Eighth Judicial District, Cuyahoga County.

Judge Blackmon and partners Almeta Johnson and Una Kennon opened the first African-American women's law firm in Ohio -- Johnson, Keenon, and Blackmon. Until its dissolution in 1982, much of the firm's work was concentrated in the areas of civil rights and women's issues. In a 1983 case, Campbell v. Campbell, Judge Blackmon represented a battered wife in an action for damages against the husband. The result was a judgement of $50,000, the first time in Ohio that a battered woman received such a large damage award.

In 1993, Judge Blackmon was appointed director of the National Association of Women Judges for the Seventh District, which covers Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. In 1994, she was appointed by the Supreme Court of Ohio to the Board of Commissioners to Grievances and Discipline of Lawyers and Judges.

Throughout her life and career, Judge Blackmon has demonstrated an unwavering willingness to explore uncharted waters. Her success as a risk-taker and adventurer make her an important role model for all Ohioans.

Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1986 Get Biography

Elizabeth Blackwell, America's first woman physician, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio during her youth. Blackwell overcame tremendous barriers to become the first woman admitted to medical school in the United States. Saving every penny she made as a teacher to attend medical school, she was rejected repeatedly. In 1847, she was accepted by Geneva Medical School in New York after a professor, hoping his students would do his dirty work, let the young men vote on whether to accept a woman into their class. They voted "yes". In 1849, Blackwell graduated at the top of her class.

In 1853, Blackwell opened her own one-room dispensary which then expanded into the New York Infirmary for Women and Children in 1857. It was the first hospital run entirely by women. Returning to England in 1858, she became the first woman to be entered on the Medial Register of the United Kingdom.

Blackwell published extensively, particularly in the areas of sanitation and hygiene. Her work was later validated by Dr. Louis Pasteur. Though Blackwell was first and foremost a physician, she was a constant supporter of women in every walk of life.

By 1910, when Elizabeth died, more than 7,000 women were practicing physicians.

Jeraldyne Kilborn Blunden Jeraldyne Kilborn Blunden Montgomery Arts, Music and Journalism 2003 Get Biography

Overcoming boundaries and inspiring others to do the same is an overarching theme of Jeraldyne Blunden's legacy.

Jeraldyne Kilborn Blunden was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 10, 1940 and remained in The Gem City her entire life, committed to providing dance education and performance opportunities for young people

At age 19, she became director of dance classes at the Linden Center and established Jeraldyne's School of the Dance. The school nurtured young children with an interest in dance while providing them the chance to develop poise, self-confidence and leadership skills.

In 1968, Ms. Blunden founded the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), which holds the largest repertoire of classic works by African American choreographers in the world.

The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Blunden was awarded the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship Award and the National Black Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Frances Bolton Frances P Bolton Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

Frances Bolton's dedication to improving the lives of others through education and public service continues to effect members of the Cleveland community.

As a Republican congresswoman for more than twenty years, she is remembered most for her financial support of projects in the fields of health and education. Support for healthcare was influenced by her experiences as a volunteer with the Visiting Nurses Association in the slums of Cleveland. During World War I, she influenced Secretary of War Newton Baker to establish a school of nursing for wartime nurses rather than relying upon volunteers. She was also instrumental in establishing a nursing school at Case Western Reserve University.

After the death of her husband in 1939, Bolton was awarded her husband's congressional seat and continued to serve until she was defeated in 1968.

As an active member of the community, Bolton was a member of several civic organizations and was also instrumental in establishing Payne Study and Experiment Fund, which would finance projects to benefit children. She donated land to James Hawken to build the Hawken School, established in 1915, as a coed preparatory school.

Erma Bombeck Erma Bombeck Montgomery Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Bombeck is a best-selling author, syndicated humor columnist and television personality. A graduate of the University of Dayton, she launched her journalism career with the Dayton Journal Herald as a copy girl and later worked in the women's department for five years.

A member of Theta Sigma Phi and Sigma Delta Chi, Bombeck was a contributing editor to Good Housekeeping magazine and has authored five books - At Wit's End, If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?, The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank, I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression, Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own, and Aunt Erma's Cope Book.

A literary herald of housewives and suburban life, Bombeck wrote the syndicated humor column At Wit's End, which ran in more than 700 newspapers and has appeared on numerous television talk shows. She was a featured personality on ABC's Good Morning, America.

She died at the age of 69 from kidney disease. An on-line museum (www.ermamuseum.org) "opened" in 2002 commemorating her life.

Rebecca Boreczky Rebecca S Boreczky Delaware Religion and Community Services 2001 Get Biography

After watching a 1970 newscast about an Appalachian train tossing candy to children and noting that this would be the only Christmas these children would have, Rebecca Boreczky's heart ached. The next year the children received Christmas gifts. Rebecca rounded up food, medicines, wheelchairs and school books for the rural schools in Pike, Adams and Scioto counties. She also obtained a fetal monitor for a hospital with high infant-death-rates.

In 1992 Rebecca learned that Russian hospitals could only afford aspirin to treat the sick. She set out to convince the government to donate hospital supplies to Russia and also arranged for Aeroflat to land at Port Columbus to pick up medicines, vaccines, medical equipment and clothing for the hospitals of Russia.

She has helped homeless shelters provide for their children and bring them the "extras" of life. To her, every child deserves the chance to play a musical instrument, go to the zoo and have a birthday party.

Rebecca is currently compiling a "coffee table book" featuring poems, lyrics, drawings, photographs and prayers about peace. After the book is finished, Rebecca will hold an international peace conference for youth.

Caro Bosca Caro Bosca Clark Government and Military Service 2008 Get Biography

As one of the first female pilots, Caro Bayley Bosca studied at the Woman's Airforce Training Program (WASP) as part of Class 43-W-7, and became one of the first women to pilot American military aircraft during World War II.

After receiving her silver wings at graduation, Caro attended the B-25 Transition School and then trained with a tow target squadron, where she flew the SBD Dauntless, SB2C, AT-11, P-47, B-25 and B-26 on missions to train ground soldiers to use the radar screen. After the WASP program disbanded in December 1944, Caro became a flight instructor in Miami.

She began entering aerobatic competitions and became the International Women's Aerobatic Champion in 1951, setting the official altitude record of 30,203 feet for which she received the Bleriot medal and held the record until the mid-1980s. After establishing these great achievements for women in aviation, Mademoiselle magazine named her the 1951 "Aviation Woman of the Year."

Caro was a member of Women in Aviation International and the Women's Military Aviators and sat as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Woman's Air and Space Museum, the Ninety-Nines, and the EEA. As President of WASP, and along with her other awards and experience, Caro Bayley Bosca was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in Ohio in the early 1990s. Caro was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, and after hanging up her wings, raised her own children in Springfield as well.

Mary Bowermaster Mary L Bowermaster Butler Sports and Athletics 1995 Get Biography

In 1978, Mary L. Bowermaster was diagnosed with breast cancer. She lost her breast and underwent extensive radiation treatment. A survivor, Mrs. Bowermaster started training for local seniors' track and field events and has set numerous state, national and world records.

Mrs. Bowermaster has been recognized as a premier athlete in organized Senior and Masters Track and Field Competitions, and featured in Sports Illustrated, Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt and CNN Presents.

She has earned more than 350 gold medals in track and field competitions at the local, national and international levels. She has been inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame and was a finalist for the Arete National Award for Courage in Sports-Senior Division. Mrs. Bowermaster was named Top Senior Athlete by the Hamilton Journal News and received the Top Field Award from OHIO Magazine in her age group in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

Mary Bowermaster provides an important example for others in overcoming cancer and in accomplishing great things in one's senior years.

AMargaret Boyd AMargaret Boyd Jefferson Education 1982 Get Biography

With a vision of a world guided by principles of justice, compassion and brotherhood, A. Margaret Boyd worked to establish women's leadership in state and national organizations and institute foreign scholarships to help foreign women educators come to America to study. A life-long career devoted to educating and opening new doors in the lives of thousands of children, Ms. Boyd was appointed assistant superintendent of the Steubenville Public School System,the first woman to hold such a position. She also served in major leadership positions with the Ohio Education Association and with Delta Kappa Gamma of Ohio. Miss Boyd was instrumental in establishing the Ohio Delta Kappa Gamma Overseas Scholarship, which was later renamed the A. Margaret Boyd Scholarship. Ms. Boyd devoted time to provide education to all children, including the mentally retarded. She volunteered to contribute her knowledge and influence to work with a small group of community women from the Welfare Department of the Woman's Club of Steubenville, to pioneer the establishment of a school for mentally handicapped children. Still continuing today, this school has touched thousands of children, young adults and their families. A. Margaret Boyd also served on the Ohio Women's Advisory Council from 1970 to 1973.

Elizabeth Boyer Elizabeth Boyer Geauga Business and Labor 1978 Get Biography

Elizabeth M. Boyer has made her mark as a lawyer, author, French linguist, teacher and a champion of women's rights. She worked her way through Bowling Green State University during the depression to earn a B.S. in education in 1937. Her sophomore year at the school was paid for by the grateful family of a girl she saved from drowning the summer of her freshman year.

After graduation, she went to Cleveland and edited trade publications while attending Cleveland Marshall Law School at night. She received her law degree in 1947 and went on to earn her Masters of Law from Western Reserve University's Thomas Bachus School of Law in 1950. After admission to the Ohio Bar, Boyer, finding few opportunities for women attorneys, opened a private law practice in her home.

Over the years, she was admitted to the bars of various federal, district and circuit courts as well as being admitted to practice before the U. S. Supreme Court. A significant contribution to the legal profession was Boyer's devising an informational retrieval system for case law based on a thesaurus and categorization plan. She never forgot her teaching background and was a full Professor of Business Law at Cuyahoga Community College.

Because her own experiences made her a strong advocate of women's rights, in 1968 she founded and was the first President of the Women's Equity Action League (WEAL), a Cleveland based national organization. Boyer founded WEAL to improve women's educational and employment opportunities through litigation and lobbying. She described the group as "a quiet, low key feminist organization comprised of highly educated, career women in professional jobs."

Dr. Boyer's interest in sailing and history, combined with her belief that historians downgrade the contribution of women, led her to research the story of Marguerite de la Roque, the only colonist in the northern half of the North American continent during the winter of 1544.

A former professor of business law, Boyer headed her own publishing firm and was the author of three books: Marguerite de la Rogue: A Story of Survival; Freydis and Gudrid; and A Colony of One which focus on the true and heroic accounts of women in history.

Dr. Boyer passed away in December of 2002.

Mary Boyle Mary O Boyle Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1983 Get Biography

In her private and professional work, Mary Boyle has focused on public policy as it impacts child welfare, public education, economic opportunities for women, and health care.

She was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1978, where she was named "Rookie of the Term" and was later elected House Majority Whip. In 1984, Boyle was elected Cuyahoga County's first woman Commissioner and served three terms as president of this three-person board, representing 1.4 million people. She sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1994 and was the first woman in Ohio history nominated to seek the office in 1998. She represented Ohio on the Board of Director's of the National Association of Counties and was chosen to serve several terms on the board of Ohio's state association of county commissioners.

In recognition of her work, Boyle has received numerous awards and was named Public Servant of the Year by the Greater Cleveland and Ohio Nurse's Association. She is a recipient of Cleveland State University's Distinguished Public Service Award and Cleveland Citizen League's Award for Public Service. In 1995, Boyle accompanied President Clinton on his historic peace mission to Northern Ireland and returned again in December, 2000.

Harriet Bracken Harriet Bracken Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Harriet Bracken was the first woman vice president of the Huntington National Bank of Columbus, a position held since 1966. This former advertising director for F & R Lazarus Company (a division of Federated Department Stores) is a 1941 graduate of The Ohio State University. She is responsible for the planning, administration and execution of public relations functions for all the for Huntington Bankshares Incorporated Banking Offices. Harriet was active in the development of the national network of electronic banking through memberships on American Banking Association committees.

Bracken was a member of the citizen's council board of the Franklin County Children's Services from 1966 to 1968 and has served as chairman for committees and conferences of the National Automated Clearing House Association. She received the Distinguished Service award from the Central Ohio Chapter of the Public relations Society of America in 1972 and is a member of Gamma Alpha Chi, a national honorary professional advertising fraternity for women.

Since retirement in 1982, Harriet has participated in community affairs through affiliation with The Ohio State University, St. Mary of the Springs Dominican Convent, the Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission and Zonta International.

Christine Brennan Christine Brennan Lucas Arts, Music and Journalism 1995 Get Biography

Toledo native Christine Brennan - USA Today sports columnist, author of the best-selling figure skating books Inside Edge and Edge of Glory and television sports analyst - is a leading voice on the Olympics, international sports, women's sports and other sports issues.

Brennan, a staff writer at The Washington Post from 1984-96, was an on-air commentator for ABC News and ESPN television during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, breaking the news of the pairs figure skating scandal at the Games. She also worked for ABC News during the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Brennan has appeared on a variety of network and cable shows over the past decade, including ESPN's SportsCenter, Nightline, Good Morning America, World News Tonight and NBC's Today show.

A commentator on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Brennan appears regularly on ESPN Radio and WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C. Her sports commentaries appear on-line at www.usatoday.com.

Brennan, who joined USA Today as a columnist in 1997, became the first woman to cover the Washington Redskins in 1985 as a staff writer at The Washington Post. At the Post, she covered the Olympics and international sports reporting from many nations, including Cuba and the former Soviet Union. Prior to joining the Post, Brennan was the first woman sports writer at The Miami Herald, where she worked from 1981-84.

The author of four books, Brennan has won the Women's Sports Foundation's journalism award four times and her work has been featured in various sports anthologies. Her 1998 book Edge of Glory won an Ohioana Library Association book award. In 1993, she was named the Capital Press Women's "Woman of Achievement" and was one of the top 10 sports columnists in the category of the nation's largest newspapers by the Associated Press Sports Editors for 2001 and she also has been honored with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's 2002 Reed Sarratt Award and the U.S. Sports Academy's 2002 Media Award.

In 1998, Brennan was elected the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media. As president of the nationwide organization, she initiated a scholarship-internship program for college-age women that now honors several students annually.

Jeanette Grasselli Brown Jeanette Grasselli Brown Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 1989 Get Biography

Jeanette Grasselli Brown has spent her life dedicated to industrial research and higher education. Brown spent 38 years in leading research activities for BP America with a forty million dollar annual budget until her retirement in 1989. She has also served on the White House Joint High Level Advisory Panel which assessed American and Japanese scientific and technological advancements. Her work in education includes placement as a Distinguished Visiting Professor and Director of Research Enhancement at Ohio University.

She is currently Chair of the Ohio Board of Regents, the coordinating body of higher education within the state. As a member of the community, Brown serves on the boards of several service organizations including: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and The Great Lakes Science Center. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Brown has been recognized for her work and received the Garvan Medal as an outstanding woman chemist in the United States. She was the first woman inducted into the Ohio Science and Technology Hall of Fame. Brown was also selected as one of the Foremost Women of the Twentieth Century because of her dedication to education and scientific research.

Hallie Brown Hallie Q Brown Greene Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1991 Get Biography

In 1870, Hallie Q. Brown's family moved to Wilberforce, Ohio so that Hallie and her younger brother could attend Wilberforce University. Hallie received the B.S. degree in 1873. While teaching at a public school in Dayton, Hallie established a night school for adult migrants from the south. She then accepted an appointment as professor of elocution at Wilberforce University.

Undertaking summer studies, Brown already had given some public readings and began to travel as a lecturer and elocutionist. She was one of the first to become interested in the formation of women's clubs for Negroes and founded the Neighborhood Club in Wilberforce. She served as President of The Ohio State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs from 1905-1912.

A strong supporter of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union at home, Miss Brown lectured throughout England and Scotland for the British Women's Temperance Association; in 1895 she was a speaker at the convention of the World's W.C.T.U. held in London.

In 1924, she spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and was director of Colored Women's Activities at the National Campaign headquarters in Chicago. A community house in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Hallie Q. Brown Memorial Library at Central State University bear her name.

Yvette Brown Yvette Brown Franklin Law 2008 Get Biography

Judge Yvette McGee Brown is dedicated to promoting the healthy lives of children and families, and ending child abuse and family violence.

Yvette is the President of the Center for Children and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She was an important leader in creating the center, which is a partnership between Children's Hospital and the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence. She is currently the Chair of The Ohio State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, the African American Leadership Academy, and formerly the Chair of the United Way of Central Ohio and YWCA Columbus Board of Directors.

Yvette has spoken at the Chase Excellence in Leadership Series, Prevent Child Abuse America, and the International Youth Advocate Program, Yvette shares parenting advice weekly on WBNS 10TV, and in a monthly column in Columbus Parent Magazine. She has been awarded the Public Service Award from Ohio University; the Distinguished Service Award from The Ohio State University; the William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement from The Ohio State University Alumni Association; the Medal of Merit Alumni Award from Ohio University; the Champion of Children Award; and the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award.

Yvette served as the first African American judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch from 1993 to 2002. Yvette is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and a graduate of Columbus City Schools. She received her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and her J.D. from the Ohio State University. She holds honorary Doctor of Law degrees from both Ohio Dominican University and Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

Margaret Brugler Rogers Margaret Brugler Rogers Franklin Religion and Community Services 2007 Get Biography

Margaret Brugler Rogers spent her life helping others and making the world a better place to live. Lives of people world wide have improved as a result of Ms. Rogers' efforts.

She attended Antioch and the Ohio State University and then enrolled in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. After being trained as a medical technician, she requested a position where she could help paraplegics paralyzed from the waist down at Mayo General Hospital in Galesburg, Illinois. About her work at the Mayo Hospital she wrote, "For this truly was an opportunity for doing something for those who had already been willing to give their lives that we might retain our freedom."

Shortly after her 1946 discharge, Ms. Rogers went to Haiti. Realizing the extent of poverty in Haiti, she came home and began conducting bazaars in order to send money and food to Haitians.

While working in the Logan County Farm Bureau, Ms. Rogers was offered a job by the new director of the Christian Rural Overseas Program (CROP). From 1948 to 1976, she went from secretary through the ranks to Regional Director, the only woman to hold that position in the United States. Ms. Rogers led two trips around the world to visit places that were recipients of CROP assistance.

Ms. Rogers was instrumental in the development of the Grace Children's Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She organized and devoted her time to Treasure Mart which funded beds for the Children's Hospital in Haiti. At the age of 74, she founded OWLS (Older Wiser Lifelong Scholars), a college-level program for elders in the Westminster-Thurber community where she lived and all of Central Ohio. She selected top-notch presenters and persuaded them to lecture for much less than their usual fee.

After dedicating her entire life to helping people, Ms. Rogers donated her body to the Ohio State University Medical School upon her death in 2005.

Frances Seiberling Buchholzer Frances Seiberling Buchholzer Summit Government and Military Service 2002 Get Biography

Frances Seiberling Buchholzer is an active force in civic, business, cultural and political affairs. She possesses a unique blend of energy and elegance, mixed with a tenacious insistence on excellence, leading numerous local, state and national organizations with which she has served - often in roles not previously assumed by women.

In 1991, Governor George V. Voinovich appointed Buchholzer as the first woman director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), one of the largest and most complex agencies in state government. While some were apprehensive that a woman could not successfully lead an organization long dominated by men, the fears were short-lived.

As Director, Buchholzer led the passage of the Ohio Parks and National Resources Bond Issue program and initiated ODNR's NatureWorks program - which has invested more than $200 million in Ohio's state and local parks, forests, wildlife areas and other outdoor recreational facilities. She increased tree planting by more than 50% to 5,000,000 new trees each year. Recycling, environmental education, soil and water conservation, streambank protection and the restoration of endangered species were strengthened under her leadership. The Ohio Civilian Conservation Corps, a job training and educational advancement program for unemployed youth was also revitalized.

A former teacher, Buchholzer taught in Columbus, Alaska and Iowa. She was elected to the Ohio Board of Education and received a presidential appointment to serve on the National Advisory Council on Adult Education. She was also Director of Environmental Affairs for the Ohio Petroleum Council and Director of State Government Relations for the BF Goodrich Company. Frances was one of the first women to represent the business and industry's interests before the Ohio General Assembly and state regulatory agencies.

An avid outdoors woman and fly fisher, Buchholzer studied geomorphology (the study of landforms and natural forces that shape the earth) and received her master's degree in this discipline and was appointed to the National Park System Advisory Board by Secretary of the Interior.

Currently, Buchholzer is a Park Commissioner for Metro Parks Serving Summit County and an active board member of the Ohio and Erie Canal Association. She continues to be involved with environmental and conservation issues and organizations at the state and national level. She and her husband, Richard, own and manage Chapel Hill Mall and related real-estate that form one of the largest retail and commercial sites in northeast Ohio.

Marilyn Byers Marilyn Byers Ashland Government and Military Service 1997 Get Biography

Marilyn Byers is the longest tenured female county commissioner in Ohio and is seeking her seventh 4-year term. She was the first female county commissioner in the history of Ashland County, elected in 1978. Her commitment to the community through elected office and as an untiring volunteer, is a remarkable example of service to others.

She has been instrumental in the roles as president, secretary and legislative committee member of the County Commissioners' Association of Ohio; county representative to the Governor's Office of Economic Development Advisory Board (Region 6); and vice chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee of the National Association of Counties. In 1993, she was one of only 32 commissioners nationwide to participate with mayors from across the country on the National Association of Counties' Select Committee on Unfunded Mandates. Two years later, she saw the fruits of her labor when she attended the White House signing of the Unfunded Mandate Relief Act of 1995.

Byers has served as president, chair or board member for the Ashland County Republican Women's Club, Leadership Ashland, Private Industry Council, various committees of the Social Services Agency, Samaritan Hospital, Ohio Veterinary Medicine Auxiliary, Ohio Shorthorn Lassies and Ohio Cattlewomen's Association. She organized the first local United Appeal campaign, later known as the Ashland County United Way, in 1967.

Byer's recognition and awards include the Ashland County Women of Achievement Freedom Award, Mohican Area Community Service Award, State Friend of Extension Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi, and the State Appreciation Award from the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service. She was 1999 Republican County Official of the Year and is an officer of the National Council of Republican County Officials.

Patricia Byrne Patricia M Byrne Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1980 Get Biography

A Cleveland native, Byrne was appointed ambassador to the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma in 1980. A career foreign service officer in the U.S. Department of State, she graduated from Vassar College in 1946 and received her masters' degree from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University in 1947.

Byrne's first appointment overseas was as a junior foreign service officer in Athens, Greece. Since that time, she has served in a variety of posts in numerous countries including South Vietnam, Turkey, Ceylon and France.

In 1961, Byrne was a member of the United States Delegation to the Geneva Conference on Laos and, in 1976, was appointed ambassador to the Republic of Mali, the position she held prior to her appointment in Burma.

Joan Brown Campbell Joan Brown Campbell Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 2002 Get Biography

Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell is an activist and ordained minister who believes that citizens in a democracy must act on the conscience. Like many women in her generation, Rev. Campbell is first and foremost a wife, mother of four and grandmother of eight. At age 50, she was ordained having been an ecumenical interfaith movement leader for more than 30 years. She is a minister in both the Christian (Disciples of Christ) and American Baptist Churches.

Campbell has achieved many "firsts" for women. She was the first woman Associate Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Council of Churches; the first woman Executive Director of the U.S. Office of the World Council of Churches; the first ordained woman General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; and today, she is the first woman Director of Religion at the historic Chautauqua Institution a center for religion, arts, education and recreation. Her daughter, Jane Campbell, follows in her footsteps as the first woman mayor of Cleveland.

Rev. Campbell has participated in many great historic events of the last century. She led a delegation presenting the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible to Pope John Paul II. She organized campaign volunteers to elect Carl B. Stokes as the first black mayor of a major American city. She worked with Martin Luther King, bringing him to her congregation, the first white church in Cleveland to receive him. Campbell was an honorary election monitor with President Kaunda of Zambia in the election of Nelson Mandela as the first African President of South America and she negotiated with Fidel Castro and President Clinton the return of Elian Gonzales to his father in Cuba.

Campbell and Rev. Jesse Jackson co-directed a Belgrade mission where, with the help of the Serbian Orthodox church, they successfully negotiated the release of captive American soldiers. She has led peace missions to the Middle East including meetings with the region's major leaders. With President Clinton, she attended the funeral of the late Israeli Prime Minister Vitzhak Rabin.

Dr. Campbell is widely published and sought after as a lecturer and preacher. She holds or has held numerous national and local offices, including: U.S. State Department's Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad, Council for a Parliament of the World Religions, the Fund for Education in South Africa and Americans for Humanitarian Trade with Cuba. She is a life member of the NAACP, Rainbow Push board member and chairs the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. She holds eleven honorary doctorate degrees.

Marianne Boggs Campbell Marianne Boggs Campbell Gallia Business and Labor 1998 Get Biography

Marketing and communications specialist Marianne Boggs Campbell put the WJEH AM/FM stations on the air in Gallipolis, and served as general manager for 17 years until 1967 when she joined the AVCO Broadcasting Corporation in Cincinnati as corporate director of community affairs for its radio and television stations.

Campbell was the first woman elected to the board of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters; the first to be elected director to the Board of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and to the Radio Code Board; and the first woman to be president of the Broadcast Educators Association, in addition to holding seats on many statewide and national broadcasting professional associations and organizations.

In 1972, Campbell left AVCO to begin work with the Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis where she directs community relations and development, and serves as the executive vice president of the Holzer Foundation for Tri-State Health Care. She has helped establish fund-raising programs for the foundation, as well as played a vital role in development for Holzer Hospice, which provides care for the terminally ill.

In 1960, she was elected the first woman to serve on the board of the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce, and in 1994 became the first woman president of the chamber. Her list of community awards and recognition are many, including the 1997 Gallia County Person of the Year and the Gallipolis Business and Professional Women's Club "Woman of the Year."

Jean Murrell Capers Jean Murrell Capers Cuyahoga Law 1997 Get Biography

Jean Murrell Capers is a practicing attorney and a retired Cleveland Municipal Court Judge. In 1949, she became the first African-American councilwoman for Cleveland or any large metropolitan city in the U.S. From 1960 to 1964, Capers was an assistant Attorney General. She then became special counsel to the Ohio Attorney General, a post she held from 1964 to 1966.

Capers was one of the original members of the Women's Advisory Council of the Women's Division at the former Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, now the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Governor James A. Rhodes appointed Capers to fill an unexpired term as Cleveland Municipal Judge in 1977. Later that year, she won election to that post, and in 1979, won re-election to a full six-year term. Capers is a trailblazer and a tireless supporter of causes to uplift the poor.

Maxine Carnahan Maxine G Carnahan Coshocton Business and Labor 1989 Get Biography

During World War II, G. Maxine Carnahan began working as a quality inspector in a munitions plant and like many women, returned to work at home after the war ended. After raising five children, she again joined the paid work force.

In 1975, Carnahan became the first woman president of the United Paperworkers International Union in Coshocton. While there, she set precedents on behalf of women seeking nontraditional jobs and was instrumental in securing benefits for the workers. She also served on the Coshocton Trades and Labor Council and the City of Coshocton Zoning Board of Appeals.

Since retiring in 1986, Carnahan has volunteered at the Senior Center as the Travel Club Manager in Coshocton escorting seniors to many places of interest in Ohio and neighboring states. She has planned a cruise through Central and South America and a trip for senior citizens to Nova Scotia. She also tutors middle school children and assisted with the passage of a senior services levy.

Carnahan served as president of the Coshocton Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and vice president on the Area Agency on Aging board of trustees. She is the 1999 recipient of the YWCA/BPW Tribute to Women of Achievement in Volunteerism.

Shannon Carter Shannon K Carter Hamilton Religion and Community Services 2003 Get Biography

Shannon Carter founded the Crayons to Computers Program in 1997.

Crayons to Computers recycles new and gently used products from businesses, individuals and organizations for teachers to use in their classrooms. Over 75,000 students in 13 counties have benefitted; over $20 million has been distributed to Ohio's schools.

The Cincinnati store has served as a model for 24 other teacher's free stores that have opened in cities across the United States.

Significant amounts of raw materials are turned into useful educational tools by inmates at 24 Ohio prisons and 8 juvenile correctional facilities. This program, "Crafts with Conviction," has produced over $5 million worth of school products.

In 2000, Shannon received the Gold Star Award from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections as well as President Clinton's Service Award. In 2002, Crayons to Computers received the Peter F. Drucker Foundation Award for Nonprofit Innovation for "Crafts to Conviction".

Prior to her community service (1972-1986), Carter owned and operated two ladies' clothing stores and managed an antique store.

Carol Cartwright Carol A Cartwright Portage Education 1996 Get Biography

Dr. Carol A. Cartwright made history as the first woman president of a public university in Ohio when she was appointed as Kent State University's (KSU) 10th president in 1991. She is a respected voice in regional, state and national higher education arenas, is known for her advocacy of women's empowerment through education, and is committed to bringing cultural diversity to academe. Under her leadership, a balance of excellent teaching and research has become a Kent hallmark as evidenced by KSU's 1994 designation as a Research University II by the Carnegie Foundation, one of 37 institutions nationwide to receive this designation.

As one of the most generous donors to Kent's Founders Scholars Scholarship Program, Cartwright emphasizes the critical need for increased support for scholarships. She has led KSU's efforts to use new technologies to make advanced education and technical training accessible to the growing number of Ohio's nontraditional and place-bound students and to make lifelong learning an option for all Ohioans. Cartwright's personal experience with breast cancer surgery in 1992 led her to become active in educating Ohioans about early detection and to add coverage for mammograms and Pap tests in Kent's health plans.

She has chaired the board of directors at the national level of the American Association for Higher Education and served on the board of directors of the American Council on Education. She serves on the board of directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and a member of the national board of the First Ladies' Library and serves on the steering committee of the national education initiative "America Reads, America Counts." In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed Dr. Cartwright to the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and in 2000, was named to the reconvened Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Cartwright is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Awards from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education; the Clairol Mentor Award in Education; and the YWCA Greater Cleveland Women in Achievement Award.

Frances Jennings Casement Frances Jennings Casement Lake Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2001 Get Biography

Frances Jennings Casement developed her sense of social responsibility and gained her most useful education through her father's personal and political activities. While traveling, Frances met Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and became involved in the fight for women's suffrage. Frances brought those ideas back to Painesville and organized the Equal Rights Association (ERA) in the late 1800s.

Frances became president of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association. She and the ERA were gaining national recognition in the suffrage arena. She was the first to point out that the American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage Association needed to settle their differences and unite together in action for the movement to be successful. It would take another six years before this was finally accomplished.

After another 30 year struggle the 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 giving women equal voting rights. Frances Jennings Casement died in 1928 at the age of 89; just eight years after women were granted voting rights.

Joy Garrison Cauffman Joy Garrison Cauffman Clinton Math, Science and Health Services 1995 Get Biography

Blanchester native Joy Garrison Cauffman, Ph.D., was Consultant to President Kennedy's Council on Physical Fitness and President Eisenhower's Council on Youth Fitness. She was the first and only woman health educator to serve on President Nixon's Committee on Health Education. She served as President, American Association for Health Education and first Coordinator of the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations (CNHEO). She has authored more that 85 professional publications including longitudinal and international research studies.

During the time of the Iron Curtain, she consulted with physicians and visited health care facilities in Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. On sabbatical leave in 1992 from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine, she lectured at Kawasaki Medical School in Japan.

After 1995, she completed studies involving researchers from Canada, England and Japan. In 2000, she was speaker at the Royal Australian College of General Practice at Hartwell and South Melbourne, Australia and consultant/speaker at General Practice Education Programs in Napier and Palmerston North, New Zealand. In 2001, she participated in scientific cultural exchanges with family physicians in Capetown and Medunsa, South Africa. She was a speaker at the Medical University of South Africa and National School of Public Health in Medunsa, South Africa.

A graduate from The Ohio State University (OSU), Dr. Cauffman is the recipient of many awards/honors: first woman to receive a tenure-track full professorship at the USC Department of Family Medicine; USC School of Medicine Award for serving with distinction as the first woman President, USC Medical Faculty Assembly; Distinguished Service Award, CNHEO; Distinguished Writers Award from Eta Sigma Gamma. In 1997, she received S.H.P.E.R.A.A. Award of Distinction from OSU.

For outstanding scholarship and leadership, the National Panhellenic Conference Foundation selected Dr. Cauffman for the 2001 Higher Education of Women Achievement Award at the Biennial meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

Gayle Channing Tenenbaum Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 2010 Get Biography

Gayle Channing Tenenbaum has dedicated her life to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, public policy and services to strengthen and empower families to safely and lovingly raise their own children, and effective strategies to support the healthy development of children who have been abused or neglected.

Gayle has extensive experience in human services advocacy and public policy, strategic planning and in coalition building. She was named one of the four most outstanding Statehouse Lobbyists by the Dayton Daily News in 2003 and Ohioan of the Year by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2001. In 2007 she received the Commissioner's Award from the USA Department of Heath and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families for Outstanding Leadership and Service in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Gayle Channing Tenenbaum brings to mind the words of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world ..." Ms. Tenenbaum grabbed hold of a goal to improve the behavioral health prevention and intervention services for Ohio's children and their families, changing the world for families across the State with her innovative, tenacious, and skillful leadership. She is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in Columbus.

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1989 Get Biography

As a Grammy award-winning and critically acclaimed folk and pop musician, Tracy Chapman's impact on popular music and culture has made her a musical icon of her generation.

From her childhood in Cleveland, Tracy was always interested in instrumental music and song writing. After attending a private boarding school in Connecticut and receiving a degree in music from Tufts University, Chapman hit the Boston music scene and was eventually signed by Elektra Records.

Tracy's music, which combines reggae, blues and pop influences, focuses on simple lyrics and melodies to convey her emotions and opinions. Her first album, Tracy Chapman, skyrocketed up the charts with hits like "Fast Car" and "Behind the Wall." The musician has also gained notoriety for her single "Give Me One Reason"and her collaboration with other artists, which ultimately led to her receiving a Grammy Award for her accomplishments in the music field.

Dorothy McAlpin Maguire Chapman Lorain Sports and Athletics 2010 Get Biography

Ohio native Dorothy McAlpin Maguire Chapman was born in LaGrange and lived her entire life in Ohio from 1918 until her death in Spencer in 1981.
Dorothy was recruited from the Erin Brew Softball Team in Cleveland to be one of the original baseball players in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. Before coming to the league, she played on two World Championship teams. Mickey (she played with the tenacity of Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tiger catcher, thus earning the nickname "Mickey Maguire) played seven seasons and was on three championships teams with Racine, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon. She traveled with the league to Havana for spring training and was also on a special winter tour in 1948.
The statue "Women in Baseball" at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown was modeled from one of her famous photos during a game in 1948. Her life ended much too soon, and missed the important recognition of the AAGPBL with the movie, "A League of Their Own". The scene in the movie where the husband was killed in action was based on an actual event where her husband, Tom Maguire, was reportedly killed in action. He later was known to have survived.

In the off season during WWII, Dorothy drove taxi cabs in Cleveland. A popular children's book written was also about her, "Mickey and Me" by Dan Gutman.

In the 1960's, she was well known for her championships in the Central Ohio Saddle Club Association with one of the best Morgan horses, Chico's Flame. She is survived by six children with husband George.

Sister Julia Chatfield Sister Julia Chatfield Brown Education 2007 Get Biography

Sister Julia Chatfield became Ohio's "pioneer nun" whose determination to establish education in the wilderness endures after 162 years.

In 1845, Sister Julia Chatfield, leading ten other Ursuline sisters, answered a call to come to Ohio from France to bring education into the growing diocese of Cincinnati's Bishop, John B. Purcell, and found the Ursulines of Brown County. In St. Martin, 50 miles east of Cincinnati, Sister Julia and the other nuns took up residence in the red brick seminary that had proven to be too desolate and too far away for the former 15 occupants. At once, Sister Julia became property administrator, maintenance supervisor, provider of daily essentials, overseer of unpacking, and in charge of transforming the seminary and the equally shabby adjacent dwellings into a residence and school, of which she was head mistress and teacher.

By October of 1845, three months after arriving, the sisters welcomed their first seventeen students. The following year, the fledgling school was incorporated under the title St. Ursula Literary Institute. Sister Julia designed the first program of study for the school which included studies beyond what was traditionally offered to young women at the time including: Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics.

Sister Julia's challenges stretched far beyond that of her wilderness location; threats of Civil War were overshadowing the nation. Under her leadership, the school operated smoothly despite the turmoil even though the school's boarders included daughters of generals from both the North and the South.

Though Sister Julia died in 1878, 33 years after coming to St. Martin, her determination to promote education inspired her successors. In 1896 the Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati, a college preparatory school for young women was established in Cincinnati, as a "day school in the city". In 1971, Chatfield College was founded with campuses in both St. Martin and Cincinnati. Thanks to her initial leadership and perseverance, education has deep roots planted in the Village of St. Martin.

Bunny Clark Bunny C Clark Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1995 Get Biography

Professor Bunny C. Clark, Ph.D., has had a remarkable career as a scientist, a teacher, and a role model and mentor for young women in science.

As a scientist, Dr. Clark opened a new area of research in nuclear physics, relativistic Dirac phenomenology. Her research accomplishments have been recognized with a University Distinguished Research Award in 1983 and a University Professorship in 1989 from The Ohio State University. She has been recognized nationally, named an American Physical Society Fellow in 1984, named to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advisory Committee for Physics 1991 and elected vice-chair of the American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics in 1995.

As an educator, Dr. Clark has been a strong advocate of innovative teaching. In the 1970s, she helped develop physics courses for non-science majors and more recently, developed a new course employing a hands-on, discovery approach to science. She was the first person in the Physics Department to obtain NSF funds from the Research Experience for Undergraduate program.

In addition, Dr. Clark works tirelessly to attract women and minorities to science and to oppose the social forces that can hinder them from succeeding. She received the University Distinguished Affirmative Action Awards in 1989 for her efforts. Active on the national level as well, she chaired the American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics from 1991-1994.

Marie Clarke Marie Clarke Franklin Business and Labor 1986 Get Biography

Marie Clarke is one of Ohio's foremost Black female labor leaders. She had the lifelong ambition to work for equal right in the work place for everyone.

Marie began work as a mechanic in 1952 at Curtis Wright, which later became North American Rockwell. As a single mother, she was one of thousands of women who went to work in the factories while the men left to serve in the military. After the men returned, Marie was one of the few minority women to keep her job. She helped organize and recruit members to the United Auto Workers Local during this time. This group survived the company transition from Curtis Wright to North American Rockwell.

Marie then began a clerical career at Columbus City Hall to find only sanitation workers qualified as authorized members of a union. When the Local went on strike, she supported the sanitation workers, but could not be a part of the Local, nor a participant in the picket lines. Marie encouraged the clerical workers to join the sanitation workers to make a stronger Local No. 1632. The task was accomplished by 1969. Marie eventually became a member of the AFSCME Local 1632 Executive Board and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Local for 12 years.

Marie is currently retired and continues to work in strengthening the union's initiative. She is now walking through the legislative hallways of the Ohio General Assembly as a member of the A.F.S.C.M.E. Chapter 108, an organization for retirees.

Beatrice Cleveland Beatrice J Cleveland Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1979 Get Biography

Beatrice J. Cleveland has devoted most of her life to expanding the quality and quantity of 4-H opportunities for urban and rural youth. In 1942, she received a Bachelor's degree in Home Economics from The Ohio State University and was granted a Master's in Extension Administration from the University of Wisconsin in 1957.

For more than 32 years, Beatrice was responsible for coordinating activities and fund-raising events as Associate State Leader for 4-H in the Extension Service, College of Agriculture, The Ohio State University. Bea worked with children and adults to "make their best better" through educational programs. She emphasized leadership training for both 4-H members and advisors, and was responsible for advancing both the quality and quantity of 4-H opportunities.

Along with her 4-H work, Bea belongs to numerous organizations, honorary groups and has been widely recognized for her work as an educator. Since her retirement in 1977, she has been instrumental in obtaining more than $1 million in gifts and pledges (more than $35,000 given in her name) for the Ohio 4-H Foundation. Similarly, she is active in fund-raising for the OSU College of Human Ecology and The Westminster-Thurber Community Life Care Fund.

In 1980, Bea was inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame for her promotion of the 4-H Foundation, in 1981 the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame and in 2002 she was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame.

Patricia Clonch Patricia L Clonch Lawrence Business and Labor 1988 Get Biography

Patricia L. Clonch has been an outstanding leader in her community and the State of Ohio. Since 1984, she has been the Executive Director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation. Ms. Clonch has also been the Chair of the Private Industry Council in Lawrence County.

Through her work on the Appalachian Regional Commission Task Force and the Ohio Riverfront Development Task Force, she has worked for all of Southern and Southeastern Ohio to assure that those in that impoverished area of the state receive the same opportunities as others in Ohio.

An active community leader, Clonch has overseen work to reduce unemployment, create over 3700 jobs and initiated job retention and expansion programs. She is now serving sixteen South/Southeastern Ohio counties with a variety of services including state and local loan and incentive programs, procurement services and regional seminars and workshops.

Clonch has served as a member on various boards including: Co Chair of the Governor's Workforce Development Board, Ohio Development Association, Appalachian Task Force and the National Governor's Association representative of Ohio on Workforce Development. Previously, she was owner and operator of a commercial development firm, with emphasis on real estate and commercial development in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Clonch has received recognition by the Ohio Department of Development Director's Award, Junior Achievement - Tri-State Business Hall of Fame, National Alliance of Business, Business Volunteer of the Year, Who's Who in Ohio, 1988 Woman of the Year, President Ronald Reagan Commendation and the Business & Professional Woman of Achievement Award.

Virginia Coffey Virginia J Coffey Hamilton Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1993 Get Biography

Virginia Coffey's contributions to the quality and equality of life in Greater Cincinnati span nearly seven decades. A native of Michigan, she moved to Cincinnati in 1924 to teach in the West End's Stowe Elementary. She was shocked to learn that Cincinnati's public schools were segregated and that many of the city's amenities and attractions were off-limits to blacks. Coffey delved into local, state and federal law to learn that such discriminatory practices were illegal and she used her knowledge, courage and commitment to effect social change.

She is perhaps best known for her pioneering work with the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission which she led for almost 20 years. A lifelong human relations activist, Coffey has provided leadership to the West End Branch of the YWCA, Carmel Presbyterian Church, Girl Scouts of America, Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, Memorial Community Center and the University of Cincinnati.

A graduate of Western Michigan University and the University of Cincinnati, she has served on the board of numerous community groups, including Cincinnati Links, NAACP, Woman's City Club, Walnut Hills Area Council and Alpha Kappa Alpha.

She has received numerous awards and honors, including an honorary doctor of law degree from Xavier University, Enquirer Woman of the Year Awards, and Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce's Great Living Cincinnatian Award, among many others.

Gail Collins Gail Collins Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 2009 Get Biography

Gail Collins joined The New York Times in 1995 as a member of the editorial board and later as an Op-Ed columnist. In 2001, she became the first female editor of the Times' editorial page. Her twice-a-week columns convey common sense, intelligence and wit about the current issues. Collins uses research to back up her opinions, and concentrates on how political decisions affect ordinary people.

Personal qualities have been a hallmark of her work as an editor and a columnist. At the beginning of 2007, she took a leave in order to finish her new book: "When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present." She returned to the Times as a columnist in July 2007.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Gail Gleason, Collins has a degree in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in government from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before joining the Times, Collins was a columnist at New York Newsday and the New York Daily News, and a reporter for United Press International. Her first jobs in journalism were in Connecticut, where she founded the Connecticut State News Bureau, which provided coverage of the state capitol and Connecticut politics. When she sold it in 1977, the CSNB was the largest news service of its kind in the country, with more than 30 weekly and daily newspaper chains.

Besides "When Everything Changed," which will be published in October of 2009 by Little, Brown, Collins also is the author of "America's Women," "Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity and American Politics," and "The Millennium Book," which she co-authored with her husband, Dan Collins.

Maude Charles Collins Maude Charles Collins Vinton Government and Military Service 2000 Get Biography

Maude Charles Collins (1893 , 1972) made history in 1925 when she became Ohio's first woman sheriff. After her sheriff husband, Fletcher Collins was killed in the line of duty, Collins agreed to complete her husband's term.

During that period, she spearheaded the operations and investigations of the Vinton County Sheriff's Department. When her appointed term drew to a close, she ran in the August primary election on the Democratic ticket, winning the primary decisively. She also won the general election by a landside, receiving 3182 votes to her opponent's 1600. Compared to the other election results, she won by the largest number of votes of all public offices up for election in Vinton County.

In her career as Ohio's first woman sheriff, 'heriff Maude," as she was called, investigated and solved a double homicide, which brought her national attention. Events that transpired from the murders were published in Master Detective, a national magazine.

Collins employed clever tactics to solve the murder: A set of footsteps appeared to incriminate a certain suspect. However, Collins was suspicious of the legitimacy of the footprints and suspected another person.

To prove her theory, she retrieved a pair of boots owned by the suspect. They fitted exactly to the footprints, but she noticed their impressions were not deep in the soil. She looked at the difference in her own footprints and hypothesized that the footsteps could not have been made by a man, but by someone close to her own physical stature. Wearing the boots, she walked beside the original set of footprints. Thus, she concluded the murderer was a woman. With this evidence in hand, the woman whom Collins suspected confessed. The woman and her accomplice were tried for murder and sentenced to life terms.

With the murder case solved, Collins finished her elected term as sheriff and was then elected clerk of courts. Later, she worked as a matron at the Columbus State School until she retired. She died in 1972 at the age of 78.

Viola Famiano Colombi Viola Famiano Colombi Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1993 Get Biography

Viola Famiano Colombi's service in the fields of health, education, welfare and the arts has had a profound effect on the Cleveland community.

As a volunteer for over fifty-four years, she has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others and her community through service for several boards and organizations. Colombi's work in the medical field has included positions at the Greater Cleveland Academy of Medicine, the Fairhill Psychiatric Hospital Foundation advisory board and Presidency of the Ohio State Medical Association Auxiliary, a volunteer group covering 55 Ohio counties.

As a former educator, Colombi worked for education improvement as a member of the Beachwood school board and oversaw the development of the first secondary schools in the district. She has worked for several welfare organizations including the Women's City Club of Cleveland, the Women's Forum and served as chairman of the March of Dimes to combat birth defects.

Colombi also worked in promoting the performing arts as a board member of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. For her achievement, she has been recognized with awards from several organizations, two Ohio governors and five Cleveland city mayors.

Lois Anna Barr Cook Lois Anna Barr Cook Montgomery Education 1985 Get Biography

An impressive record of "firsts" for Lois Anna Barr Cook, Ph.D. of Dayton includes being the first woman faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and the first woman faculty member appointed as Assistant Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Wright State University. Cook also was listed in the first edition of the World Who's Who of Women in Education. As the first woman director of the Ohio Junior Academy of Science, Cook made significant contributions to scientific development among young people, while fostering programs promoting cooperation among thousands of volunteers in the scientific and education communities. Cook is a respected community leader and has been recognized by such diverse groups as the Ohio House of Representatives, the Women of Westminster and the American Institute of Chemists. She served as Chair of the Women In Science, Engineering, Mathematics Consortium of Ohio (WISEMCO).

She is Past President of the Ohio Division of the American Association of University Women and was honored with a named AAUW Educational Foundation Research and Projects Endowment.

Among Lois Cook's awards are: Outstanding Professional Achievement From the Affiliate Societies Council of the Engineering and Science Foundation of Dayton; Distinguished Alumni Award for noteworthy achievement from Alumni Association of the The College of Wooster; Centennial Honoree, The Ohio Academy of Science; and Friend of Science Award in appreciation of her dedicated service to science education in the State of Ohio by the Science Education Council of Ohio.

Christine Cook Christine M Cook Franklin Government and Military Service 1994 Get Biography

Colonel Christine M. Cook became Director of the Ohio Veteran's Home on March 2, 1997. A native of Marshfield, Wisconsin, she is a graduate of the University of Maryland (1981), earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

COL Cook enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1974 and served four years on active duty as a German linguist/translator and interpreter, attaining the rank of SP5/E-5. After completion of the Maryland Military Academy Officer Candidate School, she was commissioned and assigned as an officer in the U. S. Army National Guard. COL Cook is also a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Army War College. She is a Vietnam era veteran and has served continuously for 22 years in the Ohio Army National Guard.

Previous to coming to the Ohio Veterans Home, COL Cook was a full-time employee of the State of Ohio Adjutant General's Department, serving as the Plans and Actions Branch Chief. In this position, she supervised the operations of the enlisted and officer personnel sections, family assistance office, health services, education services and selective retention incentive programs for the Ohio Army National Guard.

During Desert Storm, then-Major Cook administered the family assistance program for all military services in Ohio, providing support to 21,000 military members and their families.

COL Cook is the recipient of numerous military awards including the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Outstanding Volunteer Award and the Army Commendation Medal.

COL Cook was the first female in the 206-year history of the Ohio National Guard to assume command of two separate battalions and then a regiment. She served as the Chairperson of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Women Veterans and as a member of the National VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. In her current National Guard position, she serves as the Director for Strategic Planning.

Sally Cooper Sally J Cooper Franklin Religion and Community Services 1984 Get Biography

Sally Cooper has gained national recognition with her focus on violence against women and children. She has been actively involved in improving the quality of women's lives through the Women Against Rape of Columbus, The Columbus Women's Action Collective, and as former Director of Women's Programming at the Columbus B'nai Brith Hillel Foundation.

After serving as special Assistant to Governor John J. Gilligan in 1974-1975, Cooper became a Legislative Liaison for the Ohio Commission on Aging where she was an important advocate for the elderly. She prepared and coordinated the entire content of the Governor's Conference on Aging.

She co-developed prevention materials for child sexual assault. Based on a feminist theory, these materials were developed into workshops for children, parents and teachers, and helped increase the children's self-esteem and prepared them to respond effectively in dangerous situations. Sally co-founded and coordinated the Child Assault Prevention Program (CAP), which is based on the idea that children can be taught to protect themselves without being made fearful or being taught that they are victims. CAP developed a model workshop program on assault prevention for use in schools by children and published Strategies for Free Children, a manual on preventing childhood victimization. Sally secured funding for, coordinated and was a principle presenter at the first CAP National Training Conference.

Cooper was appointed to the Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence, where she served as chairperson of the Prevention Committee. She was a consultant in the development of the Assault Prevention Training Project. Modeled after CAP, this project holds assault prevention workshops for people with developmental disabilities.

Cooper, an expert facilitator, designs and leads strategic change initiatives for a variety of non-profit organizations. She is currently the Assistant Director of the Institute for Human Services, and is a contributing staff member to North American Resource Center for Child Welfare programs. She is the author of New Strategies for Free Children which has been widely distributed throughout North America and in Japan.

Martha Kinney Cooper Martha Kinney Cooper Hamilton Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

A First Lady of Ohio from 1929 to 1931 (the wife of Governor Myers Y. Cooper), Cooper is perhaps best known as the founder of the Ohioana Library, a collection of books and manuscripts either written by Ohio authors or about the state and its people.

Supported by dues, contributions and state grants-in-aid, the library was originally supported by private contributions and consisted simply of bookshelves in the solarium of the Governor's Mansion. Over the years, the library has collected and preserved over 18,500 books, 2,800 musical compositions, dozens of scrapbooks and a complete collection of the "Ohio Story" radio scripts.

In a conversation in September, 1961, at the age of 87, Cooper commented on the goals of her library: "As long as we have authors, poets and musicians, I trust that we shall be able to supply a suitable home for their splendid works, providing also a means to give them the publicity and thanks they so rightly deserve."

Dorothy Cornelius Dorothy A Cornelius Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1981 Get Biography

A registered nurse, Dorothy A. Cornelius was devoted to promoting the nursing profession throughout the world. She was the only person to have been executive director of the Ohio Nurses Association, president of the International Counsel of Nurses, president of the American Nurses Association, and president of the American Journal of Nursing Company.

Dorothy earned her diploma in nursing from Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1939 and her baccalaureate degree in 1942 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.

As president of the American Nurses Association, Dorothy led the association to take forceful positions on human rights and consumer advocacy, to assure that all people would have equal access to health, education and personal security. She was a trusted counselor to nurses around the world, particularly to those in emerging Third World countries. Her work with the International Counsel of Nurses allowed her to work with nurse leaders in numerous countries to maximize nursing's potential for alleviating the world's health problems.

Dorothy served the United States government on numerous committees and commissions, at the request of the President, beginning with Dwight D. Eisenhower. Dorothy was the first woman appointed by the President to the Health Insurance Benefits Advisory Council, which was responsible for the implementation of Medicare. She received another Presidential appointment to serve on the National Advisory Committee on selection of Doctors, Dentists and Allied Specialists to the Selective Service System. Cornelius was one of five woman invited by the French government to participate in a "Program of Visit to France of Distinguished American Women" in1970.

Dorothy is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Among her other honors are American Nurses Association Honorary Membership and Honorary Recognition; World's 2,000 Women of Achievement Award; Award of Merit for Distinguished Service in Nursing, Boston University School of Nursing; and the American National Red Cross Award for "outstanding service locally, nationally, and internationally in improving the health and welfare of all people."

Alvina Costilla Alvina Costilla Lucas Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1999 Get Biography

At the age of nine, Alvina Costilla and her family moved from Texas to Toledo following the 'migrant stream.' By the time she reached her teens, Costilla was assisting her father, a crew leader, in finding agricultural jobs in the Toledo area. In her determination to succeed, Costilla graduated from high school and attended business college.

Costilla utilized her English skills to assist migrant farmworkers and while accompanying her sister-in-law on a visit to the employment services office, was offered a position as a bilingual employment interviewer. Thirty-three years after accepting her first job with employment services, Costilla retired as a regional supervisor in the Toledo area. Her years of public service assisted thousands of migrant workers hoping to find employment and other opportunities for success in Toledo's agricultural industry. Without Costilla, many of those workers would have struggled to overcome the language barrier.

Retirement did not slow Costilla. Instead, she began volunteering with Catholic Charities Migrant Ministries in 1987. After seven years of involvement with the organization, she became director. As director of Migrant ministries, and through her own personal efforts, Costilla worked in all parts of the state to ensure that all services and resources were available to migrant farmworkers. She was relentless in her pursuits on behalf of farmworkers through her king approach and ease in befriending people at any level.

Costilla left her director position with Migrant Ministries in 1998 and remains an active advocate and volunteer for migrant workers. She continues to serve on her church parish council and chairs the annual parish festival.

Before retiring, Costilla served as co-president of Toledoans United of Social Action and served on the Diocesan Synod Commission. Costilla has been honored and recognized for her tireless efforts, as a Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan and by special proclamation from the mayor of Toledo. In 1999, she received the Access to Justice Community Advocacy Award. Her lifetime of achievement has served as a positive example during Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated nationwide in September, 1999.

Mercedes Cotner Mercedes Cotner Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1985 Get Biography

With more than fifty years of continuous political service to the City of Cleveland, Mercedes Cotner's integrity and professionalism have earned her the respect of local, state and national leaders in business, labor, religious and civic organizations.

Cotner's public service career includes ten years as a city councilwoman, decades of neighborhood and organizational involvement. Cotner was the first woman and longest-serving clerk of Cleveland City Council, a position she held from 1964 until her retirement in 1990.

In 1973, she became the first Democrat woman to run for mayor of Cleveland in a campaign that has become legendary in local politics. The Democratic candidate withdrew two weeks before the November election. Cotner was drafted for the election by the party. The court ruled that Mercedes Cotner's name could be printed on the ballot. With less than two weeks of campaigning and limited funds, Cotner almost won the election!

In 1984, Cotner became the first honoree to receive the Public Service award from Cleveland State University. She was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 1990. She continued to be politically active as a Precinct Committeewoman.

Claudia Coulton Claudia J Coulton Cuyahoga Education 1994 Get Biography

As co-director of the Center for Urban Poverty and Social Change at Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Claudia J. Coulton is the guiding force behind a series of studies that have impacted Cleveland's neighborhoods and its citizens, especially the poor. The Poverty Center is one of six such centers established nationally by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1988 and the only one that is university-based. Dr. Coulton focuses on empowering people in the community , at the grassroots and agency level , to develop more effective methods at bettering the lives of the poor.

Her effectiveness in the classroom was recognized in 1989 when she received the John Diekhoff Award for Distinguished Graduate Teaching. Through her years on the faculty, she has developed the quantitative component of the doctoral program, emphasizing statistical and research methods and moving a generation of students into more advanced levels of scientific research.

A lifelong Ohio resident, Dr. Coulton graduated cum laude with a sociology major from Ohio Wesleyan University, earned a master of social work degree at Ohio State University (1972) and a Ph.D. in social welfare from the Mandel School (1978). Before joining the Mandel faculty, she was the research coordinator of social services at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Betsy Mix Cowles Betsy Mix Cowles Ashtabula Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1989 Get Biography

Betsy Mix Cowles was one of the leading feminists, abolitionists and educators in nineteenth century Ohio. From an early age, Betsy was taught the value of a good education and a concern for the welfare of other human beings, particularly those among society's unfortunates.

In 1838, she entered Oberlin College and graduated from the "Ladies' Course" in 1840. After teaching throughout Ohio, she became the head of the female department in both Massillon and Canton school systems. She left as Superintendent of Painesville in 1862 to teach at a female seminary school in New York but left that position because she was going blind in one eye.

In 1835, she was a founder of Ashtabula County Female Anti-Slavery Society and served as its first secretary. With her sister and brother, she often gave concerts of antislavery and other reform song. She was a dedicated and tireless supporter of black rights, especially the right to a decent, good education. She insisted that black children had as much a right to attend her own classes as did white and even held Sunday school class for black and white children over the protests of the white parents.

Her fame as an educator and abolitionist resulted in her election as the president of the first woman's rights convention in Ohio,Salem in April, 1850. This was the only women's rights convention where men were not permitted to take part in the proceedings. They were permitted to watch the goings on, but could not speak. Women wanted the men to get a taste of what it had been like for them during all those years when they could attend conventions but had to keep silent.

In 1852, she helped to form the Ohio Women's Rights Association, whose goal was to elevate the human race by granting equal rights to all in every department of human activity.

Norma Craden Norma B Craden Lucas Business and Labor 1988 Get Biography

Norma B. Craden began a distinguished union career that has spanned more that fifty years as the first woman president of a UAW local in northwestern Ohio. She later joined the Communications Workers of America Local 4315, where she also served as president. She served in that capacity for seventeen years until her retirement in 1978. Craden accepted an unprecedented draft from the union membership to return as local president and was overwhelmingly re-elected to that office in 1987.

She was a long-time activist in the Coalition of Labor Union Women at the local, state and national levels, an AFL-CIO labor liaison to the United Way and a member of the CWA Bargaining Council.

Craden, of Toledo, also devoted her energies to a variety of charitable and civic organizations, including the United Way and the Lucas County Children's Board.

Ellen Walker Craig-Jones Ellen Walker Craig-Jones Franklin Government and Military Service 1994 Get Biography

Ellen Walker Craig-Jones of Urbancrest's became the first African American woman to be elected mayor of a United States municipality in 1972. Serving as mayor until 1975, she oversaw the modernization of various village programs and the annexation of 60 acres of land. Prior to her tenure as mayor, Craig-Jones had many years of experience in service to her community. She served 12 years on the Urbancrest Village Council and on the boards of numerous nonprofit, civic and community organizations.

In 1988, Craig-Jones received the National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club for her activities advancing the status of women.

Through her tireless advocacy, she led a community-wide effort to establish a child care facility. She was an advocate for senior citizens whom she called 'easoned citizens." She had been active in the Union Baptist Church for more that fifty years and is the recipient of dozens of awards and honors including Who's Who Among Black Americans.

Loann Crane Loann Crane Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2008 Get Biography

Loann Crane, a native of Martin's Ferry, has diligently worked on behalf of the Columbus Museum of Art, The Ohio State University Foundation, and The Women's Fund.

As a founder of The Women's Fund, she promoted women's issues and their quality of life, serving more than 800,000 women and girls in Central Ohio. An alumnae of The Ohio State University, Loann has supported the university's Crane Fund for Hispanic Studies, the World Media and Culture Center, and "Experience Ohio State Day," an opportunity for alumnae to interact with faculty and students to become better acquainted with the research and teaching at the university.

She serves on the boards of the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), Columbus Museum of Art, the Greater Columbus Arts Council and Chair of the Columbus Arts Endowment Board among many other directorates and trusteeships. She has served on the boards of Pro Musica, the Columbus Cancer Clinic and as President of the Upper Arlington School Board.

Loann has been an avid supporter of, and contributor to, Equality Ohio, a group dedicated to furthering the rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. She served as the honorary chair of Equality Ohio's first "Allies for Equality" event. Her dedication to the arts and fair treatment of Ohioans has lead Loann Crane to win numerous awards including the 2008 Heritage Award for Caring and the Julian Sinclair Smith Celebration of Learning Award in 2006.

Loann lives in Columbus and is a partner in the arts consulting firm of Winning Images and president of Fairwood Investments, a division of Crane Plastics.

Ruth Crawford Ruth Crawford Columbiana Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

Born in East Liverpool, Ruth Porter Crawford Seeger is an accomplished musicologist and pianist. She taught at the School of Musical Art in Jacksonville, Florida; the American Conservatory in Chicago and at Elmherst College of Music in Illinois.

One of the most original and innovative composers of the twentieth century, she was the first woman composer to win the Guggenheim Fellowship for composition. Her accomplishments are outlined in the Women's Book of World Records and Achievements.

An active composer in the late 1920's and early 1930's, she married Charles Seeger, a prominent musicologist and settled in Washington D.C. where she began collecting and transcribing folk music.

The stepmother of folk singer, Pete Seeger, Crawford edited eight volumes of folk music and completed thousands of transcriptions of recordings at the Library of Congress. She wrote piano accompaniments for some 300 of the transcriptions. She devised methods for teaching children folk songs and dedicated herself to teaching and collecting American Folk songs.

Eva Mae Crosby Eva Mae Crosby Franklin Law 1986 Get Biography

Eva Mae Crosby was a pioneer in the field of race relations. She received a Bachelor's Degree from Oberlin College in 1933. In 1936, she was the first black woman to graduate from The Ohio State University Law School. Following graduation, Crosby developed up-scale brick homes and sold them at cost in the hopes of creating a racially integrated neighborhood. She remained active in the community, pushing for a fair-housing ordinance that became law in Oberlin. She supported the town's first black teacher when officials threatened to not renew her contract.

When Crosby and her husband, the Rev. Normal C. Crosby, moved to Columbus, she taught mathematics, and at one point, world history at Roosevelt Junior High School. When her husband died, Eva took control of Crosby Funeral Home and continued running it for the next 36 years. She practiced law out of her home, providing legal services for those who could not afford them.

Eva served on numerous boards and committees including the Board of St. Anthony Hospital and the Mid-Ohio Health Planning Committee. She was the only woman to have served on the charter commission that formulated Oberlin's current form of government In 1999, Crosby was honored by Black Women of Courage for her work on social issues.

Faye Dambrot Faye H Dambrot Summit Education 2000 Get Biography

Faye Dambrot, a tireless and committed worker for equal opportunity for women and minorities, made a difference in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

She retired from the Department of Psychology at the University of Akron with the prestigious distinction of Associate Professor Emeritus in 1989. She was known to thousands of students because of her involvement as coordinator of the Introduction to Psychology course. Dambrot also served as an administrative assistant to the Department of Psychology from 1976-1982, during which time she advised more than 300 undergraduates each year. She was a Fellow of the Institute for Life-Span Development Gerontology.

During her tenure at the University of Akron, and during her retirement, Dambrot mentored and inspired women and men who have since gone on to positions of leadership in northeastern Ohio and beyond. Her commitment to equal opportunity will be remembered through her efforts to found and sustain the Women's Network, the Women's History Project, and the Women's Studies program at the University of Akron, the Akron Rape Crisis Center (now a program of the YWCA), and Committee W of the American Association of University Professors. The Women's History Project attained national prominence through Faye's work, much of which is archived in the National Women's History Project, bringing recognition to the women of Ohio.

From 1992 , 1995 she served as Project Director for developing community plans to improve math, science, and technology education for women and minorities for the Women's Network, Ohio Department of Education and Summit County Education Partnership Foundation.

Until the day of her death, Dambrot was working to remind Akron of its place in history. Her project was to memorialize the former slave Sojourner Truth and her famous speech "And Ain't I a Woman?" given at the Akron's women's Rights Convention in the 1850s.

JoAnn Davidson JoAnn Davidson Franklin Government and Military Service 1991 Get Biography

As Speaker and Minority Whip of the Ohio House of Representatives, State Representative Jo Ann Davidson was the highest-ranking woman elected official in the State of Ohio. She served ten terms as a member of the House from the 34th district, which includes her hometown, Reynoldsburg, and other communities in northeastern Franklin County. A member of the House Finance, Ethics and Standards, and Rules Committees, Davidson has carried legislation to strengthen Ohio's domestic violence statues and modify child custody laws.

Davidson first became involved in electoral politics as a member of the Franklin County Republican Central Committee which she has chaired since 1973. She has been a delegate to several Republican National Conventions and was a member of the prestigious platform committee in 1976. Davidson ran successfully for Reynoldsburg City Council in 1968, a position she held for ten years. She was elected clerk of Truro Township in 1978, and elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1980.

Davidson displayed the same initiative and determination in business, and rose through the ranks and served as Vice-President of Special Programs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. She has worked with business and civic leaders to promote the economic and social well-being of our state.

Her volunteer efforts have benefitted the March of Dimes, American Heart Association, Reynoldsburg PTA and Girl Scouts of America. Through these efforts, Jo Ann has recruited and trained thousands of volunteers, and encouraged women to become more involved in public service. As a result, the ranks of female elected officials as well as female executives in state and local government, have multiplied.

Davidson has received a number of awards including the U.S. Small Business Administration Ohio Women in Business Advocate of the Year award, the Outstanding Legislator Award from the United Conservatives of Ohio, the Legislator of the Year Award from the National Republican Legislators Association, and the YWCA's Woman of Achievement Award.

Davidson is currently founder and president of JAD Associates, a consulting firm focusing on public policy development and analysis, strategic planning and political campaigns.

Pamela Davis Pamela B Davis Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2009 Get Biography

Dr. Davis is Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where she is the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor and Professor of Pediatrics, Physiology & Biophysics, and Molecular Biology & Microbiology. She received degrees from Smith College and Duke University.

After completing an internship and residency in Medicine at Duke Hospital, she became a Clinical Associate at the National Institutes of Health and received fellowship training in Pulmonary Medicine. In 1981, she moved to Case Western Reserve University, where she directed the Center for Clinical Investigation as well as the Willard A. Bernbaum Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, served as chief of the pediatric pulmonary division, and later as Vice Dean for Research in the School of Medicine.

She has multiple publications on cystic fibrosis and has been continuously funded for her work by the National Institutes of Health for 28 years. This support allowed her to bring both novel anti-inflammatory therapies and gene therapy strategies into clinical testing for cystic fibrosis. She holds seven U.S. Patents and is a founding scientist of Copernicus Therapeutics, Inc.

She has served on the Advisory Council to NIDDK, the Board of Scientific Counselors for NHLBI, and on advisory boards for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Dr. Davis is the recipient of the Rosenthal Prize for academic pediatrics, the Smith College Medal, induction into the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame, election to the Association of American Physicians, the Maurice Saltzman Award of the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, and has been named regularly in Best Doctors in America and Top Doctors.

Ruth Davis Ruth L Davis Lucas Education 2001 Get Biography

In 1948, Ruth became the third generation of the Davis family and the first woman to assume the role of President of Davis College, Ohio's oldest proprietary school. Under Ruth's direction, the college grew and prospered. Ms. Davis has spent numerous hours with students who came to Davis College with nothing more than a dream. She assured her students they were ready for the professional work world by providing them with the clothing and inspiring the confidence and pride necessary for success. She has twice sold the college, but bought it back motivated by personal integrity and commitment to education, saying: "I didn't like what the new owners were doing."

During World War II, Davis was recruited by Willys-Overland (Jeep), Toledo's largest employer. She was hired as an accountant. She demanded and received wages equal to a man, 60 percent more than women's wages at that time. She required equality for herself and by doing so helped pave a path for women.

Even at 91, Miss Davis continues to maintain a regular presence at Davis College. Ruth Davis has supported the advancement and leadership development of women for over 50 years.

Doris Day Doris Day Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

Doris Day made her theatrical debut there at the age of four and later, as a teenager, teamed with Jerry Doherty to win a $500 prize as the best dance team in Cincinnati. Unable to pursue a dancing career after an accident injured her legs, Day turned to singing. Initially working with Karlin's Karnival (WCPO), she later toured with Bob Crosby, Fred Waring and Les Brown.

In 1948, she appeared in her first film, Romance on the High Seas, and from there her career soared. From 1948 to 1950, Day was leading lady on The Bob Hope Show and in 1950 was presented the Laurel Award as the leading new female personality in the motion picture business.

Day also starred in two television series, The Doris Day Show which was broadcast from 1969 - 1973 and Doris Day's Best Friends, which was on CBN Cable in 1985 and 1986. She has made 39 films including: Pillow Talk, Love Me or Leave Me, Tea for Two, April in Paris, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and With Six You Get Eggrolls.

Day is active in promoting animal care and protection through the Doris Day Pet Foundation and the Doris Day Animal League. The Doris Day Pet Foundation subsidizes spaying and neutering programs for dogs and cats and helps individuals care for their pets. The Doris Day Animal League is a national lobbying organization which works on the local, state and federal levels on legislation relating to animal rights issues.

Margarita De Leon Margarita De Leon Lucas Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2000 Get Biography

"I can't imagine not volunteering," says Margarita De Leon, who was born and raised in the close-knit Puerto Rican community of Lorain. At an early age, she reached beyond the expectations of teachers, family and friends to begin a lifetime of civil service and dedication to opening doors for the Latino community. Not only has she committed herself to the success of many cultural, community and professional organizations, but she brings with her dynamic leadership and a fresh perspective to all that she manages.

In 1986 De Leon founded IMAGE (International Mexican American Government Employees) of Northwest Ohio, a local chapter of National IMAGE, a Hispanic advocacy organization. Under her leadership as first president, the organization flourished and established the first Latino Scholarship Endowment at The University of Toledo. She is the catalyst behind a partnership between IMAGE of Northwest Ohio, Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo along with Mercy Health Partners that will have a long-lasting impact on the increase of Latino scholarships for college youth in the years to come. She is associated with the annual Diamante Awards recognition banquet honoring Latino contributions, which she helped to establish to raise scholarship dollars.

Responding to the needs of the community through collaboration is a De Leon hallmark. She served as first president of Bowling Green State University's Latino Alumni Society - one of the first Latino alumni organizations in the region. She also served as first chair of the University of Toledo's Hispanic Advisory Committee. In 1999 she was elected chair of the Ohio Latino Arts Association after serving as president and vice president.

With a personal mission to create appreciation for communities of color and to build bridges with mainstream America, De Leon launched a statewide Latino newsmagazine titled BRAVO! Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Unity, in 1997. As a role model for younger women, De Leon has worked hard over the years to advance herself personally in order to address the unique challenges that women face and to be a strong advocate for women' issues. She graduated from the National Hispana Leadership Institute where she attended Harvard University's JFK School of Government and the Center for Creative Leadership. In 1993 she graduated from Leadership America, a national, nonprofit leadership program for women of achievement.

Among her numerous awards are the Women In Communications Women of Achievement Award, the YWCA Milestone Award and the National IMAGE Women's Action Award in 1990.

Sarah Deal Sarah M Deal Wood Government and Military Service 1999 Get Biography


In April, 1995, Captain Sarah M. Deal made history , she earned her wings as a naval aviator, thus becoming the first female Marine pilot in the 220-year history of the Marine Corps.

Deal, a Kent State University alumni, graduated from the school's aerospace flight technology program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1992. At that time, the military's ban on women in combat led Deal to believe that she would not serve as a pilot in the Marine Corps. Instead, she attended Air Traffic Control School.

Deal continued to fly privately and at the encouragement of her recruiting officer, took the aptitude test for Marine flight school, in the event that the Marine Corps lifted its ban.

Indeed, the Secretary of Defense lifted the ban on women serving gas pilots of combat aircraft and in 1993, Deal became the first woman selected to attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida. She earned her wings and the rest, of course, is history. On October 1, 1996, she was promoted to the rank of Captain.

Currently, Deal serves as Captain and Adjutant for the Commanding Officer of the Marine Aircraft Group 16 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. She flies the largest helicopter used by the military ,the CH-53E Super Stallion , to support and supply ground troops.

In addition to her duties as Captain, Deal also works with Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs with the local police department in California. As a DARE volunteers, she visits schools to speak to children of all ages and encourages them to achieve their dreams.

Deal has been featured in a television documentary on the Learning Channel, titled Gender Wars. She also was featured on the television show Flightline, aired on the Discovery Channel. She has received numerous awards, including the Kent State University Young Alumni Special Award and recognition as one of '350 Women Who Changed the World, 1976-1996,' in Working Women magazine.

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1986 Get Biography

Ruby Dee's work to promote the importance of the arts, both on and off stage, has been an asset to the city of Cleveland.

Some of her film credits include: Having Our Say, produced by Camille Cosby and Judy James; Their Eyes Were Watching God and Baby Geniuses with Dom Deluise.

Dee was the only African-American nominated for an Academy Award in 1997 for the short film category for her work in A Summer Tragedy. Her roles in the theater include performances in the dramas A Raisin in the Sun, Zora is My Name and the satire Purlie Victorious.

Dee's career as a writer has flourished along with her acting career. Her most renowned work, My One Good Nerve, a collection of short stories and poetry, is also the title of her solo performance with which she has toured the United States. Ruby and her husband, Ossie Davis, also own two production companies and have worked to establish community theater programs across the U.S. to give others the opportunity to explore a career in the arts.

Raquel Diaz-Sprague Raquel Diaz-Sprague Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1991 Get Biography

In addition to her significant accomplishments as a professional scientist, Raquel Diaz-Sprague is a tireless advocate for an ethical and humane work environment. Her efforts to promote the advancement of women in scientific careers and her commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination from the workplace make her an outstanding role model.

Raquel earned a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and biochemistry from the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo in her native Peru. Graduated with highest honors, she won a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in the United States. She received a Master of Science degree in microbiology from The Ohio State University in 1974, and was a visiting scholar at the University of London, Westfield College, from 1975 to 1976.

After working at Chemical Abstracts and Battelle Columbus Laboratories, Raquel's expanding professional interests led her back to graduate school. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree in labor and human resources management from The Ohio State University in 1987, and founded her own company the following year. Technical Support Incorporated provides technical translations in four languages, management consulting and scientific recruitment services.

Raquel has been active with the American Chemical Society throughout her career. In 1984, she established the Women Chemists Committee within the Society's Columbus Section, and represents this organization on the National Women Chemists Board. In 1988, she was named Exemplar of Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics by the Ohio Academy of Science, and she currently serves as executive director of the Association for Women in Science of Central Ohio.

Raquel is an organizer and featured presenter for many scientific conferences that emphasize the ethical application of science. Her current research interests focus on ethical management practices in the technological workplace.

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Diller Allen Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

A renowned comedienne and actress, Diller was born in Lima and attended the Sherwood Music Conservatory in Chicago and Bluffton College in Ohio. She has been in a number of theatrical productions including Hello Dolly and Everybody Loves Opal and has made countless appearances in television, radio, concerts and supper clubs.

Diller's motion picture credits include Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!, The Fat Spy, Eight on the Lame, Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?, The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell and The Adding Machine.

In 1966, Diller accompanied the Bob Hope entertainment troupe to South Vietnam for a Christmas show. She is a recipient of the Star of the Year Award from the National Association of Theatre Owners and has been inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

From 1972 to 1982, Diller appeared as piano soloist with over 100 symphony orchestras in the U.S. and Canada. Audiences have acclaimed her interpretation of such works as Beethoven's Concerto #1 and various works of Bach. Her piano virtuoso name was Dame Illya Dillya.

She has written four best-selling books: Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints; Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual; The Complete Mother, and the most recent, The Joys of Aging and How to Avoid Them. A poem she wrote entitled My Prayer has been set to music by Alvin Mills.

In the course of her career, Ms. Diller has won many awards in recognition of her talent and her patriotic and philanthropic activities. She has received degrees in Humane Letters from National Christian University in Dallas and from her Alma Mater, Bluffton College and a Doctorate from Kent State University.

Gertrude Donahey Gertrude W Donahey Franklin Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

Gertrude W. Donahey was the first woman in Ohio to be elected Treasurer of Ohio in 1970. As Treasurer she served as Chairman of the State Board of Deposit, Treasurer of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund and Treasurer of Public Facilities Commission.

Years before she entered elected public service, she worked as an accountant in the Business and Finance Division of the Office of Ohio Adjutant General. Donahey served as the Democratic National Committee Operation Support Chairman for Ohio from 1963 until 1969. She was a delegate to two national conventions, 1964 and 1968, and was selected as Ohio Representative on the national platform and resolution committee. Donahey served as a state central Committeewoman from her congressional district. From 1964 until she won her nomination for State Treasurer, she was Executive Assistant in Ohio for U.S. Senator Stephen M. Young.

She has provided service to The Ohio Mental Health Association as Secretary of the organization and has been a representative to the Women's State Committee on Health and Welfare. Donahey has received many honors for her achievements including one of Ohio's five outstanding women in 1976 by the Ohio Extension Homemakers and is listed in Who's Who in American Politics; Who's Who in Government; Who's Who in the Midwest and Who's Who of American Women.

Ms. Donahey also holds an Honorary Degree in Public Service for Rio Grande College, Rio Grande, Ohio.

Electra Doren Electra Doren Montgomery Education 1999 Get Biography

Electra Collins Doren (1861-1927) was a true pioneer in the field of library science at the turn of the century. She spent most of her life in Dayton, serving the community through the development of its public library system.

At the age of 18, Doren began working for the Dayton Library and in 1896, she became chief librarian. Among her many contributions, Doren instigated the first city book wagon service in the United States, formed a school library department which distributed juvenile literature to public schools for use by students and teachers and assisted in the establishment of the first branch libraries in Dayton.

As Chief Librarian, she oversaw a major reorganization to incorporate the Dewey Decimal System. When completed, the library shelves were opened to the public for the first time. Library patrons could browse and select their own books, a true innovation at the turn of the century. As Chief Librarian, Doren also established a library training school housed in the Dayton Public Library, the second of its kind in the United States.

Before retiring, Doren moved to Cleveland to become the first director of the School of Library Science at Western Reserve University. She returned to Dayton Public Library a few years later leading staff and volunteers in an effort to salvage thousands of items damaged in a devastating flood.

Doren served as president of the Ohio Library Association (now the Ohio Library Council), an organization she helped to create. She also held prominent positions with the American Library Association (ALA) and worked with the ALA War Camps Community Service Committee to establish field libraries overseas during Wold War I. Doren collected documents during the women's suffrage movement, recognizing the importance of such information during a significant time in women's history. This information provided the basis for the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library's Women's Suffrage Collection.

The E.C. Doren Branch Library, located in the Old North Dayton area, was dedicated in 1928. In 1997, Doren was inducted into Dayton's Walk of Fame.

Martha Dorsey Martha Dorsey Clermont Government and Military Service 1997 Get Biography

Martha Dorsey, looked adversity in the eye and never blinked as she was determined to move ahead. While raising her young family of five, she accepted Public Assistance. She began her long climb by taking Business Administration classes in the Manpower & Training program and was successful in securing a job as a Secretary/Case Aide with the Salvation Army. In 1979, she was the first women department head at Clermont County's Community Action Agency. She resigned that position to run for a seat on the Board of Clermont County Commissioners where she was the first woman elected and has since been re-elected twice.

Dorsey has led this community in providing Social Services for the citizens, understanding the real needs of the disadvantaged. Martha stated a successful initiative of public awareness to the genuine plight of the poor in the county. She has been instrumental in insuring that the legitimate needs of the County's poor are met by an extremely efficient service delivery system.

Dorsey has been active in the Clermont County Community Services, Clermont County United Appeal, Clermont County Township Association, Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Private Industry Council and has lent her talents to the State of Ohio as a member of the Ohio Retirement Study Commission, the Ohio Department of Development's School-to-Work Program Board and the State and Local Government Commission.

She assisted with the establishment of the Goshen Medical Center and has received awards from the National Association of Counties for her roles in the Pediatric Medical/Dental Clinics and Youth Services Drug Education Program. She also is the recipient of awards from Clermont County, Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, National Association of Regional Councils, United Way, Altrusa and the Ohio General Assembly.

Rita Dove Rita Dove Summit Arts, Music and Journalism 1991 Get Biography

In 1993, Rita Dove was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, making her the youngest person - and the first African-American - to receive this highest official honor in American letters. She held the position for two years and was reappointed Special Consultant in Poetry for 1999-2000.

Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio in 1952. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from Miami University of Ohio in 1973, followed by two semesters as a Fulbright scholar at Universit?te T?bingen in Germany. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1977 from the University of Iowa. To date, Ms. Dove has received 20 honorary doctorates from across the United States.

Her publications include the Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection Thomas and Beulah, The Yellow House on the Corner, Museum, Grace Notes, Selected Poems, Mother, On the Bus with Rosa Parks, the novel Through the Ivory Gate, the book of short stories Fifth Sunday, the verse drama the Darker Face of the Earth and a book of her laureate lectures entitled The Poet's World.

For her writing, Ms. Dove has received "Literary Lion" citations from the New York Public Library, the NAACP Great American Artist Award, the Folger Shakespeare Library's Renaissance Forum Award, the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, the Carl Sandburg Award from the International Platform Association and the 2001 Duke Ellington Lifetime achievement Award in the Literary Arts from the Ellington Fund in Washington, D.C., among others.

Rita Dove's verse play The Darker Face of the Earth had its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 1996 before going on to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C., the Royal National Theatre in London, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ms. Dove now holds the chair as Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she lives with her husband, the German writer Fred Viebahn and their daughter Aviva. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the viola da gamba, a 17th century string instrument related to the cello, her classical voice training and ballroom dancing.

Grace Drake Grace L Drake Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1995 Get Biography

Senator Grace L. Drake served 16 years in the Ohio Senate representing Medina, Wayne and a portion of Cuyahoga Counties. She chaired the Senate Economic Development and Small Business Committee and Ohio Senate Health Committees. She served on the Rules, Finance, and Ways and Means Committees and the Controlling Board. Drake formed a statewide Ohio Dairy Strategic Planning Task Force. She was the original convener and chaired a series of summits on Economic Development and Regional Competitiveness. She was the Ohio Women's Policy and Research Commissions's first chair.

Senator Drake has been active in the National Conference of State Legislature, the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Council of State Governments. She received numerous awards and honors from organizations including: The National Republican Legislators, Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Association of Philanthropic Homes for the Aged, United Conservatives of Ohio, Ohio Speech and Hearing Association, Academy of Medicine of Cleveland Alliance, and Beech Brook's Suzanne Brookhard Harrison Award for Exceptional Service to Children.

Senator Drake is an Executive-in-Residence at Cleveland State University developing a women's policy and research center. She is also serving as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Cuyahoga County Republican Party and serves on the following boards: The Governors of the Scottish Rite Valley of Cleveland Learning Centers, The March of Dimes, and The Health Museum.

Zell Draz Mahoning Arts, Music and Journalism 1985 Get Biography

Associate publisher of the Warren Tribune-Chronicle and community activist, Zell Draz worked to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the Mahoning Valley.

Born in Cleveland, Draz obtained a Masters degree at Syracuse University, New York. After twelve years as a speech therapist in Princeton, New Jersey, she succeeded her grandmother and mother as publisher of the Warren Tribune Chronicle in 1976. Under her leadership, the Tribune Chronicle was modernized and became a force for progressive change in the community.

Draz wrote a weekly column addressing various environmental issues. Column topics focused on the use of solar energy and the need for the responsible disposal of toxic waste. Her editorial leadership helped to focus local pro-choice and pro-life groups on a shared concern - reducing teenage pregnancy.

Following the sale of the newspaper in 1986, Draz retired and moved to Massachusetts. Through her interest in Quakerism, she became involved in issues of criminal justice and was instrumental in establishing the Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP) in Massachusetts' prisons. AVP is an experiential interactive program designed to raise self-esteem, to increase verbal skills and to promote trust and a a sense of community.

Draz was active in the League of Women Voters, Chamber of Commerce, Trumbull Art Guild and was board president of the Trumbull County Children's Rehabilitation Center. She also served on the steering committee of United Ohioans for Peace.

A strong supporter of education, Draz was honored as Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.


Cynthia Drennan Cynthia Drennan Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1986 Get Biography

Cynthia Drennan's work in community service and her outreach to underprivileged people across the world has made her an asset to the Cleveland community.

Drennan's work in this field began with a trip to El Salvador as a member of the Congregation of Saint Joseph, which sought to provide assistance and leadership training to members of a poverty-stricken community. Despite the dangerous political climate, Drennan remained in El Salvador for six years teaching and helping indigenous people in their struggle for freedom. After returning to the United States, Cynthia did extensive outreach work in the local Hispanic community and later assisted refuges seeking sanctuary in the United States and Canada through her involvement in Vive, Inc.

After her marriage to Aburahman Hassan-Mohamed, Drennan moved to co-membership in the congregation of St. Joseph and has provided paralegal assistance to refugees. She has worked to financially assist her former sisters as a grant manager with the Sisters of Charity Foundation in Cleveland.

Joan Durgin Joan Durgin Lucas Education 2008 Get Biography

Having successfully developed and implemented family life and sex education in the Toledo Public Schools, Joan Durgin is considered a force in the advancement of young women and girls in Toledo and Northwest Ohio.

She has served as Family Life Specialist and Health Services Coordinator for Toledo Public Schools, expanded the school nurses from 15 to 50 serving 80 buildings, developed three Comprehensive School Based Health Clinics as well as the Polly Fox Academy, a 7th-12th grade alternative community school for pregnant and parenting teens. Family Life programs in Ohio have modeled themselves around her leadership in developing Toledo Schools' Human Growth and Development Curriculum. The Academy was the 2006 Ohio recipient of an Adolescent Family Life Demonstration Grant for 1.8 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Joan has been awarded grants to fund projects including Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Training Ohio's Parents for Success, and the Comprehensive School Health Grant entitled "Project Healthy Kids." She has co-authored articles in the Journal of School Health and the American Journal of Health Behavior. She has received the YWCA Milestones Education Award (2008), Toledo Hospital Fellows Award (2003), Stanley Levison Planned Parenthood Award (1999), Toledo Distinguished Leadership Award (1998), Toledo Public Schools Crystal Apple Award (1995), Polly Reulein Fox Family Life Award (1990), and the Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Service Humanitarian Award (1990).

Joan has lived in Northwest Ohio for most of her life and currently works as Development Director for the Polly Fox Academy.

Charity Edna Earley Charity Edna Earley Montgomery Religion and Community Services 1979 Get Biography

Charity Edna Earley became the first black commissioned officer in the Women's Army Corps at age 23 when it was created in 1943, but the Dayton resident jokes today that she owes that distinction to the alphabet. "My maiden name was Adams," Earley stated. That put her at the top of the list of new officers. "I earned the rest of it, I assure you," she said.

She was the commander of the only group of black women serving overseas during World War II. Taking on the task of mail deliveries overseas, she and her battalion sorted 7 million cards that included 7,200 Robert Smiths. With three huge airplane hangars stuffed with mail, she had to learn not only how to run a battalion but how to run a post office. Earley's book about her experience in World War II, One Woman's Army, was published in 1989.

She was a member of Sinclair Community College's Board of Trustees from 1977 through 1992 and vice chairwoman of the board from 1985-92. She also served on the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, the American Red Cross National Board of Governors and the board of directors of the Dayton Power and Light Company.

Earley has been recognized by President Bill Clinton at the groundbreaking for the Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., honored by the U.S. Postal Museum Hall of Fame and introduced President Clinton in an eight-minute speech at a public session in 1995.

Barbara Easterling Barbara J Easterling Summit Business and Labor 1985 Get Biography

Barbara J. Easterling whose career began as a telephone operator, is the first woman elected to executive committee positions at Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the AFL-CIO.

Born into a Polish family of coal miners and rubber workers, Barbara Easterling learned the principles of trade unionism at a young age. She incorporated those principles into her own life when she began to work for the CWA Local 4302 in Akron, Ohio. Easterling served the local as steward, secretary and vice president before accepting an appointment by Gov. John Gilligan as chief of the Ohio Industrial Relations Labor Division. While she was there, Easterling drafted strong laws to protect women on the job and strengthen the enforcement of child labor laws.

Easterling was the first woman ever to serve as national secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the second highest post in the union and was elected unanimously in at the union's 1992 convention. She was elected secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO in June, 1995 as running mate with Thomas R. Donahue who succeeded Lane Kirkland as AFL-CIO president. At the end of her term, she returned to the CWA post.

In 1980 Easterling was summoned to Washington D.C. to serve as an assistant to the president of the union,a position she held until her election to executive vice president in 1985.

Easterling received the Women's Equity Action League Award in 1986 and was honored by the Midwest Labor Press Association (an affiliate of the International Labor Communications Association of the AFL-CIO) in 1992. She is a leader in the fight to raise money for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which has been officially designated as the union's "charity of choice."

Easterling is a member of the Democratic National Committee, vice chair of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, serves as a Trustee of the National Planning Association (NPA) and is vice chair of the NPA's Global Economic Council. She also serves on the board of directors of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and is a member of the executive board of the AFL-CIO's Industrial Union Department.

Antoinette Eaton Antoinette Eaton Mahoning Math, Science and Health Services 1992 Get Biography

A Youngstown native, Antoinette Parisi Eaton received her M.D. from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and returned to Ohio to serve her pediatric residency at Columbus Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University. Her clinical work provided the foundation for many of her most significant accomplishments and her life-long commitment to improving the well-being of children and their families.

As Chief of the Division of Maternal and Child Health in the Ohio Department of Health from 1974 to 1980, Dr. Eaton implemented innovative programs to provide genetic services for affected children and their families, information on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and improved services for children with special health care needs that emphasized increased parental involvement and coordinated community-based care.

As the first woman president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Eaton has worked to improve the health status of children and youth, as well as increase the stature of women pediatricians nationally. She has published on a diversity of topics, including clinical medicine, organization and funding of health care services, infant mortality, education, program development and career development for women in medicine. She has lectured on many topics including child advocacy, health care financing and women in medicine throughout Ohio, the nation and internationally.

Dr. Eaton, currently Corporate Director for Governmental Affairs for Children's Hospital, is a Professor of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine (Emerita) at The Ohio State University. She has been recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Medical College of Pennsylvania, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Columbus YWCA as a Women of Achievement and has received many other awards and honors. She is married to Samuel Walter Eaton and is the mother of four children and also has nine grandchildren.

Ann Eriksson Ann Eriksson Franklin Government and Military Service 1982 Get Biography

Ann Eriksson has served the State of Ohio and its citizens with extraordinary skill and devotion. Her contributions qualify her as an outstanding public servant. As director of the Constitutional Revision Commission from 1971 to 1977, Eriksson led the way in achievement for a number of reforms which helped to modernize the state constitution's provisions and keep the Ohio Code consistent and understandable. She maintained an unsurpassed level of technical accuracy and concern for each of these reforms.

Eriksson proved to be outstanding in performing legal research for legislators and in drafting bills. She directed major research surveys of a variety of subjects including criminal law and re-apportionment.

Prior to the Constitutional Revision Commission, Eriksson distinguished herself and the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, serving as a member of staff for six years and then as assistant director for five years. She assisted the Ohio Legislature in utilizing modern technology to aid in drafting bills.

Eriksson set a standard of excellence among the Legislative Service Commission staff. She was responsible for supervising a major portion of the Commission's staff. She made a number of suggestions to improve the internal operations of the Commission. With these suggestions she created more efficient techniques and higher standards for legal research and bill drafting.

Ann Eriksson's high quality of work did not go unnoticed as she was the recipient of awards including the Columbus Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration's award for Outstanding Public servant of the Year in 1967 and was listed in Who's Who in American Women.

Elizabeth Evans Elizabeth Evans Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1996 Get Biography

Liz Evans was Community Affairs Director at Clear Channel Columbus, a radio group that encompassed five radio stations: WTVN-AM, WNCI-FM, WCOL-FM, WFJX-FM and WZNW-AM radio for 25 years. Previously, she was community affairs director for the former WTVN television station.

As one of Columbus' first African-American female media pioneers, Evans has effectively used communications as a tool to inform, unite and heal, demonstrating the value of diversity and dispelling racial myths and misperceptions that exist between and among all racial groups. Through weekly programs such as Lit It Is, Liz Evans Dialogue, and AWARE, Evans provided community residents with an open forum for addressing, debating and resolving critical racial and community problems.

She has coordinated internship programs for local high school and college students interested in pursuing careers in broadcast media and has supervised national, multi-station annual career recruitment projects for minority high school students. Evans headed up ABC's national literacy initiative, Project Plus, and obtained the support of 54 community leaders in establishing policy and funding allocations for the project's local branch.

Her philanthropy and humanitarianism has led her into service as a board member of numerous organizations including the American Cancer Society Board, Columbus Health Department Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Project, Ohio Department of Health Cancer Epidemiology Prevention and Control Program Bureau, Grant Medical Center Cancer Library Advisory Board, Columbus Open Shelter, United Way Project Diversity Board and the Columbus Women's Roundtable.

She founded the African American Cancer Support Group and serves as a board member, working at the grassroots level to promote early detection, prevention, intervention and support services for cancer victims.

She also founded Mothers Against Crack to provide counseling and networking support for dependents, co-dependents, immediate family members and friends of crack users. Through her work with the American Red Cross, Evans has taken a leadership role in raising funds and activating community support to assist drought victims in Africa.

Naomi Evans Naomi J Evans Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1995 Get Biography

Naomi J. Evans became the first African-American school nurse in the Columbus Public Schools in 1942. She had wanted to become a nurse ever since she was a young girl. She worked at a men's tailor shop to earn the money to buy the uniforms, nurse aprons, oxfords and books for her first year of nursing school in Washington, DC. Returning to Columbus after graduation, Evans returned to Columbus and waited six years before she was offered a nursing position.

In 1983, she became the first African-American registered nurse to be hired at the Benjamin Franklin County Hospital for Tuberculosis. After she began working for the Columbus Public Schools, Ms. Evans continued to serve the Hospital as a part-time nursing supervisor. She held this position, in addition to her public school nurse responsibilities for 25 years.

In 1956, Ms. Evans attended the International Council of Nurses in Rome, where Pope Pius offered a prayer for the more than 7000 nurses in attendance from all over the world. She also has traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, Japan and Yugoslavia.

Ms. Evans retired from Columbus Public Schools in 1968. She was inducted into the Columbus' Senior Citizen's Hall of Fame in 1992. Her hobbies include furniture refinishing and upholstering and restyling out-of-date garments.

Naomi J. Evans died on July 21, 2001 at the age of 101.

Louisa Fast Louisa K Fast Seneca Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1980 Get Biography

A resident of Tiffin, Fast was a national and international women's rights activist. Orphaned three weeks after birth, she became a ward of Ohio's Governor and later U.S. President William McKinley. An 1898 graduate of Smith College, Fast was involved in that institution's relief unit in France during World War I, working in devastated areas to rebuild the countryside.

In 1920, she became involved with the newly-formed League of Women Voters and traveled throughout Ohio speaking to women's groups and urging them to form local chapters. In 1923, Fast went to New York and was employed by the International Relations Branch of the League, working with Carrie Chapman Catt in planning and developing the conferences on "Causes and Cure of War" held in Washington, D.C.

While active in this capacity, she also helped in the initial planning of the 1935 conference of the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and equal Citizenship held in Istanbul. Catt, unable to attend, delegated her responsibilities to Fast for the duration of the conference.

Fast was instrumental in establishing the Seneca County Museum, the Tiffin chapter of the American Association of University Women the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Barbara K Fergus Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 2010 Get Biography

Barbara Fergus is a graduate of the Ohio State University, a businesswoman, philanthropist, mentor and community advocate. A founding member of the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, Women in Philanthropy and the Women's Leadership Council, her work with women and girls in Central Ohio led to the creation of the Barbara K. Fergus Affairs. She is a member of The International Women's forum (IWF) and serves as treasurer of its Leadership Foundation Board, traveling worldwide to participate in symposia on leadership, philanthropy and entrepreneurial business solutions.

Her life-long dedication and personal investment has helped to build a thriving arts and culture community that is assessable, affordable and fiscally responsible. Through her participation at The Academy for Leadership and Governance at The Jefferson Center for Learning, she helped to create the Next Generation of Leaders, a program that identifies and mentors the future administrators in all facets of arts, culture and not-for-profit organizations. As a current member of the Greater Columbus Creative Cultural Commission, she brings years of board experience and initiatives together into creating a focused plan for the future of the Central Ohio arts community.

Fergus employs a holistic approach to creating a better community, recognizing that civic, economic, spiritual, intellectual and cultural aspects cannot be separated from one another but must support the whole. She employs a global approach to her local altruism that has earned her the international honor of being named of the ?Women Who Make A Difference'.

Nanette Ferrall Nanette Ferrall Auglaize Math, Science and Health Services 1994 Get Biography

On November 11, 1982, St. Marys' Nanette Davis Ferrall became the first paraplegic ever to walk. Nan Davis was coming home from a high school graduation party when she was involved in an automobile accident that would forever change her life. She enrolled at Wright State University and started working with Dr. Jerold Petrofsky, associate professor of biomedical engineering and physiology, who had developed a computerized system of stimulating muscles with small jolts of electricity. In the fall of 1982, Ferrall took five dramatic steps, the first since her 1978 spinal cord injury.

As the first paraplegic to walk, Nan made national news. She was interviewed by The Phil Donahue Show, 60 Minutes, Good Morning American, NBC News. Washington Post, U.S.A. Today, BBC, Jerry Lewis Telethon, People Magazine and Readers Digest. CBS-TV told her miraculous story in the movie First Steps in 1985.

After earning her degree in education, Ferrall worked for several hospitals in southwestern Ohio. She developed an innovative aerobic fitness program for paraplegics and quadriplegics and gave inspirational talks to patients and other community members. Ferrall currently is a third grade teacher at East Elementary and the owner and manager of the Davis School of Driving, where she teaches students with and without disabilities.

She is an active volunteer and golfs with the aid of a walker. She and her husband Greg, are the parents of three young children.

Luceille Fleming Luceille Fleming Franklin Government and Military Service 2003 Get Biography

Luceille Fleming was Director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) for more than 14 years.

She built a cabinet-level alcohol/drug services department from the ground up. Fleming aggressively pursued new funding, increasing the ODADAS budget by more than 200 percent in 14 years, and added $147 million through competitive grants. These funds allowed Ohio to provide treatment services to nearly one million citizens.

Fleming is a visionary who breaks down barriers and identifies opportunities. She expanded Ohio's women-specific treatment programs from 20 to 90. In addition to the lives and families saved, approximately $338 million in potential health care costs was averted.

Fleming introduced therapeutic communities (TC) within Ohio prisons. Today, 15 TCs can be found in prisons, community-based correctional facilities, halfway houses and juvenile facilities.

Fleming was inducted in the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2001, the National Governors' Association recognized her with the Distinguished Service Award for a State Official.

Patricia Louise Fletcher Patricia Louise Fletcher Jefferson Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2000 Get Biography

As the 25th president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs and Youth Affiliates (NACWC), Patricia Louise Fletcher has set a precedent for future generations of Ohio women by embodying the NACWC's motto: "Lifting as we climb."

During her two terms as NACWC president, Fletcher focused intensely on the next generation, especially those children whose mothers are incarcerated or who lack educational goals and dreams. Refusing to allow the web of economic and psychological poverty to ensnare these children, she is carving a future of hope for youths through the NACWC's Grandparents' Academy (GPA).

Spurred by General Colin Powell's push to mobilize the African-American community, Fletcher founded the GPA in 1997. Its goal is to recapture the moral values of the "grandparents' generation" and make them relevant for today's youth.

While establishing the GPA has been the hallmark of Fletcher's presidency, she also serves as a member of the National Council of Women, an NGO representative to the United Nations, and a Frederic Douglas Memorial Historical Association Trustee. She represents the NACWC at White House functions, and works closely with the Departments of Labor, Transportation, and HUD. She also organized 2000's NACWC's national convention in Cincinnati, with an international forum on AIDS and starvation in Africa. She has been the principal fund-raiser for a $1.5 million renovation of NACWC's headquarters, which will be dedicated on October 27.

Fletcher served as principal of Garfield Elementary School in Steubenville from 1981 to 1997 where she helped students who were without basic necessities by becoming involved with the Fair Housing Commission of the City of Steubenville. In 1991 she introduced inner-city students to an international curriculum. By adding 200 minutes a week of music, art, and social studies, she motivated them to dream bigger dreams.

Fletcher has brought the world to Ohio through her international elementary school curriculum and she has brought Ohio to the world through her NACWC presidency. She has been honored in her hometown with an honorary doctorate and she has been recognized nationally as a black leader by Ebony Magazine. Fletcher was inducted into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc. Hall of Excellence in 2001.

Daisy Flowers Daisy M Flowers Franklin Religion and Community Services 1999 Get Biography

Daisy M. Flowers moved to Ohio in the late 1930s, farming the land with the aid of her younger brother. Her brother's death in Wold War II sparked her involvement in the American Legion Auxiliary as well as a lifetime of community service in Central Ohio. Through her auxiliary involvement, she promoted the participation of minority students in Buckeye Boys' and Girls' State.

In the early 40s, Flowers moved to the east side of Columbus, married and started the Flowers' Housecleaning Company. She would soon follow the housecleaning business with a restaurant, Tootie's Sandwich Shop, which she built onto her home. Tootie's was family-owned and operated for 20 years. While her businesses were profitable, Flowers was known for sharing her good fortune , it was not uncommon for her to deliver boxes of food to residents experiencing tragedy due to death or accident.

Flowers, a mother of six children, became actively involved in the schools and served in leadership positions with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Outside of her school involvement, she was a founding member of the Near Eastside Area Council, an incorporated group of east side merchants and residents dedicated to improving the living and working conditions of its residents.

Throughout her career, Flowers continued to focus on family and community. She worked for the Columbus Metropolitan Community Action Organization and the Columbus Model City Program. She also provided staff coordination and technical assistance in the establishment of the Columbus Community Service System.

In 1977, Flowers became the first African-American female investigator to serve on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). She later accepted an appointment to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and to the National Council for Afro-American History and Culture. Before her retirement, she served on the Board of Trustees for the Neighborhood Development Corporation. After retirement, this active community worker served as president of the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chapter of the NAACP. Flowers maintained a strong commitment to the local, state, and national political process.

Bernice Foley Bernice W Foley Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1982 Get Biography

Writer, lecturer and world traveler, Mrs. Foley has made fashion her speciality. She has served as fashion commentator for radio and television in Cincinnati. One summer she was a model for McCall's and Singer Sewing Machines in Moscow.

Mrs. Foley was educated at Washington D.C. National Park Seminary; Nanking Language College, Nanking, China; Columbia University, New York City and University of Cincinnati.

Bernice was Director of Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library during the 1970s. While there, her fresh approach and innovative ideas brought honors & prestige to the library. She edited the Ohioana Quarterly, a literary magazine and the annual Ohio Year Book and founded the Lunch and Learn Club for career women. She also reviewed books for the Sunday edition of the Columbus Dispatch.

Concerned that children's books have too many depressing, unsavory plots, she hoped her books would provide enjoyable reading, while teaching young minds something worthwhile. Her first book 'tar Stories" was published in 1970 and the second, Spaceships of the Ancients in 1978. A third book The Secret of Hollow Earth was published in 1979.

Lucille Ford Lucille G Ford Ashland Education 2001 Get Biography

In a field traditionally dominated by men, Lucille's contributions to the field of economic education are unparalleled. She has devoted much of her life to "telling and teaching the American economic story."

A university educator, author and administrator, nationally known economist and lecturer, political activist and community leader, Lucille prefers to think of herself as an economic philosopher. As a teacher, Lucille instilled in her students a thirst for knowledge, understanding and a passionate determination to live up to the high standards she set both in and out of the classroom.

Lucille came to Ashland College in 1967 as a professor of economics. Over the next three decades, she helped transform a struggling college into a comprehensive university with 80 majors at 19 teaching locations throughout the state.

A lifelong learner, Lucille earned the designation of Certified Financial Planner in 1980 and sixteen years later, received a Masters of Arts degree in Pastoral Counseling and Psychology from Ashland Theological Seminary.

She made political history when she ran for lieutenant governor as Rep. Charles Kurfess' running mate in the 1978 primary gubernatorial race.

Nancy Frankenberg Nancy Frankenberg Delaware Religion and Community Services 2002 Get Biography

Nancy Frankenberg was a social service activist, advocate and volunteer who earned the title "the social conscience of Delaware". Over the course of five decades, she fostered the development of more than a dozen social service agencies and countless civic and charitable programs including the Council of Social Agencies, the forerunner of the local United Way.

Frankenberg was a visionary, credited with establishing many of the services upon which Delaware residents have come to rely. She established, organized and implemented numerous services for children, seniors and those in need. Frankenberg was the first woman to serve as Director of the United Way in Delaware County, where she implemented a community assessment process to identify pressing needs.

Frankenberg was a catalyst in creating Christmas Clearinghouse and People in Need ? an agency providing school supplies, shoes, emergency food and medical supplies to those in need. She sparked the development of a new city justice building, Mingo basketball courts and the renovation of city hall. She founded or directed the development of several organizations including the Alcohol Council, Andrews House, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Legal Aid Society.

Frankenberg sought ways to collaborate with other social services agencies and avoid duplication of services by establishing the Interagency Conference Group. Through pioneering solutions and her ability to rally others into response, she successfully formed partnerships that served the entire community. For seniors, she was instrumental in launching Meals on Wheels, Senior Citizens Center and Citizens for Independent Living.

Tributes to Nancy Frankenberg are found across Delaware County. Rooms and sections of buildings, a public garden and prestigious awards have been dedicated in her honor. Her portrait adorns the offices of The United Way of Delaware County and Andrews House.

Frankenberg's awards are numerous including induction into the Central Ohio Senior Citizen's Hall of Fame, Beta Sigma Phi Woman of the Year, Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award and recognition by the Kiwanis, Lions, and Rotary Clubs.

Dorothy Fuldheim Dorothy Fuldheim Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

A prominent news analyst and television broadcaster, Dorothy Fuldheim began her radio career as a news broadcaster at the Cleveland-based Scripps-Howard WEWS broadcasting station in 1924.

When the station began producing television broadcasts in 1947, Fuldheim became the nation's first anchorwoman as a member of the news team. As a television veteran for over 40 years, she was known for her broadcasting skills and nightly opinionated and informative commentary on a variety of subjects from arts to economics. In her prestigious career, Fuldheim has interviewed Adolf Hitler; the Duke of Windsor; Beatrice Lilly; John, Robert and Ted Kennedy; James Hoffa; Madame Chaing; Helen Keller; Artur Rubenstein, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and numerous other public figures.

Dorothy Fuldheim is also renowned for her writing skills and critically acclaimed novels which include: Where Were the Arabs?; I Laughed, I Loved, I Cried; A Thousand Friends and Three and A Half Husbands. Before her death in 1989, she was the winner of numerous awards including those of the United Press International for Editorial Excellence, the Overseas Press Club, Woman of the Decade and the Israeli Freedom Award.

Image First Name Middle Name Last Name County Category Induction Year Biography
Frances Dana Gage Frances Dana Gage Hamilton Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1995 Get Biography

Frances Dana Gage, writer, lecturer and social artist, dedicated her life to the three major social reform movements of her day , , abolition of slavery, temperance and equal rights for women. In 1850, she organized a petition drive secure voting privileges for women and African-Americans in Ohio, suggesting that the words "white" and "male" be left out of the new state's constitution. Ms. Gage was active in the women's suffrage movement at both the state and national levels, presiding over Ohio's second statewide women's rights conference in 1852 and over a national convention held in Cleveland the following year.

An effective speaker, she traveled throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan and parts of the South advocating equal rights for women, alerting her audiences to the evils of slavery and admonishing her listeners to abstain from liquor. In addition to her lecturing and organizing activities, Ms. Gage published many anti-slavery and temperance articles.

A writer of occasional poems and an advice column as "Aunt Fanny" in the bimonthly Ohio Cultivator, she also was a regular contributor to the Cincinnati-based Ladies' Repository. During the Civil War, Ms. Gage spent more than a year overseeing the health and welfare of former slaves in South Carolina, after her active relief work, she related the conditions of the freedmen to audiences throughout the North, raising money for freedmen's associations and soldier relief funds.

Ursula Gallagher Ursula M Gallagher Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1994 Get Biography

Ursula M. Gallagher was born and educated in Cleveland. She received her bachelor's degree from Ursuline College and master's degree in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She began her social work career as a caseworker for the Child Welfare Board. She served as assistant director of Catholic Social Service in San Francisco, where she was responsible for more than 4,000 children and their families.

One of the highlights of Miss Gallagher's career occurred in 1956. She was appointed a specialist in unprotected adoptions and services to unmarried mothers for the Children's Bureau of the former U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). In 1965, Miss Gallagher participated in the 11th National Congress of Pediatrics in Tokyo, where doctors from 63 countries listened to her taped commentary on adoption that was translated into three languages.

Two weeks before the end of the Vietnam War, Miss Gallagher assisted in the evacuation of homeless South Vietnamese children to the United States, where adoptive families were waiting. Miss Gallagher addressed national, regional and local meetings regarding social work, child welfare and unmarried mothers, with special focus on preventing black market adoption.

Carole Garrison Carole Garrison Summit Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1998 Get Biography

Dr. Carole Garrison, Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Police Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, has been influential in humanitarian efforts and women's causes at every level. She has been president of the Akron Area Women's History Project, founding director of the University of Akron's Women's Studies Program, first vice chair of the Ohio Women's Commission, served on the boards of the National Women Studies Association and the U.S. Defense Department's Committee on Women in the Services, served as electoral supervisor in Cambodia and as executive director of the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia.

As a United Nations volunteer, Garrison worked in Cambodia's countryside supervising the first free and fair national elections in the country's history. For 13 months she lived in poor, remote villages, setting up polling stations and directing efforts to register voters and teach Cambodians about democracy. Before returning to Ohio, Garrison adopted and brought home Tevi Seng, an orphan since birth.

Garrison's influence has been felt in many areas, such as when she served as co-director and founder of the Project for the Study of Gender and Education where she created a joint program with Kent State University and the University of Akron to provide a vehicle for local, state, and national professionals in education and in gender studies to collaborate on research. Garrison promoted Ohio educators in criminal justice forums when she served as the president of the Ohio Criminal Justice Educators Association, and was an active part of a national network of researchers and policy analysts in the areas of women's issues when she served on the National Council for Research on Women.

Marilyn Gaston Marilyn H Gaston Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1990 Get Biography

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston's professional career has been dedicated to improving the health of children and their families, especially poor and minority families. She recognized the life-saving importance of newborn screening and implemented one of the earliest screening and treatment programs while on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Early in her career, Dr. Gaston helped establish the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at the University of Cincinnati, a community health center serving a large African-American, low-income population and served as the Medical Director. Dr. Gaston is internationally recognized for her leadership in sickle cell disease. Through her work at the National Institutes of Health, changes in management of children with this illness have significantly decreased the childhood morbidity and mortality. She is a much sought after speaker on topics close to her heart: improving access to quality care and elimination of health disparities for vulnerable people, African-American Women's health issues, sickle cell disease and the health needs of youth.

Gaston's work has taken her around the world, both as a pediatrician in Haiti and as a lecturer in Africa, Saudi Arabia and the Caribbean. She is the first African American and the first woman to be named director of the Division of Medicine in the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Gaston has been honored with "Marilyn Hughes Gaston Day" proclaimed by the mayor of Cincinnati, Distinguished Alumnae Award from the University of Cincinnati and the Buford-Gaston Sickle Cell Center building named in her honor.


Sister Mary Ignatia Gavin Sister Mary Ignatia Gavin Summit Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

At a time when alcoholism was thought to result from irreversibly moral failure, Sister Mary Ignatia Gavin pioneered the concept of medical treatment for the disease of addiction. Dubbed the "Angel of Alcoholics Anonymous," Sister Ignatia founded the first alcohol addiction treatment center in the world at Akron's St. Thomas Hospital in 1939. This revolutionary program serves as the model for the wide variety of chemical dependency treatment programs today.

Sister Ignatia believed in a comprehensive approach to recovery and treated addiction on both physical and spiritual levels. Working closely with the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, she advocated total abstinence and ongoing support for the lifelong process of recovery. She also counseled spouses and family members of alcoholics thus pioneering the concept of family treatment.

Sister Ignatia joined the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine at age 25 and began working as an admitting clerk at St. Thomas Hospital during the Great Depression. Hospital beds were scarce then and even though physical detoxification was thought to be an important component of the recovery process, alcoholics were not usually admitted unless they were seriously injured or ill. Through Sister Ignatia's foresight and perseverance, this barrier was eliminated.

By the time Sister Ignatia left Akron in 1952, more than 5,000 alcoholics had received professional medical treatment and counseling services. She transferred to Cleveland's St. Vincent Charity Hospital, where she continued to help rebuild broken lives, founding Rosary Hall, where she helped more than 10,000 clients until her death in 1966.

"Once in every hundred years a person like Sister Ignatia is born." said Dr. Robert H. Smith, Akron co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Ann Gazelle Ann Gazelle Franklin Religion and Community Services 1989 Get Biography

Ann Gazelle has achieved pioneering successes in both social services and the arts. Her strength of spirit has driven her to become a leader, an advocate and a role model despite her loss of eyesight to glaucoma at age sixteen. This did not stop her from becoming an accomplished woman. Gazelle graduated Cum Laude from Ohio State University and is a licensed social worker.

After going through a divorce, Gazelle discovered the difficulties with everyday chores that the average person takes for granted. Sensing that there were others in the community that needed the same kind of assistance, she founded Volunteers Express, a community outreach program at Goodwill Rehabilitation Center. Volunteers Express trains volunteers to aid people with disabilities in daily living tasks. Although Gazelle has moved on, Volunteers Express continues today.

Ann Gazelle is an artist with a focus on sculpture, while her interests include dance and theater. As a sculptor, she creates pieces which are meant to be touched and experienced in ways not limited to viewing. Gazelle's work, primarily clay, have been featured in exhibits throughout Ohio. Gazelle consulted on and participated in Ann Carlson's "White" at the Wexner Center for the Arts. She was responsible for coordinating the dance segment for performers who were blind or visually impaired. Her exhibit "Off Limits" was featured in Columbus during 1996.

Gazelle founded Gazelle & Associates in 1990 to provide technical assistance and advocacy on accessibility issues in both business and arts. She has served as a consultant to the Broadway Series, Community Film Association, Very Special Arts Ohio and Wexner Center for the Arts and other events.

Gazelle has received many awards including a $5,000 fellowship in the visual arts category from the Ohio Arts Council. She was named the Pilot Club International Disabled Business Women of the Year in 1990. She served as co-chair for the Ohio Arts Council's Committee for Artists with Disabilities and was Project Coordinator/Community Liaison for Accessible Arts, a new organization that Gazelle has had a key role in developing.

Zelma Watson George Zelma Watson George Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1982 Get Biography

Zelma Watson George's early work in international politics, education and the performing arts was essential to her later role as an active community leader and director of the Cleveland Job Corps Center for Women.

She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago, in spite of the fact that she wasn't allowed to live in a dormitory because she was black.

George's work in education spanned the globe and included American Association of Colleges lectures and participation in the Accra Assembly in Ghana, West Africa as an expert on the role of the United Nations in disarmament. She served as an American delegate to the twenty-fifth General Assembly of the United Nations and promoted political activism throughout her life.

In the field of performing arts, George was recognized for developing theater programs for several communities, conducting research for the Rockefeller Foundation and renowned Broadway theater and opera performance.

During her tenure at the Cleveland Job Corps Center for Women, George promoted career mobility and educational programs for disadvantaged women. Ultimately leading to the establishment of The Zelma George Center for Women and Children in Cleveland.

Zelma Watson George's successful career and her commitment to overcoming obstacles and outstanding public service have made a significant impact on both her community and the world. She was the first black woman to judge a Miss America pageant in 1971.

Carol Gibbs Carol Gibbs Hamilton Religion and Community Services 2008 Get Biography

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Carol Gibbs founded Accountability & Credibility Together, Inc. (ACT) in Cincinnati on the belief that all parents have the right and responsibility to independently care for and support their families. Her efforts support more than 1,000 poor working families with children each year.

Carol has served on two city-wide education committees, two terms as President of the Cincinnati Council of PTAs, and as a parent-child advocate for the district.

As a parent-child advocate, she opened 11 Parent Centers in school buildings throughout the school district. She also served on the Board of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Friends of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and the Community-Wide Task Force to desegregate Cincinnati Public Schools.

Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton have recognized Carol for her work with ACT, which has been a nationwide model for its positive efforts in welfare reform. After applying for and receiving an Environmental Protection Agency grant, Carol introduced a new program to educate ACT's clients and community about the dangers of lead poisoning, providing do-it-yourself home lead test kits and testing for children under the age of seven.

Carol lives in Cincinnati and continues her work as President/CEO of ACT.

Nikki Giovanni Nikki Giovanni Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1985 Get Biography

Nikki Giovanni, of Cincinnati, is a critically acclaimed poet, essayist, and lecturer. She attended Fisk University where she worked with the school's Writer's Workshop and edited the literary magazine. After receiving her bachelor of arts degree, she organized the Black Arts Festival in Cincinnati. Giovanni has since further studied at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Work and Columbia University's School of Fine Arts. In 1970 Giovanni founded Niktom Limited a publishing company.

In her first two collections, Black Feeling, Black Talk (1968) and Black Judgement (1969), Giovanni reflects on the African-American identity. Her experience as a single mother influenced her poetry. Spin a Soft Black Song (1971), Ego-Tripping (1973) and Vacation Time (1980) were collections of poems for children. She has published Blues For All the Changes: New Poems (William Morrow & Company, 1999), Love Poems (1997) and Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni (1996).

Her honors include the NAACP Image Award for Literature in 1998, and the Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters in 1996. Several magazines have named Giovanni Woman of the Year, including Essence, Mademoiselle, and Ladies Home Journal. She is currently Professor of English and Gloria D. Smith Professor of Black Studies at Virginia Tech.

Lillian Gish Lillian Gish Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

An award-winning actress and one of the most famous stars of the silent screen, Gish has led a long and illustrious career, making more than 100 films and appearing in a number of stage productions.

A protege of noted film maker D. W. Griffith, the Springfield native has appeared in such groundbreaking movies as Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, La Boehme and Broken Blossoms. Her stage successes have included Camille, Life With Father, I Never Sang for My Father and Ophelia to Sir John Gielgud's Hamlet.

During 1974, she appeared for director George Caulker in the Movies and with Gene Kelley on the Entertainment Hall of Fame. Gish also hosted The Silent Years, a series of twelve classic silent films for PBS.

In honor of her contributions to film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Gish with an Honorary Oscar in 1971. She has also been awarded the Handel Medallion, the city of New York's highest artistic award, by Mayor John V. Lindsay.

In 1969, Gish's autobiography, The Movies, Mr. Griffith and Me was released. In 1973, she published her second book, Dorothy and Lillian Gish.

Hooker Glendinning Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1986 Get Biography

Hooker Glendinning's commitment to social justice and racial and cultural equality through her involvement in the Episcopalian church and community has greatly affected the city of Cleveland.

Glendinning attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She began an anti-war movement with both clergy and lay church members. She continued to work for freedom and equality.

As the trustee of the American Civil Liberties Union in Cleveland, Glendinning was named Civil Libertarian of the year in 1978. As an active member of the community, she supported the Ohio Historical Society and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She also assisted in the development of Cleveland Heights through fund-raising and heritage programs and was a founder of the Women's Community Fund and assisted several women's groups across the city with funding and activities.

Her work, both in and out of the church, displays the importance of community service in her life and the value of equality and liberty to all people.

Annie Glenn Annie Glenn Muskingum Religion and Community Services 1999 Get Biography

In the small town of New Concord, Anna Margaret Castor befriended a boy named John Glenn, Jr. The two became playmates, then sweethearts and married years later.

Annie Glenn attended Muskingum College as a music major and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. As an accomplished organist, Glenn often played for churches attended by her family.

Throughout her childhood and adult life, Glenn has overcome a severe stuttering problem. In 1973, she completed an intensive program at the Communications Research Institute at Hollins College and now speaks freely during presentations and casual conversation. Her challenge has inspired her dedication to community organizations such as the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health as well as the advisory panel of the Central Ohio Speech and Hearing Association. In May of 1999, Glenn served as honorary chair of National Stuttering Awareness Week.

As an active member of the community, Glenn is committed to programs serving children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. She serves on the advisory board for the National Center for Survivors of Childhood Abuse and has served on the Ohio Board of Child Abuse and on the board of the Columbus Speech and Hearing Center.

Glenn serves of the Board of Trustees of Muskingum College and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 1995. Among her many honors, Glenn received the first national award of the American Speech and Hearing Association and in 1987, she presented its first 'Annie Glenn Award' for achieving distinction despite a communicative disorder.

In her spare time, Glenn serves as radio operator and navigator when she and her husband fly their own plane. She also maintains a collection of historical household items from small towns throughout Ohio.

Aurora Gonzalez Lucas Religion and Community Services 1985 Get Biography

Aurora Gonzales worked for several decades organizing, educating and activating the Hispanic community in Toledo. She made significant contributions through her involvement as a founder and leader in La Voz del Barrio (The Voice of the Neighborhood), a grassroots citizens action organization in South Toledo.

Through La Voz del Barrio, neighborhood residents have gained knowledge, skills and experience necessary to effectively represent their economic, political and social interest. La Voz del Barrio established Centro Unico, a multi-purpose community center that houses the Guadalupe Family Health Clinic and one of the only bilingual youth recreation and senior citizen programs in Ohio. La Voz del Barrio also conducts a nationally recognized voter registration and education program and recently launched an outreach and education effort assisting residents to establish businesses in the neighborhood.

Gonzales attended the University of Toledo before going to work at Libbey-Owens-Ford Co., where she retired after thirty-one years of service.

Using her education and a natural ability with numbers and writing, she took the lead to establish Centre Unico in the mid 1970's. She pressured the city to spend federal funds to build a recreation center in a Hispanic neighborhood. She won. She also opposed the federal government's position of wanting the building to have an English, not Spanish name. She prevailed again when they named the building Centre Unico. In 1992, the building was renamed the Aurora L. Gonzales Building. This was the first time the city of Toledo named a building after a Hispanic.

Ms. Gonzales was the first Hispanic inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.

Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria Olga D Gonzalez-Sanabria Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2003 Get Biography

Olga D. González-Sanabria is Director of the Systems Management Office at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, guiding the strategic development of program direction and resource allocation.

González-Sanabria designed Long Cycle-Life Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries used to power the International Space Station. She was selected for an R&D 100 Award for the battery innovation which has sustained the Space Station for more than 11 years. She is a patentee in her field and has authored/co-authored over 30 technical reports and presentations for journals and conferences.

González-Sanabria is a leader and a role model for Hispanics and women in engineering. In 2002, Northern Ohio Live magazine named her as one of the most influential women in Northeast Ohio.

She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership in 2002, Federal Women Program Supervisory Award 2002, Women of Color in Technology Career Achievement Award in 2000, NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1993, and the R&D 100 Award in 1988.

Rae Natalie Goodall Rae Natalie P Goodall Morrow Math, Science and Health Services 1996 Get Biography

Born and raised on a small farm near Lexington in Morrow County, Rae Natalie Prosser received her Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees in biology and art education from Kent State University. After four years' teaching for Mobil Oil in Venezuela, she traveled through South America, meeting her husband Thomas D. Goodall, in Tierra del Fuego. A resident of "Fireland" since 1963, she has carried out research on the flora, fauna and history of the island, mainly with grants from the National Geographic Society. Her book, Tierra del Fuego, (fourth edition in progress) is required reading in schools and her maps, agendas and other items have taught Fuegians about their natural resources.

Her botanical illustrations appear in the book Flora of Tierra del Fuego, the Flora Patagonica series and the Hunt Botanical Library, Pittsburgh. Her herbarium in Ushuaia contains some 7,000 specimens. Since 1974 she has headed the AMMA Project, which studies stranded marine mammals and birds, yielding a collection of over 4,400 skeletons of these animals, housed in the new (2001) Museo Acatush?n de Aves y Mam?feros Marinos Australes, at Estancia Harberton, the Goodall home. The farm is an Argentine National Historic Monument open to the public from October to April. In addition to her many scientific papers and chapters in books, both the museum and the estancia (farm) receive and train university level work-study interns each summer.

Natalie has received honors from the government of Tierra del Fuego, the Society of Women Geographers (one of 15 women to receive their Gold Medal for major contributions to the understanding of the universe, 1996), the Universidad de la Patagonia, Gamma Phi Beta sorority and an honorary doctorate from her alma mater (1997). She is an ad-honorem investigator for the Argentine science foundation, CONICET, and museums in Argentina, New Zealand and the US. She often lectures on tourist ships or for visitors to her area.

Natalie, her husband, two daughters, sons-in-law and six grandchildren all live in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.





Jewel Freeman Graham Jewel Freeman Graham Greene Religion and Community Services 1988 Get Biography

Jewel Freeman Graham is an attorney and professor of social welfare and legal studies, emerita, at Antioch College. She has dedicated her life to human services. Serving as President of the World YWCA from 1987 - 1991, she led six million women from eighty countries in their tireless efforts to promote world peace, human rights, world health and human dignity. She began her involvement with the YWCA in 1939 as a young girl when she joined the Girl Reserves (now called Y-Teens), and has served both as a volunteer and an employee of that organization.

In addition to her community service work through the YWCA, Graham has been active in the League of Women Voters and the Yellow Springs Human Relations Commission.

Mrs. Graham is listed in Who's Who in the United States, Who's Who in Politics and Outstanding Educators of America.

Michelle Graves Michelle Y Graves Hamilton Business and Labor 1989 Get Biography

Michelle Y. Graves has been involved in the fields of banking and finance for nearly three decades. Affectionately known in her hometown of Cincinnati as "The Money Lady", she continues to be one of the nation's foremost authorities on the world of money.

Graves established herself as an expert in the fields of institutional banking and finance during her tenure as Senior Investment Director for Lincoln National Life Insurance Company where she was sole source funder for bank mergers, lines of credit and expansion financing during the late 70s. She moved from institutional funding to commercial banking in 1982 becoming Vice President of Southern Ohio Bank in Cincinnati where she was in charge of corporate strategic planning.

In 1984, Ms. Graves started her own estate and financial planning business. Expanding her business in 1987 to include residential mortgage lending, she founded Camelot Mortgage Corporation which specialized in lending to all credit profiles. In 1998, concerned for seniors, she began offering reverse mortgages as a solution to their "house rich, cash poor" dilemma.

A prolific writer and media personality on financial issues, she currently is a contributing writer for The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Business Courier, The Small Business Journal and 50+Plus (a Senior-focused magazine).

Ms. Graves has hosted call-in radio shows in Cincinnati and produced a bi-weekly program, The Money Game on cable television. She is host of Senior Spirit, a live call-in radio show focusing on the needs of senior citizens. She continues to be a much sought after speaker and presenter in the financial arena.

Susan Gray Susan F Gray Darke Math, Science and Health Services 2001 Get Biography

Without compensation, Susan F. Gray works as a Darke County Park Commissioner teaching the importance of environmental awareness.

Whether talking about garbage and recycling, clean air and water or preserving our historical heritage, Susan compels children and adults to take responsibility. Each year, she opens her 160 year-old log home to school children. Working with Ohio State University, Susan conducts a for-credit course in outdoor environmental management for college students at her personal lodge in Ontario, Canada.

Susan and her 4-H group developed a test for water quality that has been adopted worldwide. The Biotic Index test became a standard measurement for water quality by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and has since become widely used in Ohio and across the nation.

Gray is a driving force for historical preservation. She organized the Treaty of Greenville Bicentennial Commission. She was instrumental in having three acres of Darke County Park District land consecrated to the Shawnee Remnant Tribe in recognition of the historic and cultural significance of the land for Native Americans.

Beverly Gray Beverly J. Gray Ross Education 2009 Get Biography

Beverly J. Gray was born in Ross County, Ohio and received her formative education in the Paint Valley School District. Gray is a graduate of Ohio University majoring in elementary education with a minor in history. She has pursued studies at Kent State University, The Ohio State University, the College of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati, and Ashland College. She holds certificates in elementary education, vocational education (high school) and reading development.

Gray began her career teaching elementary classes with Paint Valley Schools and then became an elementary, middle school and high school teacher in the Chillicothe City School District as well as an adjunct professor of education for Ohio University/Hocking Technical College. Upon her retirement, Gray continued her work with children as the Education Specialist at Adena Mansion and Gardens and is currently a tutor of students diagnosed with dyslexia at the David A. Ater Clinic.

She has been recognized by the U S Department of Energy and President Ronald Reagan for work with disadvantaged youth, was named a "Jennings Scholar" by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation of Ohio University as an outstanding classroom teacher, and "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" by the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Learning. She was named "Educator Emeritus" by the Chillicothe Education Association and is a member and co-founder of the Virginia Lee Black Educators Association in Chillicothe.

As the South Regional Coordinator of the Friends of Freedom Society/Ohio Underground Railroad Association, Gray was named "Conductor of the Year ? South Region". She is co-founder and Coordinator of the David Nickens Heritage Center, an African American History museum founded as part of the First Baptist Church in Chillicothe.

Esther M Greisheimer Ross Education 1980 Get Biography

A native of Chillicothe, Greisheimer has had a prestigious medical career bridging over fifty years of dedicated teaching and research. She was a medical education pioneer specializing in the fields of anesthesiology and cardiac research.

In 1914, she received her bachelor's degree in education from Ohio University and later attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and the University of Chicago studying Physiology and Chemistry. She continued her education receiving her M.D. at the University of Minnesota. After taking both the Minnesota State Boards and the National Boards, she was licensed to practice medicine and surgery in 1924.

Her 50-year teaching career included positions at The University of Minnesota, the Medical College of Pennsylvania and the Temple University School of Medicine. Greisheimer authored over 150 articles for various scientific journals as well as Physiology and Anatomy, a widely-used textbook now in its ninth edition.

She was awarded The Ohio University Medal of Merit as a recognition of her accomplishments.

Jill Harms Griesse Jill Harms Griesse Licking Sports and Athletics 1994 Get Biography

As a teenager, Jill Harms Griesse distinguished herself by becoming a national finalist in both synchronized swimming and middle-and long-distance racing. After college, she turned her talents to coaching, becoming active on both the national and international levels. She served 10 years on the U.S. Olympic Swimming Committee and took part in international trips for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

During Griesse's 20 years as a coach, she was able to see many young athletes go on to attend college with the help of swimming scholarships. She personally has helped establish two scholarships to help high school students attend college.

Griesse has been an active volunteers, serving on the board of Hospice of Licking County and raising funds to support its activities. In addition, she is active with the Newark YWCA, the Family Service Council and Project Hope.

Griesse is retired from Bry-Air, Inc., of Sunbury where she served as Vice President for Promotions and Advertising, an international manufacturing firm she co-owned with her husband. She is a First Vice President on the Board of Trustees for COTC and a member of the Board of Directors at Kendal in Granville.

Georgia Griffith Georgia Griffith Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1994 Get Biography

Earning an undergraduate degree in music education and Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1954, Georgia Griffith became the first blind person to attend Capital University. For 16 years she earned her living as a music instructor, until she lost her hearing.

In 1971, Griffith turned her considerable intellect and talents to proofreading Braille music for the Library of Congress. Amazingly, she taught herself 12 foreign languages and became the pre-eminent authority in the United States on Braille music. She was and is to this day the only Class A-certified Braille music proofreader in the country.

In 1981, technology became available for Griffith to go "on line". With the help of adaptive equipment, she was soon working as an information specialist for CompuServe. She developed an innovative database of services for persons with various disabilities and manages five informational forums.

Griffith serves on the Board of Directors of the National Braille Association and has received numerous awards and honors for her outstanding accomplishments and distinguished volunteer service.

Kim de Groh Kim K de Groh Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2009 Get Biography

Kim de Groh, Senior Materials Research Engineer in the Space Environment and Experiments Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center is an internationally renowned technical leader in areas relating to the durability of spacecraft materials.

de Groh has participated in shuttle flight experiments, two Russian Space Station Mir experiments, and she is the principal investigator for 12 International Space Station experiments. Her research has directly impacted the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Space Station, and is influencing spacecraft material design choices made by NASA, the Department of Defensive and our nation's space industry.

As of August 2009, de Groh has authored or coauthored 96 technical publications and she has received 10 best paper awards. She is an invited author of a book chapter entitled "Degradation of Spacecraft Materials" in the Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials (2005), and she is currently writing a NASA Technical Standards handbook for spacecraft designers based on her flight data.

de Groh has mentored 37 students resulting in over 43 publications co-authored by students. Since 1998, in a unique collaboration between NASA and Hathaway Brown School for girls, de Groh has been the on-site mentor and team leader for 22 young women working on space flight experiments known as the PEACE project. PEACE team students have given presentations at technical conferences, earned over $80,000 in science fair scholarships while under de Groh's mentorship.

de Groh has received two of NASA's highest honors: the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award. She was also honored with SAE International's J. Cordell Breed Award for Women Leaders, the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Stellar Award, and the Cleveland Federal Executive Board (FEB) Award.de Groh holds material science degrees from the College of Engineering at Michigan State University.

Cathy Guisewite Cathy Guisewite Montgomery Arts, Music and Journalism 1988 Get Biography

Cathy Guisewite, born in Dayton, received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan in 1972. Cathy's first career move took her into advertising arena where she wrote for Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Norman Prady Ltd. and W.B. Doner & Co. Advertising.

Her comic strip, "Cathy," debuted in newspapers in November 1976. The strip chronicles the trials, tribulations and inherent humor in the life of America's favorite single career woman. It appears in more than 1,400 newspapers worldwide. In addition, more than 20 collections and gift books of "Cathy" cartoons have been published.

Guisewite is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Reuben Award for "Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year" from the National Cartoonists Society in 1993. In 1987, Guisewite received an Emmy for "Outstanding Animated Program" for her first animated special, "Cathy," which aired on CBS. Two more animated specials have been broadcast in the U.S., both receiving high acclaim from critics.

Cathy is a member of the National Cartoonists Society. She is included in "Who's Who in America," "Who's Who of American Women," "Who's Who in American Journalism" and "The International Authors' and Writers' Who's Who."

Ivy Gunter Ivy S Gunter Sandusky Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

Ivy S. Gunter began modeling at age 15 and kept an active professional schedule throughout college and after marriage. After successful layouts in such magazines as GQ and Cosmopolitan for designers Calvin Klein and Yves St. Laurent, among others, the Bellevue native signed with New York's Wilhelmina Agency and headed for a swimsuit shoot in Jamaica.

Her career took an unexpected turn when doctors diagnosed a swelling on her right leg as a malignant tumor and amputated just above the knee. Although this may have been a career-ending blow to others, Gunter resolved to continue. With the help of a state-of-the-art prosthesis and a bag of wigs, she started modeling again.

Eager to get back into sports, she learned to snow ski in 1982 and went on to win bronze and gold medals in the national Handicapped Sports and Recreation Association's competitions. She also water skis and plays golf.

Gunter has been named National Spokesperson for "Beauty and Cancer," a comprehensive self-image program for women undergoing cancer treatment. Her career has also expanded to include television, hosting "Profiles in Survival" for CBS, among other programs. Her inspiring autobiography, On the Ragged Edge...of Drop Dead Gorgeous, was published in 1993.

Ann Hamilton Ann Hamilton Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1999 Get Biography

Born in Lima, Ohio, in 1956, Ann Hamilton received a BFA in textile design from the University of Kansas in 1979 and an MFA in Sculpture from the Yale University School of Art in 1985. From 1985 to 1991, she taught on the faulty of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Since 1992, she has made her home in Columbus, Ohio and is currently a professor at Ohio State University.

In 1993, she was the only visual artist to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, an especially significant honor given her relatively young age. Her other numerous honors and awards include the Larry Aldrich Foundation Award (1998), an NEA Visual Arts Fellowship (1993), the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture (1992, Awards in the Visual Arts 9 (1990), a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (1989, and a New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Award (1988).

Since 1981, Hamilton has participated in over sixty solo and group exhibitions. In 1999, she represented the United States at the 48th Venice Biennale. Other recent work has been shown at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, Connecticut; the Mus?e D'Art Contemporain De. Montreal in Canada; the Mus?e Art Contemporain Lyon in France; the Miami Art Museum; the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, Texas; the Akira Ikeda Gallery in Taura, Japan, the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, Ireland; and Wanas in Knislinge, Sweden.

A book about Ann Hamilton's work by Joan Simon was published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in 2002.

Virginia Hamilton Virginia Hamilton Greene Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

Virginia Hamilton, one of the most accomplished and highly acclaimed writers of our time, has written more than thirty books. Her children's books have received all the major American awards possible. She has received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award and was the first African American women to win the coveted John Newbery Medal. Other awards include the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Regina Medal and the Ohioana Career Medal.

Ms. Hamilton is also an accomplished teacher and lecturer. She was Distinguished Visiting Professor in the graduate education departments at The Ohio State University and Queens College in Queens, NY.

A recipient of the Catholic Library Association's 1990 Regina Medal and chosen to deliver the 1993 May Hill Arbuthnott Honor Lecture by the American Library Association, her stature is internationally recognized as well. She is the winner of the 1992 prestigious international Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is given by the International Board on Books for Young People to a living author whose complete works have made an important contribution to children's literature.

Winning the MacArthur "genius" grant, Hamilton became the first children's writer ever to receive a MacArthur grant which are most coveted in the nation. Hamilton's books include Zeely, The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales and M.C. Higgins, The Great.

Sara Harper Sara J Harper Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1991 Get Biography

Judge Sara J. Harper is the first African American woman to graduate from Case Western Reserve University Law School; the first woman to serve on the judiciary of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; and to co-found the first victims' rights program in the country.

In 1990, Judge Harper and another African American woman became the first women to win seats on the Ohio Court of Appeals. In 1992, she sat by assignment on the Ohio Supreme Court, another first for an African American woman. Judge Harper ran for her first political office, state representative in 1954. In 1980, she ran as the endorsed Republican candidate for chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and she was the first African American woman to do so.

Judge Harper is the recipient of many awards including the Ohio Supreme Court's Excellent Judicial Service Award, the NAACP's Unsung Heroine Award and Raymond Pace Alexander Award. She is a member of the Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame and the National Bar Association's Hall of Fame.

The Sara J. Harper Library in The Outhwaite Homes Housing Project is named in her honor. She has written for the National Bar Association Magazine on Gender Bias and has been a lifetime member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

Sister Jean Patrice Harrington Sister Jean Patrice Harrington Hamilton Education 2000 Get Biography

Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, S.C., Ph.D., has been a leader and visionary in Ohio education as a college president, civic leader, board chairman, community advocate, and member of the Sisters of Charity. She expanded the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati to reach a broad audience of adults and students underserved in higher education; developed mentoring partnerships between the community and high school students at risk as the first Executive Director of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative; and worked to open doors of opportunity for students as chair of the Miami University Board of Trustees and Interim President of Cincinnati State and Technical College. She became a role model for women serving on business and civic boards.

Harrington was president of the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1987, a private college established in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity as one of the first Catholic colleges for women in Ohio. Under her leadership, the Mount expanded its services and developed into a coeducational college, which reached out to include the educational needs of adults, minority students, and students with learning disabilities. Under her leadership, the Mount introduced Cincinnati's first Weekend College to extend college-level work to adults who needed career advancement and personal fulfillment represented in a college degree. She worked with businesses and organizations to develop majors that addressed the needs of the local workforce. She built support to achieve 10 successful annual funds and the college's first capital campaign in 1985 to upgrade facilities and build an endowment.

In 1987, Sister Jean left the presidency of the Mount to "rephase" her life. Within six months, the Cincinnati community asked her to head a citywide effort to combat school dropout problems. This resulted in her role as the first Executive Director of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative from 1988-1990 at which she mobilized support, programs, and funding.

Her numerous honors include being named a Great Living Cincinnatian by the Chamber of Commerce in 1996. She has been recognized with honorary degrees from many Ohio institutions including the University of Dayton, Xavier University, Hebrew Union College, St. Thomas Institute, Ohio Dominican College, Cincinnati Technical College, and the College of Mount St. Joseph.

In 1998, the College of Mount St. Joseph dedicated its new building as the Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, Student Center in recognition of her dedication to students.

Sarah E Harris Montgomery Education 1984 Get Biography

Sarah E. Harris received a Bachelor's Degree in Education, a Masters in Supervision and Curriculum and a Ph.D. in Education Administration from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal for the Dayton Public Schools; a university coordinator for Central State University and a manager for the General Electric Company in Cincinnati. Dr. Harris served as President of the Dayton Urban League from January 1, 1980 through February 23, 1984.

In 1977, she was chosen as an Education Policy Fellow, Washington, D.C., George Washington University and served as Staff Associate with Citizens' Council for Ohio Schools.

Harris has held numerous positions on community boards, including membership on the University of Dayton, Good Samaritan Hospital Board of Trustees and the Mayor's Economic Development Task Force. She has also served on the Ohio Student Loan Commission, Ohio Commission on Educational Excellence and Montgomery County Commission on Women and Minorities.

Harris was named a "Top Ten Woman" and received the Outstanding Dayton Public Schools Graduate Award. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kathleen Harrison Kathleen V Harrison Franklin Government and Military Service 2001 Get Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Kathleen V. Harrison has always been a source of inspiration for women. She tried out and made the male cross-country team at Reynoldsburg High School as a sophomore. She was the first and only female to run in the league.

Joining the U.S. Marine Corps, LtCol Harrison has served in a variety of tactical and operational intelligence billets. As the intelligence officer for MAG 70, she was the first woman to serve in an operational aviation unit eligible for combat deployment.

Harrison was selected as the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Intelligence, Headquarters Marine Corps in October 1986. Fluent in Spanish and German, she served concurrently as a Marine Corps Foreign Liaison Officer.

LtCol Harrison participated in Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama (1989). Hours before the invasion, she escaped a kidnapping and a potential death attempt by the Panamanian Dignity Battalion. She was the first female Marine to receive a combat fitness report for Just Cause. In Bolivia, her support of DEA and the Bolivian police and military garnered the largest seizure of cocaine.

LtCol Harrison served as the Senior Intelligence Officer for Cuban migration at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba and the Ground Defense Security Force. Using Harrison as a translator for negotiations between the U.S. and Cuban general officers, a conflict was avoided, despite ground to air fire at two U.S. civilian planes off the Cuban coast.

In 1996, LtCol Harrison was one of the approximately 10,000 Olympic torchbearers as a part of the Olympic Torch Relay, which covered 43 states and over 15,000 miles from Los Angeles to Atlanta.

As one of the most decorated female Marines, LtCol Harrison has led the way to provide women increased opportunities in the Marine Corps.

Florence Harshman Florence Harshman Mahoning Religion and Community Services 1989 Get Biography

Florence Harshman has dedicated her professional and personal life to serving youth and disadvantaged persons. As a social worker in the Youngstown City Schools, she initiated chemical and sexual abuse prevention programs. When a local community center closed, she was instrumental in establishing an after-school tutorial/recreation program for youth.

Harshman has volunteered in leadership roles with the Israel Bond Campaign and on numerous boards and committees, including Send-A-Kid-To-Camp, the Youngstown Area Reading Council and the Jewish Family and Children Services. She has also volunteered with the Camp Fire Council, Mahoning County Transitional Homes, the United Way, Urban League, Mental Health Association and Youngstown City Schools' Blue Ribbon Committee.

In addition, Harshman is a board member and volunteer for Sojourner House Battered Women's Shelter. She is the recipient of Guardian of Menorah Award from Bnai Brith; Women of Valor Award from Youngstown Area Jewish Federation; Israel Freedom Award from Israel Bonds and the Justice Branders Award from the Zionist Organization of America.

Zell Hart-Deming Zell Hart-Deming Trumbull Business and Labor 2002 Get Biography

Zell Hart Deming was a journalistic pioneer, rising from Society Reporter to President, General Manager and Controlling Stockholder of the Warren Tribune (now Warren Tribune-Chronicle).

Widowed with an infant daughter in 1893, Hart Deming began her newspaper career, quickly becoming proficient in both the editorial and business side of the newspaper. She purchased shares of stock until she owned a controlling interest. This early risk-taker even mortgaged her home to gain additional equity. Under her guidance, the paper grew to a four-page daily delivered to every city residence. In 1921, a new building was constructed and equipped with state of the art equipment. The plant was visited by major figures in the publishing industry.

The Warren Tribune-Chronicle was one of the most successful newspapers in Ohio, garnering national attention. Hart Deming became the first woman member of the Associated Press, inducted in 1918 and was the only woman for many years. Eventually she served as the first woman on the Central Advisory Board. She was the only member of the American Newspaper Publishers Association who actually assumed the management of her paper.

Deming once said, "I would advise any woman who goes into business seriously to stay with it, even after she marries. Even children should not stop her. I know because I've done it!" Deming stood by her convictions.

A world traveler, Zell took a lifetime interest in the arts and literature, owning one of the most complete libraries in Ohio. She was a strong supporter of Harriet Taylor Upton and the suffrage movement, writing numerous columns and editorials. She is remembered for contributing to the business, industrial and civic growth of Warren, Ohio.

Lucille Hastings Lucille L Hastings Holmes Religion and Community Services 2007 Get Biography

Lucille Hastings is a volunteer leader devoted to improving the quality of life for others in her community through her work with libraries, agriculture and public policy.

As a college senior in 1951, Ms. Hastings went to New York City to be the Denison University delegate to the Women in the Defense Decade Conference where she met Eleanor Roosevelt. This experience shaped the way in which Ms. Hastings has valued working "for the good of others." Since, she has dedicated her life to being a community leader striving to make a difference in her community.

Though a professional librarian, Ms. Hastings, a pioneer in the consolidation of elementary classroom collections into real libraries, served in a volunteer capacity for libraries throughout her adult life. Among the many positions she held and boards on which she served are: President of the Holmes County District Public Library, officer, board member and convention chair for the Ohio Educational Library Media Association, president and founding member of the Mid-Ohio Library Association, chair of the Ohio Pupil Teachers Reading Circle Selection Board, and an appointed member of the Board of the State Library of Ohio. As an advocate for unlimited library cooperation, Ms. Hastings urged for expanded library collections and programs for the underserved, especially school children.

Ms. Hastings had many firsts in her work with Ohio's agriculture. Not only was she the first female president of the Holmes County Farm Bureau, she was also the first woman appointed to the statewide Beef Check-Off Committee. She also was active in the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and the Ohio Cattlemen's Association as an advocate for improved agriculture. A long-time leader in OSU Cooperative Extension, Ms. Hastings also serves on Ohio's Farmland Preservation Advisory Board.

As a volunteer, Ms. Hastings successfully managed the West Holmes Local School levies, winning fifteen renewals and approvals for new monies since 1972. She was elected to the Holmes County Republican Central Committee and is in her second term on the Holmes County Board of Elections.

Ms. Hastings is a community volunteer leader who acts to make the quality of life better; a citizen who is willing to step forward for a safe, stronger, fairer community; and an activist who has made a difference.

Elizabeth Hauser Elizabeth J Hauser Trumbull Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1996 Get Biography

A national leader in the women's suffrage movement, Girard native Elizabeth J. Hauser was one of the founders of the National American Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Educated in public schools, she became a suffragist at 16 when she attended a state suffrage meeting in Salem, Ohio. She began her career pursuing her first love, journalism, as editor of the weekly newspaper Girard Grit at the age of 19 and resigned that position when she was 22 to follow her dream of political equality for women when Harriet Taylor Upton, treasurer of the National Woman's Suffrage Society, asked her to become her personal secretary.

When the national headquarters moved from New York City to Warren in 1903, Upton took charge, but only after she had assurances that Hauser would help. In 1909, the headquarters returned to New York City and Hauser became national press committee vice chair and worked to publicize the movement through Suffrage, Democratic and Republican conventions. She helped organize the famous parade in the rain at the 1916 Republican convention when 10,000 marched through Chicago during a rainstorm which forced cancellation of other events, including a firefighters parade. During World War I, the associations's support of the war effort was followed by the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. Hauser then redirected herself toward voter education by helping to organize the League of Women Voters. She continued her involvement with the league throughout her lifetime, serving in various capacities including national director and national secretary and is one of four Ohio women on the organization national role of honor.

Hauser returned to journalism in 1927 writing Tribune Trailer stories and a regular column, Seeing Eye, for the Warren Tribune.

Cindy Noble Hauserman Ross Sports and Athletics 1984 Get Biography

A 1984 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team gold medalist, Cindy Noble Hauserman is recognized for her pursuit of individual excellence, as well as her dedication to the ideals of sports. At 6 feet, 5 inches, her amateur athletic career includes positions on state high school championship teams in volleyball, track and basketball, as well as playing in three NCAA Final Four Tournaments while attending the University of Tennessee.

In 1984, Cindy's high school alma mater, Adena High School in Frankfort, honored her by naming their gymnasium after her. She was chosen for both the 1980 (boycott) and the 1984 U.S. Olympic Basketball teams and competed for the United States on seven international teams. Cindy was a pioneer for women playing in the Italian and Japanese Basketball Leagues, playing overseas for three years.

Hauserman acted as the assistant coach from 1985 through 1989 at the University of Kentucky before being head coach for Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She returned to Ohio and is presently a teacher and coach at Westfall High School.

Hauserman has served on the USA Women's Basketball Selection Committee and was appointed Assistant Coach at the Pan Am Games. She was inducted into the Woman's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and into the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2002.

Sister Donna Hawk Sister Donna L Hawk Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

Sister Donna L. Hawk of Cleveland is a national leader in the development and operation of transitional housing for the homeless.

As a volunteer with the West Side Catholic Shelter, Sister Donna developed a special compassion for the women, many of whom became homeless fleeing a domestic violence situation. With Sister Loretta Schulte, she opened Transitional Housing Inc., a comprehensive housing program that serves as a model program throughout the United States, Canada and the Soviet Union.

With no funds of their own, the sisters put together an innovative financing package to purchase and renovate a motel on Cleveland's West Side. Since 1986 on-site counselors have provided Transitional Housing Inc. residents with programs to build self-esteem and rid themselves of chemical dependencies.

In 1989, she led the Cleveland delegation to the Housing Now! march in Washington, D.C. Hawk is the recipient of the Cleveland Bar Association's Liberty Bell Award, WWWE's Outstanding Citizen Award and she has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of Cleveland's Nazareth Academy, her alma mater.

Lucy Webb Hayes Lucy Webb Hayes Ross Government and Military Service 1993 Get Biography

Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of the 19th President of the United States and the first to be referred to as "First Lady" by the White House press corps, pioneered this public role.

A Former school mistress and the first president's wife to hold a college degree, Hayes used her skills to support her husband's political career and her position to benefit charitable causes of the day. Although she was not a feminist and was reported to be ambivalent on the issue of suffrage, Hayes had great compassion for those in need. During her husband's tenure as governor of Ohio, she was the driving force behind the establishment of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home.

Active in the church in her later years, she served several terms as president of the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was as First Lady, however, that her influence was felt most. She hosted Saturday afternoon receptions, attended functions of state, oversaw the restoration and improvement of the Executive Mansion, visited educational and charitable institutions, and received supplicants for aid. She declined to serve wine at White House functions, a policy which earned her honors from the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the nickname "Lemonade Lucy" from others.

She is buried at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. The Chillicothe house where she was born is currently home to the Scioto Valley Arts Council.

Bernadine Healy Bernadine Healy Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1996 Get Biography

Dr. Bernadine Healy, a nationally recognized leader in medical education, biomedical research, and university and public administration, received her Bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Vassar College, and her MD, cum laude, from Harvard Medical School. After postgraduate training in internal medicine and cardiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Healy served as professor of medicine and cardiology, director of the coronary care unit, and assistant dean for post-doctoral programs and faculty development.

In 1984, Healy was appointed by President Reagan as Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. She chaired the White House Cabinet Working Group on Biotechnology and served as executive secretary to the White House Science Council's Panel on the Health of Universities and as a member of several federal advisory groups.

Healy became chair of the Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1985, where she directed research programs of nine departments including efforts in cardiovascular disease, neurobiology, immunology, cancer and molecular biology.

Appointed director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1991, Healy established grants to foster creative, innovative approaches in biomedical research created a major intramural laboratory for human genetics, and launched the NIH Women's Health Initiative, a $625 million effort to study the causes, prevention and cures of diseases that affect women.

Dr. Healy served as the dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health and professor of Medicine at The Ohio State University. Under Dr. Healy's leadership, the school greatly expanded its programs in cancer research and tumor genetics, created the Heart and Lung Institute, received national designation as a center of excellence in Women's Health and received accreditation for its Public Health program. In 1997, she became Medical Consultant for CBS News.

Bernadine Healy became the president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross on September 1, 1999. She was the nineteenth person to serve as chief executive officer of the nation's foremost humanitarian organization in it 118-year history.

The author or co-author of over 220 peer review manuscripts in cardiovascular research and health and science policy, Dr. Healy has served on several editorial boards. She is the former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Women's Health. Her book, A New Prescription for Women's Health, was published in 1996.

Mariwyn Heath Montgomery Business and Labor 1983 Get Biography

Mariwyn D. Heath has spent her personal and professional life working to advance women in government, business, education and community life. She is a role model for women seeking to balance their busy schedules as wives, mothers, business women and community partners.

Besides running Heath Associates, a successful consulting business with her husband, Mariwyn devotes herself untiringly to promoting passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and to improving the status of women both locally and nationally.

In 1988, Heath chaired the Political Action Committee for Business and Professional Women, (BPW/USA) in Washington, D.C. The organization bestows the Mariwyn Heath Equal Rights Amendment Award annually upon an individual/group who has demonstrated significant support of equal rights for women. In 1990, she was appointed to the Women's Policy and Research Commission for the State of Ohio. Heath has served four Ohio Governor's in four decades.

Heath is a charter board member of Ohio Women, Inc., was a member of the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority Board and was the first woman named President of the Presidents Club of Dayton. She is described as "one of the 200 best speakers in America" by the Ohio Speakers Forum and called a "Woman for Women" by the Dayton Magazine.

Joan Heidelberg Joan C Heidelberg Miami Math, Science and Health Services 1997 Get Biography

Joan C. Heidelberg, executive director of the Brukner Nature Center in Troy, has spent more than 25 years building the environmental education center into a nationally recognized institution. It was named one of the top three natural history museums in the United States by the Institute for Museum Services. Under Heidelberg's leadership, the center has grown to a private nonprofit organization that draws thousands of visitors annually, providing outreach programs, environmental workshops for educators, wildlife rehabilitation and animal therapy programs.

Her interest in wildlife rehabilitation led to the development of the local wildlife rehabilitation center currently operated on the Dettmer Campus of Upper Valley Medical Center which cares for and releases more than 1,500 animals a year.

Heidelberg's environmental impact has been worldwide. With a grant obtained from the Institute for Soviet American Relations, Brukner conducted a one-week environmental education workshop for Russian teachers in 1994 and 1995. The workshop's successful curriculum resulted into a published translation into Russian, used for training teachers in Russia.

She is a recipient of the North American Association for Environmental Education's Walter E. Jeske Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Education. She has served as vice president of the Natural Sciences for Youth Foundation and has received the foundation's highest award for distinguished service, the Elsie M.D. Naumburg Award.

Elsie Helsel Elsie D. Helsel Athens Religion and Community Services 2002 Get Biography

A mother's advocacy led Dr. Elsie Helsel to become a driving force in promoting community inclusion and productivity for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Shortly after his birth in 1946, the Helsel's second child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Against the advice of professionals, the Helsels searched for information and assistance to keep Robin at home to live as normal a life as possible. Rather than becoming frustrated and hopeless, Elsie became involved with the Association of Retarded Children (ARC) and United Cerebral Palsy Association (UCPA), then headquartered in New York City. Soon she opened and directed the UCPA Washington Office and served on the UCPA Board of Directors.

Locally, parents of children with developmental disabilities, including Dr. Helsel and her husband, helped found both the ARC and the Cerebral Palsy Associations of Franklin County, Ohio.

While already holding a Masters and Doctorate in Genetics, Helsel earned a Master's Degree in Special Education to become a more credible advocate in the pursuit of rights and opportunities of people with mental disabilities. She joined Ohio University staff, becoming chair of Special Education and Director of the Center for Human Development, the first clinic in this area for infants and very young children showing developmental delays. She made history by designing the University's first program for the disabled.

Helsel was active in writing and securing passage of the Federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. In Ohio, she led the effort to change the definition of developmental disabilities, paralleling the federal functional definition, resulting in the enactment of House Bill 569.

Helsel has authored numerous publications on disabilities research and education, including a chapter in Parents Speak Out, a book chronicling the experiences of parents with disabled children. Her distinguished career includes an appointment to Chair the President's Committee on Mental Retardation under President Dwight Eisenhower. She was the first Chair of the Ohio Development Disabilities Council.

Her accomplishments are highly recognized. She is the recipient of the Ohio University College of Medicine Medal of Public Service Award, the Gunnar Dybwad Humanitarian Award from the American Association of Mental Retardation for achievements in the field; and the Ray Ferguson Advocacy Leadership Award. In 1997, she was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame.

Clarice Herbert Clarice Herbert Allen Religion and Community Services 1997 Get Biography

Clarice Gamble Herbert is a lifelong community service leader, focusing her leadership on the needs of women and girls through the YWCA. She is the founder of a center for chemically dependent women and a center for the elderly.

Herbert's career with the YWCA began when she was a teenager. She joined the YWCA Girl Reserves and began her first job as a YWCA camp counselor. After college, she returned to Lima and worked at the Lima YWCA's front desk. Her professional career began in 1943, when she became a YWCA war services secretary and then a YWCA teenage program director in Kansas City, Missouri. She has spent over 40 years working for YWCAs across the country. During that time, she served as the first African-American executive director of the Germantown YWCA and most recently as Field Consultant for the YWCA National Board.

Herbert has served women's needs at the national level, working with the YWCA of the USA and as spokesperson of the World YWCA. Through the World YWCA she assisted the YWCA of Barbados, West Indies.

Herbert is known as the YWCA doctor, lending her experience mending local chapters in crisis and sharing her expertise anywhere there is needed.

She has received awards and honors from the North West Interfaith Movement and LaSalle University and is the recipient of the Marguirite Riegel Award from the Center in the Park for older adults.

Louise Herring Louise Herring Hamilton Business and Labor 1986 Get Biography

Louise McCarren Herring graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Engineering and Commerce in 1932. Her career began at the Kroger Company where she directed women's personnel. Quickly, she realized that many personnel issues were created by a lack of consumer credit. She read about credit unions and wrote to Edward A. Filene, founder of the credit union movement. Her correspondence with Filene and Roy F. Bergengren resulted in the organization of thirteen credit unions in the Kroger Company.

In 1934, a meeting of people interested in the credit union movement was called at Estes Park, Colorado to discuss the future of credit unions. Herring attended that meeting and helped to organize Credit Union National Association (CUNA). Herring believed that the credit union industry was a social movement solidifying the financial welfare of it's members.

In 1936, Herring turned her volunteer work into a paid position and became the first managing director of the Ohio Credit Union League. She then became an employee of the State of Ohio and organized the department that supervised credit unions. She trained state examiners and wrote pamphlets explaining the credit union law.

In 1975, the 111th General Assembly of the Ohio Legislature, House of Representatives passed a resolution commending her as the "Mother of Credit Unions". In 1983, the Cooperative League of the USA elected her to its Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.

Joy Alice Hintz Joy Alice Hintz Muskingum Religion and Community Services 1993 Get Biography

Joy Alice Hintz was born in Zanesville, the daughter of a Disciples minister. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in education and taught elementary school in Seneca County after marriage. Hintz became active with Church Women United, serving as president of her local organization and the representative for Northwest Ohio on the State Board.

She became part of the Ohio Migrant Ministry, first visiting camps in the summer in 1968. She worked with Ohio Citizens for Farm Labor and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee on advocacy issues and education. She was also named to the Governors' Committee on Migrant Affairs Housing Subcommittee. Hintz served on the board of La Raza Unida de Ohio, which served individuals with a Spanish-speaking heritage.

In 1972, she and Amelia Nava founded Auxilio y Amistad/Aid and Friendship, a volunteer organization that provides support to migrant farm workers and their families. Hintz has published her original research into the problems and needs of Northwest Ohio's migrant population, including Who are Ohio's Migrants (1974); Seven Families: A Two-Year Study (1976); Migratory Farm Workers in Northwest Ohio (1979); Poverty, Prejudice, Power, Politics: Migrants Speak About Their Lives (1981); Valiant Migrant Women (1983); and Facts and Fallacies About Farm Workers Who Migrate from Texas and Florida to Northwest Ohio (1990).

Hintz, director of the Heidelberg College Mineral and Biology Museum for over thirty years, collects and exhibits minerals at various shows in the midwest.

Shirley Hoffman Shirley G Hoffman Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2000 Get Biography

While today women all across the country routinely have an annual exam and Pap test to detect cervical cancer, the Pap test is a relatively new medical technique. Shirley G. Hoffman was instrumental in organizing and training medical technicians in Ohio to detect cancer of the cervix from the results of a Pap test. Through Hoffman's efforts to educate professionals in Ohio in the field of cytology, her insistence on structured and comprehensive training for those professionals, her encouragement of men and women to enter the field of cytology, and her promotion of the importance of the Pap test, countless lives of Ohioans , especially women , have been saved through early cancer detection.

A medical technologist, Hoffman, while working in the cytology laboratory at St. Luke's Hospital in Cleveland, became increasingly uncomfortable that the technicians reading the slides to detect atypical cancerous cells were ill trained. She worried that malignant cells could go undetected because the technicians were not adept at detecting them. She took it upon herself to develop a structured curriculum of study. She brought in pathologists to teach the technicians. As supervisor of the cytology laboratory, she developed the school within the laboratory for the training of cytotechnologists. Because of her efforts the laboratory was accredited by the American Society of Cytology (ASC) and many colleges gave a year of credit toward a baccalaureate degree to those who took Hoffman's yearlong course.

Because her efforts in her own laboratory to improve a cytotechnologitst's ability to accurately read cells to detect cancer were so successful, Hoffman, along with several colleagues, founded the Ohio Society of Cytology (OSC). After co-founding the OSC, Hoffman was elected by the national membership of the ASC to serve on its National Advisory Committee on Cytotechnology.

In 1984 the OSC presented Hoffman with its first award for having founded the Society, for her years of dedicated service to the profession of cytology, and for having saved countless lives by insisting that those detecting cancer be professionally trained.

Hoffman, a true pioneer in the field of cytology, today serves as the Ohio representative of DES Action, the national support organization for DES families (in the 1950s and '60s, countless pregnant women were given the drug diethylstilbesterol (DES) to prevent miscarriage. Various problems have been linked with the drug, including pre-cancerous or cancerous conditions.)

June Holley June A Holley Athens Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

June Holley has devoted her energy and her vision to combating the persistent poverty that plagues much of rural Appalachia. Ms. Holley's belief in the power of work to sustain and foster positive human development and her commitment to economic justice have fueled her efforts to bring those left behind back into the economic mainstream. Her dedication has resulted in increased opportunities for employment and business ownership for low-income individuals and a model national program for community-based economic development.

In an attempt to counteract the high unemployment and underemployment that followed in the wake of a declining coal industry, Ms. Holley co-founded Worker Owned Network (WON), a nonprofit organization dedicated to long-term job creation. WON's initial strategy was to provide the technical and financial support for small businesses developed by low-income residents, with an emphasis on worker-owned cooperatives.

Since 1984, Holley has served as president of the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks in Athens. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development in 1994.

Holley has more than ten years experience providing technical and developmental assistance to new firms, has packaged grants and loans for two business incubators and is co-author of eighteen papers on telecommunications, sustainable development, sectoral strategies and flexible manufacturing networks.

Holley has a number of academic degrees, including a master's degree in sociology from Ohio University, a master's degree in education from Temple University and a bachelor's degree in history from Ohio Wesleyan University. She was appointed to the President's Commission on Small Business by Senator John Glenn.

Nancy Hollister Nancy P Hollister Muskingum Government and Military Service 1998 Get Biography

Nancy P. Hollister made state history by becoming the first woman ever elected lieutenant governor in the state of Ohio. She later went on to serve for 11 days as Ohio's first female governor. She currently represents the 96th District (Athens, Morgan, Muskingum and Washington counties) in the Ohio House of Representatives.

A descendent of one of Ohio's first pioneer families, Rep. Hollister continues a strong family tradition of leadership. After nearly 20 years of public service that has encompassed offices at the state and local levels, Rep. Hollister brings unique perspectives and proven skills to the Ohio House of Representatives.

Throughout her career, Rep. Hollister has worked to bring greater economic development and prosperity to Ohio's rural counties. Serving on the Marietta City Council, she was elected mayor where she served from 1984 until 1991. Under her leadership, she empowered community leaders, business, industry and tourism groups to actively participate in local government.

In 1991, Governor George V. Voinovich appointed her director of the Governor's Office of Appalachia, where she managed economic development, funding and policy issues for 29 southeastern rural counties. Working with state agencies to link need services to the Appalachian region, Rep. Hollister developed key economic development packages that increased job-training opportunities and supported local education and health programs.

As Lieutenant Governor, she chaired the State and Local Government Commission, the Governor's Workforce Development Board, co-chaired the Ohio Farmland Preservation Task Force, and served as the Governor's director of cabinet. She oversaw the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, as well as the Governor's Office of Appalachia, the Ohio Coal Development Office, the Office of Housing and Community Partnership and the Ohio School-To-Work Initiative. In addition, Rep. Hollister was the chief architect of Jobs Bill III -- an economic development stimulus package that specifically targets Ohio's distressed urban and rural communities. It is the first of its kind in Ohio history.

Currently in her second term in the Ohio House of Representatives, Rep. Hollister is Chairman of Energy and Environment, serves on Public Utilities, Retirement and Aging, Veterans Affairs Sub-Committee and is the Chairman of the Ohio Bicentennial Committee.

Nancy and her husband, Jeff, continue to reside in Marietta where they raised five children.

Carole Hoover Carole F Hoover Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1999 Get Biography

Carole F. Hoover, CEO and President of HooverMilstein is a pioneering woman in the field of business and the rapidly growing field of technology management. Hoover actively manages commercial real estate and telecommunications ventures, computer software and Internet companies.

As former CEO of The Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the nation's largest chamber of commerce, Hoover assisted small and minority-owned businesses through management and consulting services and by providing access to tax-free Industrial Revenue Bond Financing.

Hoover served as a member of Cleveland's Operations Improvement Task Force, promoting business reform, ultimately saving the city of Cleveland millions of dollars.

She continues to serve her community as a trustee of the Musical Arts Association and the 50 Club of Cleveland. She was a member of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s executive leadership team during his presidency of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Hoover has been recognized as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement for her work in business, as well as Black Professional of the Year, for her commitment to socioeconomic change through community service and activism.

Cheryl Horn Cheryl Horn Franklin Business and Labor 1999 Get Biography

In 1981, equipped with an old-fashioned cookie recipe passed down from her Grandmother Elsie, a degree from Bowling Green State University and high-profile business experience, Cheryl Krueger started Cheryl's Cookies, a single-store cookie company that has evolved into Cheryl&Co., a multimillion gourmet food and gift corporation employing 370 workers throughout Central Ohio.

As president and CEO, Krueger leads the company's operations, management, product development, and marketing.

While Krueger's entrepreneurial debut was simply one cookie store in Columbus, Ohio, her company's growth led to the changing of its name to Cheryl&Co. in 1988, reflective of a diversified product line. Nine retail stores, corporate, catalog, food production and Internet divisions now comprise Cheryl&Co. Krueger's business is now one of the top 500 women-owned businesses in the country and expects revenues in upwards of $32 million in 2002.

Krueger's commitment to philanthropic programs is as fervent as her commitment to business excellence. She began a school-to-work program called C.C.H.I.P (Cheryl&Co. Hometown Integrated Project designed to provide hands-on business experience to high school students. Krueger also initiated the "Cookies for A's Programs" which encourages good grades among all students--a free cookie is rewarded for each "A" a student earns on their report card. Additionally, a truck from a local food bank collects baked goods every week from her company and distributes the food items to nearby homeless shelters and food banks.

Krueger currently sits on the Bob Evans Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Board for District 4 and the Board of Trustees of Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital. She is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Columbus Academy, a nationally renowned college preparatory school in Gahanna, Ohio

Krueger has received numerous awards, including Working Woman Magazine and Banc One's National and Regional Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards; the Ohio Department of Development's Excellence in Enterprise Award; Ohio State University's Business Person of the Year award; and an Outstanding School Volunteer/Parent award for the C.C.H.I.P.

Katie T. Horstman Katie T. Horstman Auglaize Sports and Athletics 2002 Get Biography

Minster native Katie Horstman was recruited by the Fort Wayne Daises, an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGBL) team at the age of 15. She made her mark in baseball when it was not fashionable for girls to play sports.

Horstman was a versatile player, playing every position, but mostly pitching and the "hot corner" from 1951-1954. The Daisies were League Champions for four consecutive years and she was named to the 1953 All-Star Team. Katie was a team asset, with a lifetime batting average of .282 and a 2.52 ERA. In 1954, her batting average reached .328.

Once the league disbanded, Katie was one of eleven players selected to the national touring team known as the All-Americans. The team played 100 games, each booked in a different town, against male teams. The team traveled over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon and a Ford sedan.

In the 1960's, Horstman joined another winning team, The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart religious order. She was the first nun in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. For the next ten years, Katie taught physical education in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio before returning to her hometown of Minster.

She initiated girls sports programs, including volleyball, gymnastics, basketball, track, cross country and softball. She wanted the girls to feel the excitement of playing and winning just as she had felt when she joined the AAGBL. By 1980, she focused on track and cross country. For the next five years, Coach Horstman's Minster girls team never lost a track meet. After being Runner-Up State Champions in 1975, the inaugural year of girls track and field, Coach Horstman's Minster girl's team won five consecutive state championships.

Horstman has been widely recognized for her coaching skills and opening doors for women in sports. She has been named Midwest Athletic Conference League Coach in all sports numerous times. She was selected as an AAGPBL player into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, the first woman honored in the Ohio Track Hall of Fame and the first woman elected into the National Track Hall of Fame. She also appeared in the movie A League of Their Own.

Retired, but very active, Horstman has played second base for the Ohio Cardinals slow-pitch team since 1992. In the past 10 years, the team has won 2 Gold Medals and 2 Bronze Medals in the Senior Olympic Games. Horstman participates in the Sports Educators Baseball Club in the Los Angeles area and raises funds for charities in California. In her spare time, she is a coordinator for Elderhostel in Palm Springs.

Sharon Howard Sharon D. Howard Montgomery Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

Sharon D. Howard serves as Executive Director of Community and Public Relations for WDTN-TV in Dayton, the local NBC affiliate. She also is host of "Dayton and Beyond," a weekly public affairs program. She coordinates all station community projects, including Channel 2's COATS FOR KIDS and FOOD FOR FRIENDS, and is responsible for station community and public relations.

Howard is affiliated with the Sinclair Community College Foundation Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of Culture Works, Board and Founding Member of the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the Salvation Army Board of Trustees, and the Kettering Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors. In December 2005, she was appointed by Ohio's Governor to serve on the Ohio Arts Council Board where she Chair's the Education Committee and serves on the Executive Committee.

In 2006, Howard founded the "Crown Jewels? of Dayton" calendar initiative benefiting the Kettering Medical Center Foundation's Women's Wellness Fund. This effort has raised nearly $70,000, which will help fund free mammograms for under-served and uninsured women in the Miami Valley area. This initiative was expanded to the Cincinnati region with the "Crown Jewels? of the Queen City" 2008 calendar, benefiting the Joint Cancer Center.

Howard graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Television Communications.

Howard received the "Regional Communicator of the Year Award" by the International Communications Training Institute and multiple National "Communicator" and "Telly" Awards. Howard also received the "Coretta Scott King Award" by the National Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the "Ten Top Women Award," given by the Dayton Daily News. In 2008, Sinclair Community College honored Howard with its Distinguished Community Service Award and she was named a "Top Ten African American Woman," by the African American CEO's organization.

Lillie Howard Lillie P Howard Montgomery Education 2007 Get Biography

Educator, administrator, scholar and author, Dr. Lillie P. Howard has devoted her life to helping young people secure a better future. Regarded as a leader in higher education, Howard has served at the highest levels of academic administration through five of Wright State University's six presidents.

Born in Gadsden, Alabama, Dr. Howard, inspired by her teacher-aunt and encouraged by her family, earned a B.A. in English from the University of South Alabama and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Howard came to Dayton, Ohio, as an Assistant Professor of English at Wright State University (WSU). She was promoted to Associate and Full Professor, and to Assistant Dean and then Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts. In 1987, Howard was appointed Assistant Vice President, becoming part of the university's top administration where she remains today as Sr. Vice President for Curriculum and Instruction.

Dr. Howard was the founding dean of WSU's University College, the portal of access for virtually all undergraduate students at Wright State, and she leads the Division of Academic Affairs/Curriculum and Instruction which includes WSU's faculty and student academic support centers and programs, many of which were originally established or, have reached levels of excellence as a result of her vision, support, and direction. Among them are: the Bolinga Black Cultural Resource Center, the Asian/Hispanic/Native American Center, the Women's Center, the University Honors Program, Pre-College Programs, Army and Air Force ROTC, and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Dr. Howard also has responsibility for university-wide academic programs, including General Education, Writing Across the Curriculum, and Service Learning.

Dr. Howard has received many awards including the 2005 "Who's Who in Humanities in Higher Education." She was named one of the top ten African American women in the Greater Miami Valley in 2002, and in 2003 was inducted into the National Consortium of Doctors, LTD.

Lillie Howard has established and championed programs and "centers" that promote diversity and provide educational access and strong academic support to students, helping them reach their full potential. She is the mother of two children, Benjamin and Kimberly Kendricks.

Adella Hughes Adella Hughes Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 2001 Get Biography

After attending Miss Fisher's School for Girls (later Hathaway Brown), Adella Prentiss left Cleveland for Vassar College in the late 1880s. After graduation she toured Europe and studied piano in Berlin. Returning to Cleveland, Adella performed as an accompanist and began organizing concerts. Working first through the Fortnightly Musical Club and then on her own, she established the Symphony Orchestra Concerts.

Mrs. Hughes founded the Musical Arts Association in 1915 (which still exists today as the Cleveland Orchestra's parent organization). Three years later, she was instrumental in founding the Cleveland Orchestra and became its first General Manager. In 1945, she retired from public life to work on her memoirs, Music Is My Life.

Under her management, The Cleveland Orchestra grew nationally prominent, cutting its first recording, embarking on it first tour, making its first radio broadcast and becoming a pioneer in educational work. On the orchestra's second anniversary in 1920, she was greeted as the "Mother of the Orchestra," and was known as such throughout her career. Today, The Cleveland Orchestra is considered to be among the world's greatest symphony orchestras.

Eusebia Hunkins Eusebia Hunkins Athens Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

Eusebia Hunkins, widely known musician and composer studied piano and theory at Juilliard Foundation in New York. She studied composition at Aspen, Tanglewood and Salzburg, Austria.

Moving to Athens, Ohio in 1946, she began research into Appalachian folk music which found expression in many of her compositions. Nineteen of her works, including the folk opera Smoky Mountain, which has had more than 4,000 performances, have been published. Her compositions included works for violin, cello, flute, string quartet, orchestra, band, comic and serious opera, operetta, liturgical drama and ballet and many songs and choral pieces.

Mrs. Hunkins was a founder and past president of the Hocking Valley Arts Council and co-founder of the Opera for Youth project. Her leadership promoted numerous arts activities with continue to bring benefits to the entire population of this Southeastern region of Ohio.

She was a life-long member of the American Society of Composers and was a member of the American Folklore Society, National Opera Association, the Juilliard Alumni Association, the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters.

Jane Edna Hunter Jane Edna Hunter Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

The daughter of a former slave and sharecropper, Hunter was raised in South Carolina where she worked as a field hand, cotton picker and laundress. Recognizing the need for a formal education, she later attended the Hampton Institute in Virginia and received a degree in nursing.

Hunter moved to Cleveland in 1905 and was immediately confronted with the hardships and prejudices against black nurses. Unable to find adequate housing and noting the lack of an agency to provide social protection and a wholesome atmosphere for homeless black girls, she started the Working Girl's Home Association. The organization became known as the Phillis Wheatley Association in honor of a black slave girl who had earned considerable renown as a poetess.

In later years, Hunter graduated from the Cleveland Marshall law school and received honorary doctorate degrees from Fisk University in Tennessee, Allen University in South Carolina and Central State University in Ohio.

Hunter founded the Cleveland Women's Civic League, was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was vice president of the National Association of Colored Women.

June Hutt June Hutt Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1989 Get Biography

In 1980, June Vereeke-Hutt established the Women's Career Network Association to promote the upward mobility and networking opportunities of women in the workforce. In 1983, she published the first issue of New Cleveland Woman, a monthly journal that offers advice, resources and news of workplace trends to the professional woman.

In 1985, she founded the National Association of Women's Regional Publications and organized the New Cleveland Woman Roundtable, a monthly forum in which professional women generate awareness of and seek solutions to societal problems. In a tribute to 125 Cleveland women, past and present, she initiated the "1988 Celebration of the Cleveland Woman: Her Courage and Contributions" as part of the fifth anniversary celebration of New Cleveland Woman.

Throughout her career in human relations and publishing, Vereeke-Hutt has received many honors, including: recognition in Who's Who of American Women, Careerwoman of Achievement Award in Communications and the Silver Medal Award for Integrity and Excellence in Advertising from the American Advertising Federation.

Jennie Hwang Jennie S Hwang Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2002 Get Biography

Dr. Jennie S. Hwang has excelled in the male dominated fields of engineering and technology. She has established a distinguished career and worldwide recognition in the fast-moving high-tech industry.

As an entrepreneur, a corporate executive, a prolific author, an inventor, a worldwide speaker and a mentor, she is accomplished in both business and technology arenas. Hwang established businesses within corporations from 1977 to 1989 and founded three entrepreneurial businesses from 1990-2002. She is internationally and nationally regarded as the worldwide top authority of Surface Mount Technology (SMT), the backbone of electronics miniaturization, which makes cell phones work and Internet access faster. She earned two masters from Columbia University and Kent State University, and became the first woman to earn a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University--Materials Science & Engineering.

Among her many awards and honors, she is the first and only woman from Ohio ever elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the only person from Ohio inducted to WIT International Hall of Fame (Silicon Valley). She is honored with the distinguished alumni awards from her alma maters and named R&D Stars-to-Watch by the Industry Week. She has held various "woman pioneering" capacities, including the first and only woman holding the national Presidency of Surface Mount Technology Association, a professional organization comprising industry, government and university members.

Dr. Hwang has keynoted for major national and international events around the world and authored over 200 publications and five internationally-used textbooks. As a columnist for SMT (a globally circulated trade magazine), Dr. Hwang addresses critical industry issues. She is a prolific author and speaker on trade, education, workforce, business and social issues.

Her contributions range from factory floors, to university governance, to corporate boardrooms. Hwang has provided solutions to challenging manufacturing problems in telecommunication, military and medical industries. She is renowned for bridging the gap between theoretical sciences and practical applications. She has set university endowment funds, established a Faculty Excellence Award, and serves on various corporate, civic, cultural, and educational boards.

As a mentor, Dr. Hwang helps young women shape their science and engineering careers. She established a special YWCA Award in recognition of outstanding women students who study a science, engineering or technology discipline. She has played a pivotal role in interacting with Congress on government policies that affect the benefits of women.

Her hobbies include investment, ballroom dancing, fashion and selected world affairs. She is married to Leo, a businessman and is the proud mother of two children--Raymond and Rosalind.

Josephine Irwin Josephine Irwin Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1983 Get Biography

Josephine Marie Saxer Irwin's first public record of suffrage appeared in The Cleveland Leader newspaper of October 4, 1914. She is pictured as one of five horse-mounted escorts leading a parade of 7,000 suffragists (not 'uffragettes," she insisted; that was the British term) on Cleveland's Euclid Avenue.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Irwin became active in several women's organizations, particularly the League of Women Voters and the Women's Action Committee for Lasting Peace, of which she was Ohio State chair in the years before World War II.

In 1957, Irwin became the first woman elected to the City Council of Fairview Park. In subsequent years, she was active in Women's Equity Action League, Women's Political Caucus, National Organization of Women and Common Cause.

The Cleveland chapter of NOW annually confers the Josephine Irwin Award on a woman who has done the most for political justice for women, and WomenSpace of Cleveland similarly extends a Josephine Irwin Award, for social justice for women. Except for brief intervals during childhood, Irwin lived her entire life in the western suburbs of Cleveland.

Grace Gouler Izant Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1982 Get Biography

Grace Goulder Izant, a writer, historian and preservationist, greatly impacted the Cleveland community with her enthusiasm for uncovering Ohio's past. She chronicled Ohio's most famous citizens and preserved important historical documents through her work as a journalist.

As the first woman journalist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Izant is remembered for her intriguing stories and her quest to uncover all the information behind the stories. After an encounter with an ancestor of John Brown, Izant was inspired to write a Sunday series entitled "Ohio Scenes and Citizens," which was published from 1940 to 1969. For this series, Izant traveled to all of Ohio's 88 counties to amass historical information about the counties and their prominent citizens.

She preserved many important documents in Ohio history, including the papers of David Hudson, the founder of Hudson, Ohio, collections of John Brown materials and her own collection of Ohio history. She preserved documents for prominent buildings and monuments in the state.

For her work in journalism and historic preservation, Izant was awarded many honors, including the Ohio Governor's Award, honors from the Ohioana Library and her personal favorite, induction into the Ohio Women Writers Hall of Fame.

Janet Jackson Janet E Jackson Franklin Government and Military Service 2001 Get Biography

Janet Jackson grew up in southern Virginia, two miles from where Ku Klux Klan members held their rallies. She was one of the first African-Americans to desegregate what had been an all-white school.

After leaving the south and obtaining her law degree, Janet served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio. In 1987, Janet became the first African-American woman to serve as a judge in Franklin County. In 1997, she was appointed and later elected Columbus City Attorney, a first for a woman.

Jackson has a life-long commitment to women, children and families. She created Project SMART, a successful truancy reduction program to help keep children in Columbus Public middle schools. She has worked with city officials to strengthen the housing codes to better protect citizens and make neighborhoods safer.

Janet has received recognition and awards for her accomplishments. She teaches women to pursue leadership positions and examines policies and conditions to determine where there is room for improvement and how best to accomplish that change.

Rebecca Jackson Rebecca D Jackson Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1988 Get Biography

Dr. Rebecca Jackson has a boundless enthusiasm for life. Her deep respect and commitment to others, accompanied by her determination to take on new challenges makes her an inspiration to everyone who truly knows her.

Jackson received her B.S. in Microbiology in 1975 from The Ohio State University (OSU). She obtained her M.D. from The Ohio State University at the age of 23, when many students are just starting medical school. She entered an internship and residency program at John Hopkins Hospital, where she was awarded the Baker Award for Outstanding Medical House staff. She returned to OSU in 1981 as a Clinical Instructor and later as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine.

It was at OSU where Rebecca honed her research focus on osteoporosis in women. She specializes in endocrinology, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. Jackson utilized ways to detect and treat this debilitating disease especially prevalent in older women in its early onset. She has spoken to many women's groups on early treatment and continues research to try to reverse bone loss, the cause of osteoporosis. Dr. Jackson is widely published and has led many funded clinical trials, testing the efficacy of the new drugs on bone mass and bone loss in women.

Dr. Jackson has received numerous awards and honors including Alpha Omega Alpha, Kellogg National Fellowship and the Physician Scientist Award. She has co-authored countless papers and is involved in several committees. Jackson has managed to combine her intellectual capabilities with human compassion to become a role model for all women.

Dorothy Jackson Dorothy O Jackson Summit Government and Military Service 1990 Get Biography

Dorothy O. Jackson, Akron's Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Relations for 17 years, uses her diplomatic skills and organizational talents to work effectively among all levels of government. She is a lifelong Akronite who is recognized as a capable and dedicated advocate of human welfare and opportunity by the community and beyond.

A 28-unit handicapped housing development named Dorothy O. Jackson Terrace in her honor, is a special tribute to more than 40 years of service to disadvantaged citizens. She serves as the coordinator for the American Disabilities Act (ADA), and the annual Holocaust Arts & Writing Contest, as well as chairman of the Complete Count for the Census.

At Goodwill Industries Ms. Jackson trained disabled persons and served as the interpreter for the deaf. She directed all service programs for the 20,000 residents of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, and those programs have won national attention.

Dorothy Jackson has served on many local, state and national committees. She serves as a trustee for Akron General Medical Center and chairs the United Way/Red Cross Partnership Council. Ms. Jackson is also part of Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., the National Retirement Communities for the Church of God and Advisory Committee member for National City Bank CRA and The Junior League of Akron.

She has earned a number of community awards including Urban League's Community Service Award; Women in History Week Woman of the Year; American Lung Association Crystal Cross Award; Ohio Black Women's Leadership Caucus Rosa Parks Award; NAACP Million Dollar Medallion; Western Reserve Girl Scout Council's Women of Distinction Award; is an inductee in the CYO Hall of Honor, Robinson Elementary and East High School Hall of Fame; is an Honorary Alumna at The University of Akron; listed in Who's Who of American Women; Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Alpha Life Service Award; United Way Distinguished Service Award; Kent State University President''s Social Responsibility Award. Jackson was selected by the Akron Beacon Journal as 1 of 20 "Favorites of the Century" and because the Jewish National Fund recognizes her selfless contributions to others and her keen desire to improve the quality of life in our community, and in our country, bestowed on her the Jewish National Fund's most prestigious honor, The Tree of Life Award and named a park in her honor in Kiryat Ekron, Israel.

Luella Talmadge Jackson Luella Talmadge Jackson Seneca Religion and Community Services 1990 Get Biography

Luella Talmadge Jackson has spent her life overcoming adversity. Born in a small town outside of Griffin, Georgia, Jackson was part of a large sharecropping family. In 1922, the family moved north to Ohio to begin a new and better life. For Jackson, that meant marriage, nine children and lifetime of quiet community activism.

She worked as a volunteer in the Fostoria School System, overseeing the lunch hour and making herself available to students who needed her helping hand. At the same time, Jackson opened her home to delinquent youths to provide them with a stable, caring environment. Her own children hold a variety of professional positions, including minister, university professor, coach, military officer, mayor, major league pitcher, sales manager and labor organizer. Jackson herself returned to school to earn her GED at age 60.

A lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Jackson was an active participant in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The daughter of a Methodist minister, Jackson has been an active member of the Bethel Baptist Church for more than 50 years.

Eleanor Jammal Eleanor Jammal Ashtabula Business and Labor 1979 Get Biography

A resident of Ashtabula, Jammal has been an employee at the Ashtabula Rubber Company, a family owned business, since 1960 and a member of its Board of Directors since 1966.

Jammal became affiliated with Zonta International, a women's service organization, in 1954 and has been Governor of District V (Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Southern Ontario, Canada), a member of the International Finance Committee, a member of the International Board, International United Nations Chairman and International President. During her two years as International President, she visited Zonta clubs in 26 countries on all continents.

Jammal has also served as chairman of the Ashtabula County Children's Services Board and has been a member of the Ashtabula City Planning Commission, the Mental Health Clinic Board of Ashtabula County and the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services Women's Advisory Council.

Jammal was named Ashtabula Woman of the Year in 1964, Ashtabula County Children Services Board - Above & Beyond Award - 2000, Pontifical Honor - Cross Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice Award - 2000 and Best of County Awards President's Award - 2001.

Barbara Janis Barbara Janis Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1983 Get Biography

Barbara Janis has had a long-standing commitment to helping women in the workplace. She has been instrumental in speaking on behalf of working women in regards to pay equity, child day care, human rights, and promotional policies and practices. She spent three years working as an organizer for the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union, a union with a predominately female membership.

Janis was the Education Director for the Ohio District of ILGWU. As Chief of the Division of Women and Minors and Minimum Wage and Prevailing Wage in the Ohio Department of Industrial Relations, she administered a section of state government that protected the rights of Ohioans of every age, sex, and employment area.

As Vice President of the State of Ohio Coalition of Labor Union Women, she continued to raise awareness of women in organized labor throughout Ohio. In 1998, she was elected Vice President of the Ohio AFL-CIO.

For her work in improving the lives of working women, Janis has been awarded Certificates of Recognition from the City of Cleveland and The Federation for Community Planning. She is a founding member of Jobs with Justice/Cleveland Coalition and the Worker's Rights Board.

Elsie Janis Elsie Janis Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 2003 Get Biography

Elsie Janis made her stage debut at the Great Southern Theatre in Columbus. At 16, she became the youngest star on Broadway, making her debut in The Vanderbilt Cup (1906).

Janis composed, produced, directed and starred in both theater and films. Her talents reached into every field of her profession, breaking every barrier against her gender.

Janis was a charter member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers). She was a Board Member during the Supreme Court case arguing for composer copyrights and royalties from recording and publishing companies. ASCAP won the case in 1917.

When the American Expeditionary Force landed in 1917, General Pershing granted her unlimited access to the battlefields, camps and hospitals. She traveled France for six months with her driver and piano player, her mother and her dog and two changes of clothing. She wrote of this in The Big Show.

Of the many honors and awards presented, her greatest pride was the title given to her by the Troops: "The Sweetheart of the A.E.F."

Lillian Janis Lillian Janis Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1983 Get Biography

Lillian Janis's commitment to assisting the less fortunate combined with her interest in public service prompted her to become a prominent political figure in Cleveland.

Janis served for several years as a member of the Democratic Precinct Community and ultimately became a member of the Shaker Heights City Council and Vice-Mayor of the city. During this time, she lobbied for an Office for Senior Adults in Shaker Heights, which has become one of the most successful offices assisting hundreds of elderly members of the community.

Janis' work for underprivileged members of the community led to the establishment of an after school day care for young children. Through her active role in the Grape Boycott Committee, she advocated for worker's rights.

Janis served as an active volunteer in the community tutoring learning disabled children in the Cleveland City Schools. She also worked on the Lomond Neighborhood Association, promoting integration and racial harmony within the residential community.

Carol Heiss Jenkins Carol Heiss Jenkins Summit Sports and Athletics 1988 Get Biography

A 1960 Olympic Gold Medal winner and five-time World Ladies Figure Skating champion, Carol Heiss Jenkins is an inspiration to athletes around the world. She currently is a professional skating teacher and coach, training young figure skaters for international and Olympic competitions.

A member of the Ice Skating Hall of Fame, Ms. Jenkins serves on several committees of the United States Figure Skating Association. She has been active in raising funds to finance athletes in the Olympics, has judged professional skating competitions and has been a sports commentator for NBC and CBS.

The Akron community has benefitted from her civic involvement as an active member of the Junior League of Akron, a member of the City Hospital Women's Board, a volunteer for the March of Dimes and the Children's Concert Society.

"I loved coaching immediately," Jenkins said. "Young people help keep me young. They keep me current on all the latest music and happenings at school. I love their vibrant, enthusiastic attitude. It's a wonderful sport."

Geraldine Jensen Geraldine Jensen Lucas Religion and Community Services 1989 Get Biography

Geraldine Jensen, of Toledo, is the founder of the Association for Children for the Enforcement of Support (ACES), a national movement to collect child support for children. She has built ACES into an advocacy program with a membership of 50,000 women. ACES now has almost 40,000 chapters 48 states. Jensen has led drives across the nation, including Toledo, to enact laws to make it easier to enforce and collect child support.

A licensed practical nurse, Jensen recently served as a member of Ohio's Commission of Child Support Enforcement, Ohio's Domestic Relations Task Force, the U.S. Commission on Interstate Child Support, Federal Child Support Advisory Committee and the Ohio Fatherhood Commission.

She has received numerous awards including the Child Advocacy Award from the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, the Program Awareness Award from the National Child Support Enforcement Association, Jefferson Award for Community Service, Martin Luther King Award from the Black Catholics Conference, Gleitsman Foundation Citizen Activist Award and Ohio Mother of the Year from American Mothers, Inc.

Jensen also received the first Susan B. Anthony Award of the Ohio Chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Billie Johnson Billie A. Johnson Lucas Religion and Community Services 2008 Get Biography

Born in Glasgow, KY, and raised in part by both her grandmothers, Billie Johnson gravitated toward the advocacy of the elderly. After attending the University of Oklahoma and the University of Kentucky, Billie moved to Ohio in 1966.

She currently works as the President/CEO of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern, Ohio, Inc. (AOOA), and has done so for more than 30 years. Under her leadership, the agency grew from a small division office of four staff members to a comprehensive regional office on aging serving more than 160,000 elderly of Northwest Ohio, with a $35 million budget funding the home care services of senior citizens.

She was the leader for the Senior Services Committee, which passed four Senior Services Tax levies for Lucas County in 1991, 1994, 1999, and 2004. She has served two terms as Vice President for the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, three terms on the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc. in Washington, D.C., and as Vice Chairman of the Caucus/Center's Board of Directors. Johnson established the first SeniorNet Program in Northwest Ohio, the nation's premier technology trainer and online services for older adults.

Billie is also a champion of women. She was appointed to serve two terms on one of Ohio's first Women's Advisory Boards, and was a leader for women's organizations such as Zonta International and The Links, Inc. She has been recognized by the YWCA of Greater Toledo with the Milestones: A Tribute to Women Award in 2003, and is a 1998 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Northwest Ohio Gerontological Association.

Billie and her husband, Henry Johnson, have a blended family of four children and four grandchildren.

Stephanie Jones Stephanie Jones Cuyahoga Law 1998 Get Biography

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones's commitment to public service through her work in law, politics and community service has made her an asset to the Cleveland community.

During her tenure in Congress, Tubbs Jones provides her constituents in the 11th congressional district the opportunity for a strong educational system, affordable health care and block grants for further community development.

Prior to her election to congress, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a trial attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) District Office, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor and the first African-American woman to be elected a Common Pleas and Municipal Court Judge in the city of Cleveland.

Tubbs Jones is also dedicated to community service and continues to serve on boards of several organizations including the National Council of Negro Women, Leadership Cleveland Alumnae, Taskforce on Violent Crime, and the Board of Overseers for the Case Western Reserve University's Franklin T. Backus School of Law.

Mary Ann Jorgenson Mary Ann Jorgenson Cuyahoga Law 2007 Get Biography

Mary Ann Jorgenson has had a distinguished career as an outstanding Cleveland lawyer of international repute, and has shown exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to her community of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

Mary Ann (Lusk) Jorgenson was born in Gallipolis, Ohio. She was a National Merit Scholar and Valedictorian of her high school class. In 1963 she graduated from Agnes Scott College in Georgia with high honors and a B.A. in English. In 1964, Jorgenson received her M.A.T. from Harvard.

In 1975, Ms. Jorgenson completed her J.D. at the Law School at Case Western Reserve University. She earned the distinction of admission to the Order of the Coif and graduated third in her class. After graduation, she joined the Cleveland-based law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey and immersed herself in the corporate practice sector.

During her tenure at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, Ms. Jorgenson experienced many successes and many firsts. In 1988, she was the first woman elected to the firm's five person Management Committee, the first such female election or appointment by a Top 50 law firm in the country. In 1990, she was appointed as firm-wide chair of the corporate practice, again the first woman appointed to such a leadership position from among the largest U.S. law firms.

Currently, Ms. Jorgenson chairs the DirectWomen Board Institute sponsored by the American Bar Association and Catalyst, Inc. One of the many positions she has held is chair of the ABA's Committee on Corporate Laws; she continues to serve as Senior Advisor.

Ms. Jorgenson served as counsel to the Czech government, oversaw the opening of Squire Sanders' office in Prague, and advised Russia's Yukos Oil Company on international corporate governance issues. She is a well-known speaker on corporate governance and serves as a Trustee of Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Leadership Center. She was a Trustee of the Great Lakes Theater Festival for 13 years and Chair of its board for 3 years.

By setting an example for today's young women and men and supporting the promotion of her peers to higher levels of achievement, as well as through her efforts to develop and retain Ohio's best young leadership talent, Mary Ann Jorgenson is making valuable contributions that may well change the course of history.

Janet Kalven Janet Kalven Hamilton Religion and Community Services 1990 Get Biography

Janet Kalven is a feminist educator, author and activist with a long term commitment to the empowerment of women. Born in Chicago in 1913, her life spans most of the twentieth century.

She began her work as an educator in 1937 at the University of Chicago as a teaching assistant in the Great Books Program. In 1942, she joined the Grail, an international women's movement, rooted in Christian faith and committed to the transformation of the world into a global community of justice and peace. In 1944, she became a co-founder of Grailville Education and Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio, where she developed a series of residential programs, including the Grailville Year's School, Semester at Grailville for college women and Seminary Quarter at Grailville for women in graduate theological study. These alternative programs offered women a lively experiential education that enabled them to integrate a feminist spirituality with concerns for social justice, ecology and the arts, while earning college credits. As a member of the Grail Women Task Force, she continues to organize short-term institutes on feminist theology and spirituality

In addition to her work at Grailville, from 1972 to 1986 she served as Associate Director of the Self-Directed Learning Program at the University of Dayton. She is co-author and co-editor of a number of books including: Your Daughters Shall Prophesy: Feminist Alternatives in Theological Education; Women's Spirit Bonding; and With Both Eyes Open: Seeing Beyond Gender. Her most recent book, published in 1999 by State University of New York Press, is Women Breaking Boundaries, A Grail Journey, 1940-1995, an insider's story of a group of women who have pioneered on many fronts from feminist theology to overseas service to sustainable life styles on threatened planet earth.

Dottie Kammie Kamenshek Dottie Kammie Kamenshek Hamilton Sports and Athletics 2001 Get Biography

Cincinnati native Dottie "Kammie" Kamenshek was drafted by the All American Girls Professional Baseball League as one of the original players in 1943. The league was started to keep baseball alive during World War II. Kamenshek started in the outfield for her first twelve games and was moved to first base, a position she never relinquished until her retirement. Kammie won back-to-back hitting titles in 1946-47 and was considered one of the league's best all-round players. In 3,736 at-bats, she only struck out 81 times earning a lifelong batting average of .292!

She was offered a contract by Florida International League, a men's team, but refused thinking the offer was a publicity stunt. Her lifetime fielding average was an astounding .950. Dorothy was selected to the League's All Star Team every year from 1945 until she retired from the Rockford Peaches in 1953. Her record has earned her a place in Sports Illustrated "Top 100 Women Athletes of the Century."

In the off season, Kamenshek studied physical and health education and became a physical therapist in Hamilton County. She relocated and was promoted to Chief of Therapy Services for the County of Los Angeles, California, a position she held until her retirement in 1980.

Carol Kane Carol Kane Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1988 Get Biography

While Carol Kane's career began on the stage, her work in the entertainment field in screen, television and stage has delighted audiences for over 20 years.

After a childhood spent in Cleveland, Haiti and New York City, Kane began her acting career at the tender age of 14. She toured the east coast with Tammy Grimes in the "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie."

Since her acting debut, Kane has starred in other theater productions including "Macbeth," "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?" and "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon-Marigolds."

Her film credits have included appearances in several feature films including "Annie Hall," "Carnal Knowledge" and "Hester Street," for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Kane is highly regarded for her work in television movies and sitcoms. Her most famous role was 'imka" on the television series "Taxi."

Calling Ohio her home, Carol Kane has returned to perform on behalf of non-profit organizations.

Rosabeth Kanter Rosabeth Kanter Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1990 Get Biography

Rosabeth Moss Kanter specializes in business strategy, innovation and the management of strategic and organizational change. She advises major corporations and governments and is the author or co-author of 15 books regarding her knowledge of the business world. Her current work on "Business Leadership in the Social Sector" (BLSS) has led to the development of a video series and a national call to action through business associations in eight cities.

She served as editor of the Harvard Business Review from 1989-1992 and continues to work as a professor at the university. As an active member of her community she has served on the Year 2000 Commission for the city of Boston, City Year and other national and civic boards.

She has been honored with 19 honorary doctoral degrees and over a dozen leadership awards. Kanter serves as a fellow of the World Economic Forum, was a member of the Massachusetts Trade Task Force and was honored as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in the World."

Marcy Kaptur Marcy Kaptur Lucas Government and Military Service 1984 Get Biography

Congresswomen Marcy Kaptur represents Ohio's Ninth Congressional District bordering Lake Erie and is currently serving her tenth term in the U. S. House of Representatives. She is the senior-most Democratic woman in Congress and ranks as the senior Democratic woman on the exclusive House Appropriations Committee. Winning her first run for elective office in 1982, she had been a well-known party activist and volunteer since age 13.

The first family member to attend college, Kaptur practiced fifteen years in Toledo and throughout the United States as a city and regional planner. Appointed as an urban advisor to the Carter White House, she successfully maneuvered seventeen housing and neighborhood revitalization bills through the Congress during those years.

Dedicated to the principle that fiscal responsibility begins in one's own backyard, Rep. Kaptur has consistently returned money to the Federal Treasury. Her strong efforts are focused on rebuilding the economic might of her district such as improvements in bridge, road, rail and port facilities and on leveling the playing field for American businesses and workers involved in world trade.

Rep. Kaptur was the first women in history to be awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars Americanism Award and is also the only woman to have received the Prisoner of War "Barbed Wire" Award for her commitment to our nation's veterans and for her bill to create the WWII Memorial in Washington DC.

She is the author of a book, Woman in Congress published by Congressional Quarterly. She was recently named the National Mental Health Association's "Legislator of the Year" for her championing mental health and the Consumer Federation of America's "Consumer Hero" for her work on behalf of American consumers.

Bettye Ruth Kay Bettye Ruth Kay Lucas Religion and Community Services 1998 Get Biography

Bettye Ruth Kay dedicated her life to education, civil rights, world peace, nuclear disarmament, freedom, democracy, and holistic care for children and other adults. She has been described as a visionary committed to action.

As an educator in the Toledo Public Schools, Kay taught learning-disabled students and served as the first teacher in the program for autistic children. As she researched and studied autism, she became aware of the need to provide an alternative to the state hospitals when individuals were no longer served by the public schools. It was from there she pursued her dream, which became Bittersweet Farms, a residential farmstead community.

Bittersweet Farms, the first specialized center for autistic adults in the United States, is designed to meet the educational, vocational, developmental, and social needs of individuals with autism in a holistic and integrated program. To secure funding and support for the center, Kay advocated to government and community agencies with much vigor and energy. The center is designed to increase the autonomy and self-reliance of autistic adults, to enable choices, maximize dignity, and to encourage community interaction.

As a result of her efforts, Bittersweet Farms became identified as a premiere model for a farmstead community. It has served as a model for the development and funding of specialized programs for autistic adults in the United States and abroad.

Sister Dorothy Kazel Sister Dorothy Kazel Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 2000 Get Biography

Dorothy L. Kazel entered the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland in 1960 and was given the religious name of Sister Laurentine, an Ursuline nun martyred in the French Revolution. Although she returned to her family name, the early naming had eerie implications for the future.

Dorothy reached out to the less fortunate in Cleveland, our nation, and in war-torn El Salvador. She taught business and religion courses at Ursuline Sacred Heart Academy in East Cleveland, the catechism to deaf children at St. Philomena's parish and she volunteered at the St. Martin De Porres Center in Cleveland's Glenville area. In 1969, she taught Papago Native American children at Topowa, Arizona.

With a Masters degree in counseling, she served at Beaumont School for Girls in Cleveland Heights from 1972 to 1974. Connecting with international programs, she helped to provide resources to feed families.

As a member Cleveland's diocesan mission team from 1974 to 1980, Dorothy worked in the parishes of Chirilagua, La Union, La Libertad, and Zaragoza in El Salvador. In December 1980, Dorothy and three others were abducted, interrogated, physically and sexually abused, and shot by National Guardsmen. Her grave site in Chardon, Ohio is a place of pilgrimage.

Merle Grace Kearns Ottawa Government and Military Service 2010 Get Biography

Through three decades of dedicated public service in Ohio, Merle Kearns has impacted the lives of all Ohioans and served as an inspiration for women. Her first campaign in 1978 revealed the cynicism held by many toward women in politics; she encountered many questions with a common theme: "Why do you want a man's job?"

In 1980, she was the first women to be elected County Commissioner in Clark County, where she served for ten years and was elected President five times. She was then elected as the 10th District State Senator for ten years and was elected Majority Whip from 1998 to 2000, only the second women to hold that position. Facing term limits, she successfully ran for State Representative where she served for four years, and was elected Majority Floor Leader in 2005, a first for Republican women in the State of Ohio.

She is most proud of her tireless work toward Ohio's recognition of Advanced Practice Nurses, masters prepared Registered Nurses who prescribe drugs and do many of the same things that physicians do in providing primary healthcare services. This landmark legislation was a powerful enabler of nurses and nursing programs in Ohio and brought hundreds of men and women into the field to provide safe, cost-effective care to underserved Ohioans.

After leaving elected office, Merle served Ohio as Director of the Department of Aging.

Edith Keller Edith M Keller Morrow Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

Born in Blooming Grove, Keller was the first supervisor of music for the Ohio Department of Education and served in that capacity for 35 years. She became known as Ohio's First Lady of Music Education. Prior to this position, she chaired the music departments of Miami University and Mary Washington College in Virginia and was an elementary school music teacher.

As a founder of the Ohio Music Education Association, Keller was singularly responsible for the inclusion of music instruction in Ohio schools. In addition, she initiated the first all-state chorus and the all-state orchestras.

Keller was a charter member and founder of many music-orientated associations. She served on many boards and committees and was nationally recognized as an authority on music education.

She received a number of special honors including the Doctor of Human Letters from Ashland College, Doctor of Music from Ohio Wesleyan University, the Award of Merit from the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs. In 1969, the OMEA established the Edith M. Keller Scholarship Fund of the Ohio Music Education Association honoring her devotion to providing, by law, music for every Ohio child.

Carol Kelly Carol S Kelly Union Education 1996 Get Biography

Carol S. Kelly, PhD, has reached out to embrace and protect children who are disenfranchised, unempowered and without an advocate. Kelly, an internationally recognized educator, was a member of the Ohio State University's women's basketball team, hockey team, concert band, Women's Self Government Board, and president of several campus organizations. A professor at California State University Northridge since 1969, she has provided key leadership in developing and implementing an innovative interdisciplinary major in Child Development. She teaches, counsels and mentors diverse populations which include students of many races and cultures, some with learning disabilities and others with hearing impairments.

Her interest in diversity led her to conceptualize and provide key leadership for a Peace Exposition encompassing more than 60 community agencies and extensive campus-wide involvement drawing more than 5,000 participants. In 1993, Kelly served as senior consultant to the United Nations in Vienna for its International Year of the Family. She also has been the United States' representative for International Federation of Educative Communities, focusing upon institutionalized children and youth. She has presented symposiums at the 1996 Convention on the Rights of the Child in Romania, the 1995 South African Child and Youth Care Conference, the 1991 Interamerican Congress of Psychology in Costa Rica and a 1990 Family Life Education for Peace event in Costa Rica.

Kelly has produced videotapes for three international conferences and has written and produced television programs including: Families: Understanding Deaf Culture for public access television. She is responsible for hundreds of women earning scholarships, grants, awards and fellowships.

Kelly's awards include 1995 California State University Northridge's Distinguished Teaching Award and an honor and merit award from the United Nation's San Fernando Valley Chapter.

Jane Kirkham Jane Kirkham Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1995 Get Biography

Jane Kirkham was dedicated to providing spiritual, technical, and philanthropic leadership to Cleveland's Playhouse Square District.

This dedication resulted in the renovation of three 1920-era vaudeville and movie theaters into a 7,000-seat performing arts center with a 750-car parking structure, a 280,000-square-foot office structure, and a 200-room hotel in the Playhouse Square District in downtown Cleveland.

She led a comprehensive plan for Playhouse Square, which included major streetscape, signage and lighting improvements, a public plaza, street-level retail development, and the formation of a district management structure to coordinate public improvements, maintenance, security, marketing, parking, and public transportation in the area.

Kirkham supported a wide range of Cleveland-based organizations, including the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation, the Women's Community Foundation, the Junior League, and the Women's Junior Committee of the Cleveland Orchestra.

She received numerous awards and honors including: the Young Citizen of the Year Junior Chamber of Commerce Award; the Frances Payne Bolton Award for Professional Achievement from the Junior League and the Creative Philanthropy Award from the Women's Community Foundation.

Tella Kitchen Tella Kitchen Ross Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

One of America's top folk art painters, Kitchen began her painting career at the age of 67 with a $15 oil painting set given to her by her son. Today, her paintings of childhood scenes sketched form memory hang in noted galleries throughout the United States, including the American Folk Art Exhibit in New York City.

A resident of Adelphi, she has been featured in magazines such as National Wildlife, Country Living, the Columbus Dispatch Sunday Magazine, Antiques Monthly and in newspapers across the country.

The Seiko Company, the Japanese manufacturer of watches and clocks, purchased the right to reproduce twelve of Kitchen's paintings for use on its company calendar.

In 1976, Kitchen was named American Folk Artist for the Ohio State Fair and her paintings, which now sell for thousands of dollars, have been recognized by nationally-known art critics as authentic folk art of the early 1900s.

Sister Consolata Kline Sister Consolata M Kline Mahoning Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Sister M. Consolata Kline was executive director of St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center when she was one of the first twenty women inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.

In 1945, Sister Consolata came to the hospital as business office manager and retired as Executive Director in 2001. She received her bachelor of science degree in commerce and her masters in hospital administration from St. Louis University.

Beyond her years of dedicated and devoted service to St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center and the Youngstown community, Kline is recognized for her inspiring contributions to the health care industry. Under her leadership and through her foresight and determination, St. Elizabeth's has evolved from a relatively small general medical-surgical hospital to a health care center offering the latest in facilities and services for the greater Youngstown community. She retired from St. Elizabeth when elected Major Superior of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

Sister Kline also served as the diocesan coordinator of health for the Youngstown Catholic Diocese and Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown.

Although retired in 2001, Sister Kline continues to be an active volunteer.

Bernice Kochan Bernice Kochan Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1979 Get Biography

Bernice Kochan studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art. She became the second woman to have designed two U.S. postal stamps, and the only woman to have two commemorative issued in one year, the 1969 W. C. Handy and Alabama Statehood stamps. She also designed the 1969 T.B. Christmas seal. With 130 million of each of the stamps and eight billion Christmas seals, Kochan possibly had more art reproduced in 1969 than any other artist.

As an artist, Kochan captured the spirit of the Cleveland area. She designed the symbol used throughout Cleveland's Super-Sesquicentennial in 1971 and a variation for the Greater Cleveland Bicentennial Commission. She created art for the 1979 50th Anniversary of the Cleveland National Air Races, the Rattlesnake Island Local post stamps, and the local post stamps for the Cleveland Zoo, which featured Balto, the heroic Siberian Husky of Race to Nome fame. Innumerable philatelic designs include collector panels for the Postal Commemorative Society and Rubber City Stamp Club's cachet tribute to Judy Resnick.

Kochan received a proclamation from Mayor Stokes and the city of Cleveland in honor of her work as a Christmas seal designer. She also received the Governor's Award in 1970. Kochan was inducted into the West Technical High School Hall of Fame in 1991.

Blanche Krupansky Blanche Krupansky Cuyahoga Law 1980 Get Biography

Blanche Krupansky was the only female student in her law school class when she attended Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1946.

After completing the seven-year curriculum in just five years, she graduated with a Juris Doctorate at age twenty-two and was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1949. Subsequently, she achieved a Master of Laws. She engaged in the general practice of law and served as Ohio Assistant Attorney General and Assistant Chief Counsel to the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation. Thereafter, Krupansky served in the Ohio judicial system at all four court levels.

She served as judge in the Cleveland Municipal Court for seven years, a judge in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for eight years and seventeen years at the appellate level, which included the Eighth District Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. She was the first woman sworn in on the Eighth District Court of Appeals, and the second woman sworn in as justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.

Honors and awards include the following: Outstanding Judicial Service, Supreme Court of Ohio (1972-76); Who's Who in America; Who's Who in American Law; Who's Who of American Women and the Women of Achievement Award.

Maggie Kuhn Maggie Kuhn Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1990 Get Biography

When she was forced to retire in 1970 from her executive position with the Presbyterian Church at age 65, Maggie Kuhn transformed her dismay into action. She met with five friends and formed the Gray Panthers, whose mission was consciousness raising about 'ageism' -- the segregation, stereotyping, and stigmatizing of people on the basis of age.

By 1973, eleven chapters of the Gray Panthers were opened. The group quickly received public notoriety and grew as a national organization. In 1975, the organization held its first national convention in Chicago. In 1990, the Gray Panthers public policy office opened in Washington, D.C. to address such issues as age discrimination, pension rights, nursing home reform, and other issues affecting the elderly.

Kuhn began her career in social activism in 1930 when she began working for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. There she worked to bring better working conditions, education, and enrichment to working-class women. Kuhn also wrote several books, including You Can't be Human Alone, Lets Go Out There and Do Something About Injustice, Aging in America, and an autobiography entitled No Stone Unturned: The Life and Times of Maggie Kuhn.

Carol Kuhre Carol S. Kuhre Athens Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

Carol Stockey Kuhre was born and reared on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota, close to the Boundary Waters wilderness area. She graduated from Concordia College, studied at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, and started her career at Penn State's Lutheran Campus Ministry. While at Penn State she married her husband of forty-eight years, Dr. Bruce Kuhre. They have two daughters, Siri and Tanja, as well as a foster-daughter, Marilyn Ellis Knisley. In 1966, the family moved to Athens where Kuhre joined the Lutheran Campus Ministry staff.

She went on to become Co-director of United Campus Ministry, an ecumenical ministry at Ohio University. She helped create a number of social justice organizations that include: the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network; People for Peace; Students for Peace; the Coalition Against World Hunger; the Appalachian Ohio Public Interest Campaign; and Feminism and Faith.

During her years in the ministry she received a M.A. degree in Sociology and studied fiber art at Ohio University. Kuhre is one of the founders of Athens Tapestry Works, a fiber-arts collective that develops art for public spaces. Together the family has taught, traveled and worked in The Philippines, Botswana, Austria, The Czech Republic, and Belize. Kuhre has lectured on the interface among art, theology and social justice during their travels. She has also been active in Philippines human rights activities.

In 1990, Kuhre became the executive director of Rural Action, an organization working to bring about sustainable development in the Appalachian counties of Ohio.

In retirement, Kuhre serves as the President of the Athens Foundation, Vice-President of the Sugar Bush Foundation, and Vice-President of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. She also coordinates an ecumenical Earth Justice Network that has a focus on climate change.

Virginia Kunkle Virginia Kunkle Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

With a broad background in education, Virginia L. Kunkle was the first woman to become assistant superintendent of public instruction in Ohio. Her experiences range from classroom instruction at all levels, to administrative roles as principal, director of special education, director of elementary education and director of redesign and renewal.

Virginia first taught classes of mentally retarded children and then moved into administrative posts. As director of special education, she started the first high school class for the deaf and served on a state committee for the evaluation of education of the hearing-impaired. In 1967, Kunkle joined the Ohio Department of Education and was in charge of elementary education. She was chairperson of the first Right to Read commission and the revision committee for Ohio elementary school minimum standards. She was then appointed as assistant superintendent of public instruction in 1977. Through this position, she coordinated the improvement of instruction and learning through the Divisions of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Education and Certification, Guidance and Testing and Educational Redesign and Renewal.

Virginia Kunkle has been a guest lecturer at The Ohio State University, was a member of the team designated to evaluate the American School of Kinshasa in Zaire, Africa and holds membership in a number of professional organizations. Kunkle has authored, or co-authored five publications that have received distinguished achievement awards from the Educational Press Association of America.

Virginia is currently retired, however, remains active in clubs and organizations. She is a member of the President's Council of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has received the school's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Beatrice Lampkin Beatrice Lampkin Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1997 Get Biography

Dr. Beatrice Lampkin, Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) has devoted her life to research and efforts toward diagnosing and treating children diagnosed with leukemia, other childhood cancers and blood disease.

She joined the Division of Hematology/Oncology at CCHMC in 1965. In 1973, she was appointed the Director of the Division. She built that Division from one full-time faculty member (her) to 13 full-time faculty and 76 fellows when she retired in 1991. She has written or co-authored over 125 papers, presented many research papers, had over 40 people to train under her and was a pioneer in the research involving leukemia in children. She has received multiple awards.

After retiring, Dr. Lampkin became the prime mover in starting GLAD HOUSE programs. GLAD is an acronym for Giving Life A Dream. The mission of GLAD HOUSE, Inc. is to break the intergenerational cycle of drug/alcohol addiction by providing a program of positive intervention, including mental health treatment, to children, ages 6-12, of parents with addiction and continuing support to these children and their families. She was elected President of the Board and remains President of the Board.

The early results of the programs in the children are encouraging - a significant improvement in social skills, a significant decrease in shy behavior and a significant improvement in academic functioning in boys. In the mothers, significant results have been in parenting skills, parent-child relationships and in an improvement in ability to access social agencies.

Her distinguished career has earned her awards and recognition that include: the Advanced Hematology Fellow, American Cancer Society: Leukemia Scholar, Leukemia Society of America; National Board Citation of Outstanding Woman of the Year in Medicine, Medical College of Pennsylvania; Jacob g. Schmidlapp Professor of Pediatrics Research Chair in Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Oscar Schmidt Public Service Award, University of Cincinnati; Riley Cancer Research for Children Distinguished Lecturer in Oncology James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children at the Indiana University School of Medicine; and the Founder's Award, Cincinnati Pediatric Society. She has served on the American Cancer Society National Board of Directors and as a trustee of the Greater Cincinnati Cancer Control Program.

In 2001, the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology selected her to receive the Distinguished Career Award for that year. Dr. Lampkin still teaches in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Joan Lamson Joan E Lamson Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1990 Get Biography

Joan E. Lamson's first job was a switchboard operator in Huntsville, Alabama. She worked her way up by learning about the company's products and how to sell them. After fourteen years of selling industrial products, she started her own business in 1980.

A risk taker and entrepreneur, Joan is the founding president of Castite System Inc., a nationally recognized metal-finishing company serving the aerospace and defense industries. It is the smallest company ever to receive the Statistical Process Control Certification from General Dynamics Corporation. She won for two consecutive years.

Joan Lamson is a small business owner who exemplifies a commitment to the advancement of women's business ownership. Ms Lamson is generous with her time and has not hesitated to share her methods, philosophy, techniques and talents in helping other aspiring women in one-to-one sessions. She has reached many hundreds more through volunteer speaking engagements. Lamson is a business and community service role model, both from a business perspective as well as for her extensive community service.

The recipient of numerous awards, she also has served on many boards and was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business.

Hattie Larlham Hattie L Larlham Auglaize Math, Science and Health Services 1980 Get Biography

While working as a registered nurse for 25 years, Hattie Larlham recognized the need for a place of care for children with profound mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD). As a result, she opened her home to these children, at one point caring for 11 children in her 3-bedroom home.

With her home filled to capacity and more than 100 names on the waiting list, the Hattie Larlham Foundation was established in 1964. In 1972, the organization began building its 126-bed facility on the Larlham family land in Mantua, Ohio. Known today as Hattie Larlham, the caring organization Mrs. Larlham began more than 40 years ago serves more than 1,000 children and adults with MR/DD throughout Ohio.

Mrs. Larlham was instrumental to the improvement of statewide care of individuals with MR/DD. Not only did she act as her organization's administrator until 1977, but she also served as an advisor on mental retardation to the Carter, Reagan and Bush administrations. She founded the Ohio Private Residential Association and served as a member of the American Nurses' Association. In 1994, Larlham was honored with the Ohio Private Residential Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.


Bea Larsen Bea V Larsen Hamilton Law 1988 Get Biography

Bea V. Larsen (88)
Hamilton County
Law


An attorney in private practice, Bea V. Larsen served as the first woman president of the Cincinnati Bar Association.

During her tenure as president, Larsen was responsible for implementing two significant programs: the Center for Mediation and Disputes, Inc., an alternative to litigation and the CBA/BLAC Round Table, which brought together members of the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati with the goal of creating greater opportunity for minority lawyers.

Larsen worked for the Legal Aid Society, where she rose to the position of Director of the Public Defender Division. She has further contributed to her community through her participation on the Boards of the Friends of Women's Studies at the University of Cincinnati, the Women's City Club, the Urban League and the Mental Health Association.

Larsen, an alumnae of Antioch College & Chase Law School was a candidate for Municipal Court judge in 1979, paving the way for women in elected office.



Carol Latham Carol Latham Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1999 Get Biography

Carol Latham is founder, president, and CEO of Thermagon, Inc., a custom manufacturer of high performance heat transfer materials for electronic components. She has combined her creativity and technical skills to develop a unique technology for producing high thermal conductivity materials with better performance than the market has seen to date.

In five years, her business has grown from less than $500,000 in sales per year to $18 million in sales per year. Carol is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in Chemistry. She has presented papers at major technical conferences and has had works published in several technical journals.

Thermagon has received national publicity in The Wall Street Journal and Inc. magazine. Latham sits on the Boards of Enterprise Development, Inc.; CAMP, Inc.; the Greater Cleveland Growth Association; the Old Stone Foundation; and the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition. She has received numerous awards for innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship, including the 2000 Business Woman of the Year Award for Northeast Ohio and the Inner City 100 Award.

Thermagon placed 8th nationally of the top 100 fastest growing, privately held companies and was the only company who placed in the top ten on this list for three consecutive years.

Mary Lazarus Mary K Lazarus Franklin Religion and Community Services 1985 Get Biography

For more than 40 years, Mary K. Lazarus has demonstrated her commitment to Franklin County and Ohio as an active community volunteer. She began her career with extensive service to the League of Women Voters and has continued to champion such causes as consumer rights, child safety, education, services to women and ethics in government.

Lazarus' strong commitment to children and women's issues is quite distinguished. She has provided leadership and vision to Children's Defense Fund-Ohio (CDF), a nonpartisan organization providing a voice for the needs of children. Lazarus is the past president of Action for Children, an agency whose services expand quality and affordable child care in Columbus. She was instrumental in the agency's expansion with the building of the Cecilia Cullman Center for Children.

Mary Lazarus' civic affiliations include work with Thurber House, Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio, Mount Carmel Hospital and the Homeless Families Foundation. She was a founder of Columbus Metropolitan Club, and has also been involved with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus, and countless other organizations.

Lazarus has been honored for her work by such diverse groups as the Columbus Bar Association, the Junior League, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Social Workers. Mary Lazarus received the League of Women Voters Democracy in Action Award and was named one of the YWCA Women of Achievement.

She is a co-founding chair of the Women's Fund of Central Ohio and is currently serving on the Board of Trustees whose mission is to transform the lives of women and girls by mobilizing the collective power and passion of all women working together.

Katherine LeVeque Katherine S LeVeque Franklin Business and Labor 1986 Get Biography

As one of Ohio's leading businesswomen, Katherine S. LeVeque is Chief Executive Officer of LeVeque Enterprises in Columbus and is known for her commitment to the growth and enhancement of Ohio's capital city.

LeVeque made a remarkable transition from a dedicated mother and homemaker to an outstanding Ohio business leader. When a tragic accident took the life of her husband in 1975, she assumed the role formerly held by her husband, and as Chief Executive Officer of LeVeque Enterprises, she began a career which has since earned her the reputation as one of this city's most shrewd, successful and fair business leaders.

Despite the increasing demands on her time, LeVeque always manages to respond to the many requests for her assistance and participation. As the owner and operator of one of the most beautiful old theaters in Columbus, she has led and funded the renovation and reservation of the Palace Theater. LeVeque was the force behind the construction of the One Columbus building, a prestigious office tower at the city's heart.

LeVeque has consistently applied her caring wisdom to the Central Ohio community in a wide variety of ways. A patron of the arts and education, she has assumed leadership positions within the volunteer structure of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce; Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau; Columbus College of Art and Design and Children's Hospital. LeVeque was also chairperson of the Riverfront Community Corporation and continues to work to improve the downtown Columbus area.

Barbara Lee Barbara Lee Athens Education 1998 Get Biography

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, dean of the Ohio University of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM), is the first African-American woman to head a medical college in the United States and the first woman dean of a college of osteopathic medicine.

She was the first osteopathic physician to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship, and is a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve Medical Corps. She has a strong background in health policy issues and serves as an advisor on primary care, medical education, minority health, women's health and rural health care issues on federal and state levels.

Under Ross-Lee's leadership, OU-COM has been instrumental in creating the Centers for Osteopathic Regional Education statewide education consortium. She directs the OU-COM/American Osteopathic Association Health Policy Fellowship and is the executive director of the Institute for National Osteopathic Medical Association.

Ross-Lee was selected in 1997 by the Pew Charitable Trusts to serve on the Americans Discuss Social Security National Advisory Board. She is a member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Board of Governors. Ross-Lee serves on many other state and national organizations, including the National Health Services Corps' Association of Clinicians for the Underserved and The Ohio Corporation for Health Information.

Her awards include the Distinguished Public Service Award, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine; Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, New York Institute of Technology, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine; "Magnificent 7" Award, Business and Professional Women/USA; and the Women's Health Award, Blackboard African-American National Bestsellers.

Rebecca J Lee Pickaway Government and Military Service 2010 Get Biography

Rebecca Lee is the Executive Director of the Pickaway County Veteran Service Commission. She is a disabled United States Marine Corps' Veteran. Already accredited as a National and County Veteran Service Officer, she graduated with the first class of five as a Certified Veterans' Advocated in 2009.

Lee served two terms as President of the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO), where she has testified before Congress and spearheaded the passage of veteran's legislation. Due to her passion for women veterans' issues, Lee was awarded the Rising Star Award by NACVSO.

Lee currently serves as the first female Commandant of Marine Corps League, Detachment 8310, Circleville, Ohio and has held this position for three terms. Lee holds life memberships and is actively involved with several veterans' organizations. She has also served as the chair of the Governor's Women Veterans' Advisory Committee, a committee which has successfully hosted three women veterans' conference to date; the last one being the largest in the United States.

Although she is a Louisiana native, she has lived in Ohio for the past 23 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a paralegal degree from Northeast Louisiana University. She lives with her husband, Michael, in Circleville, Ohio. Lee's greatest pride is that four of her sons have chosen to follow in her footsteps and are currently serving in the United States military.

Emily Leedy Emily L Leedy Franklin Education 1979 Get Biography

A Jackson native, Emily L. Leedy has dedicated more than 35 years of service in education, business and government. She began her educational career in the Ross County, Ohio public schools and has taught at all levels beginning with elementary and secondary schools and later at both undergraduate and graduate levels. During her career as an educator, she served as a supervisor of student teachers, a visiting teacher, professor, dean, administrator, workshop consultant and educational consultant.

Leedy received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Rio Grande College in 1949 and her Master of Education Degree from The Ohio State University in 1957. She continued her post Master's work at The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Michigan State University and Case Western Reserve University.

In 1971, Leedy was appointed director of the Women's Services Division and chair of the Women's Advisory Council of the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, thus becoming one of the first women to serve at that level in state government. Through this appointment, Leedy conceived and promoted programs to improve the employment competencies of women. Particular attention was focused on education, child care, labor conditions, equality of entrance requirements and eligibility for promotion. In this capacity she directed the establishment of the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1978.

Leedy has worked with the Cleveland Mental Health Association, the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. She served on the Ohio Commission of the Status of Women and on the National Advisory Board for the Women's Equity Action League. Leedy is a member of the Columbus Business and Professional Women's Club and the Columbus Metropolitan Club. She has received many honors and awards including the Cleveland Area "Women of Achievement" Award and the Chillicothe-Ross Women's Hall of Fame.

Since her retirement from state service in 1983, Leedy has been active as a consultant in education and employment. Active in community and civic organizations, she is a well-known speaker and program participant.

Jih Lei Jih Lei Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2008 Get Biography

Director of the Research and Technology at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Jih-Fen Lei is an accomplished researcher leading more than 750 staff in conducting advanced research and technology development in propulsion, power, communication, high-temperature materials and structures, microgravity research, instrumentation and controls, nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Her performance and service has awarded her: the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award; NASA's Equal Opportunity Medal; NASA's Public Service Medal; the Army Research Laboratory's Honorary Medal for Technical Achievement of the Year; the Federal Executive Board Recognition Award; Technology Innovation in Government Award; numerous NASA Special Achievement Awards; three NASA Turning Goals Into Reality Awards; a National Minorities in Research Sciences Technical Leadership in Government Award; the National Women of Color Technical Innovation in Government Award; and three R&D 100 Innovation awards.

An advocate of equal opportunity in the workplace, Jih-Fen has created an environment in which people can grow and excel. She is the first female Director of Research & Technology at the Glenn Research Center. Jih-Fen has developed sensors, instrumentation and protective coating for aircraft and rocket applications, and provides demonstrations and corporate on-site training to potential users.

She has authored or co-authored more than 95 publications, and given more than 60 talks at various national and international conferences and events. She also involved herself with forming the policies of the development of remediation standards in the event of terrorist use of radiological devices within the U.S.

Jih-Fen has lived and worked in the Cleveland area for more than 20 years.

Lois Lenski Lois Lenski Shelby Arts, Music and Journalism 2003 Get Biography

Author Lois Lenski was born in Springfield Ohio in 1893. During her life, Lenski illustrated and authored over 80 titles.

In 1917, at the age of 23, she first presented her Mother Goose pictures to Platt and Munk (New York). Her illustrations appeared in numerous children's books during the next 12 years.

Skipping Village, a book about Lois Lenski's life in the Village of Anna, was her first authored and illustrated book, published in 1927. She also authored A Little Girl in 1900 in 1928.

Later, she created The Mr. Small Series ( i.e The Little Auto, The Little Sailboat, The Little Farm) and other imaginative works, including a series of Davy Books.

Lenski began her historical books in 1936 with Phebe Fairchild, Her Book, followed by regional stories such as Bayou Suzette, Coal Camp Girl, Texas Tomboy and To Be A Logger. Another series, Roundabout America, began in 1952.

Lenski is the recipient of the Newberry Medal and the Ohioana Medal. Her art awards include an exhibit of her oil painting, "The Fire Escape" at the National Academy of Design in 1918 and one-woman exhibitions galleries across the country.

Alice Raful Lev Alice Raful Lev Mahoning Government and Military Service 1988 Get Biography

Alice Lev's lifelong commitment to social justice has benefitted disadvantaged persons, women and minorities on the national, state and local levels. She was a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Advisory Board and helped establish the Minority Business Division of the Ohio Department of Development.

Lev became executive director of the Youngstown Area Development Corporation, a minority business and community development agency in 1972. Previously, as the Associate Director of the Youngstown Fair Housing Committee, she helped author and secure passage of Youngstown's Fair Housing law and served with the Statewide Fair Housing association to secure a State Fair Housing Law. Her work focused on developing low income, subsidized housing throughout Ohio, especially for persons who have a mental illness.

She has served on the NAACP Board, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Urban League, National Organization for Women and the Ohio and Youngstown Peace Councils. Alice was active on countless community organizations

Lev, a licensed social worker, is a strong force for social justice, racial harmony, political activism and equal opportunity for all.

Maxine Levin Maxine Levin Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 2001 Get Biography

Maxine has been involved in the mental health field since she volunteered with the Red Cross at Crile General Hospital during World War II. After the war, Maxine, with others, bought the Ingleside Nursery on Euclid Avenue and turned it into the Woodruff Psychiatric Hospital, a 100-bed facility. Maxine also pioneered "Oasis," a program of activities for the elderly and 'ix Chimneys," a home and training center for developmentally disabled adults.

In 1989, Maxine further demonstrated her commitment to education by establishing an endowment at Cleveland State University for student scholarships, faculty research, and professional and career development activities, and the operation of the College of Urban Affairs. To honor her commitment, the College was renamed the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs in 1989.

In 1996, she donated Benedict House, a 19th Century mansion, to the Cleveland Restoration Society and championed its restoration efforts. Now completely restored, it serves as the first home of the Cleveland Restoration Society and is fully rented to other neighborhood organizations.

In 1989, Maxine established an endowment at Cleveland State University for student scholarships, faculty research, professional and career development activities, and the operation of the College of Urban Affairs. Renamed the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, it has gained national recognition and ranking by U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Graduate Schools".

Fannie Lewis Fannie M Lewis Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1996 Get Biography

Fannie M. Lewis migrated to Cleveland more than thirty years ago in search of a better life than her family had in Memphis, Tennessee. Instead, she found herself in what was at that time one of Cleveland's worst communities, Hough.

Determined not to become a victim of political, economic and social systems she could not control, Lewis became heavily involved in politics at the grass-roots level. In 1980, on her fourth attempt, Lewis was elected as Hough-Ward 7 representative to the Cleveland City Council. She has seen many changes in Hough-Ward 7 as a result of her Council service.

She cites many significant accomplishments, such as the development of five housing programs; revitalization of the neighborhood's only shopping center; home weatherization and rehabilitation programs; establishment of a Merchant's Association; creation of several new parks; and stimulation of new commercial development and employment opportunities.

In addition to serving on the Cleveland City Council, Lewis was Vice-Chair of Public Development and Service and Chairwoman of Health and Human Services and Community Development Committee. She is also a member of the Executive Committee, the Private Industry Council and the Roundtable's Housing Committee.

Cathy Monroe Lewis Cathy Monroe Lewis Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 2002 Get Biography

Catharine M. Lewis was destined for a career in health care. At the age of 40, this mother of four decided to become a paramedic. At that time, she didn't know she would move beyond the ambulance bay into a powerful leadership position in one of America's premier medical and philanthropic communities.

Her ability to assess situations and strategize solutions quickly, led Lewis to a board position with Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, where she learned everything she could about the work of saving children. Cathy was an innovator and doer, challenging "the system" when it stood in the way of better care. In the 1980's she became Board President. Her accomplishments led to an appointment to the Board of University Hospitals and Health Systems. By 1994, Lewis was appointed to the Cleveland Foundation Board, rising to become the first woman Chairperson of America's oldest and second largest foundation.

During this time, Lewis and a partner purchased a non-profit human resources business and turned it into a successful for-profit venture. Resource Careers, Inc. was the first formalized spouse employment assistance program, helping women find career opportunities in cities where they had moved due to a husband's job transfer. The firm has grown in national and international prominence with affiliates in over 100 locations across the world. Currently, twenty percent of the "trailing spouses" internationally are male.

A strong advocate of AIDS prevention in women and children, Catharine traveled to Uganda, Africa in 1991, as part of a National Institute of Health research project to study the transmission of AIDS from mothers to children. Upon her return she was invited to serve on the Citizens' Committee for AIDS/HIV which devised Cleveland's strategy for AIDS prevention, education and service delivery. Lewis is chair of its successor organization, the AIDS Funding Collaborative.

Lewis, an outstanding business and community leader, has received numerous awards including: the YWCA Career Woman of Achievement Award (1992); Women's Community Foundation Creative Philanthropy Award (1998); and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the March of Dimes (l999).

Sylvia Lewis Sylvia Lewis Summit Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1995 Get Biography

Sylvia Lewis is the past national president of NA'AMAT USA (an acronym meaning "Movement of Working Women and Volunteers"), the largest Jewish women's organization in the world. With chapters in 10 countries, NA'AMAT fights for women's rights, civil rights, child welfare and social justice in Israel and in the United States. Ms. Lewis has been a delegate to the World Zionist Congress in Israel four times.

In 1992, she was elected to Zionist General Council of the World Zionist Organization. She is on the boards of the National Committee for Labor Israel and the Habonim Dror Foundation. Locally Ms. Lewis has provided leadership to the Akron Jewish Community Federation, the Akron Jewish Community High School, the Presidents' League of Jewish Women's Organizations and the Government Affairs Committee of Ohio Jewish Communities. She was president of the Jerome Lippman Jewish Community Day School for five years.

Since 1979, Ms. Lewis has actively worked to help Russian immigrants settle successfully in the greater Akron area. In addition, she served as President of Planned Parenthood of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties from 1999-2001 and serves on the Executive Committee of the Western Reserve Coalition for Choice.

Ms. Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the JCPenney Golden Rule Award (1994), the YWCA of Summit County "Woman of Achievement" and is listed in Who's Who of America, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in Israel and IBC's Outstanding People of the 20th Century.

Maya Ying Lin Maya Ying Lin Athens Arts, Music and Journalism 1990 Get Biography

Maya Lin's sculptures, earthworks, memorials and architectural projects have touched people in a way unprecedented in contemporary art. Her wide range of works have been "proposing ways of thinking and imagining that resist categories, genres and borders" (Michael Brenson, art critic).

A strong interest in natural topography and landscape runs through much of her work. Wave Field (University of Michigan, 1995), an undulating field of grass and Groundswell (Wexner Center for the Arts, 1993), made from 43 tons of poured recycled glass, are two such examples. Most recently Lin created a 3.5 acre park entitled Ecliptic in downtown Grand Rapids, MI, based on the theme of water in its tree states: solid, liquid and vapor. And for a project for the American Express Financial Advisors in Minneapolis, MN, Lin explored the relationship between inside and outside spaces. She brought the natural forms of landscape inside architecture by curving the wooden floor of a winger garden. This artwork, entitled the character of a hill, under glass, also features a water wall that is allowed to freeze in the winter. She is represented by Gagosian Gallery.

Lin's architectural projects such as the Langston Hughes Library (the Children's Defense Fund, Clinton TN, 1999) and the Museum for African Art (new York, NY, 1993) have won numerous awards including the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her three memorials, The Women's Table (Yale University, New Haven, CT: 1993), The Civil Rights Memorial (southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; 1989) and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial (Washington D.C., 1982) have been highly acclaimed for creating an intensely private experience within the most public context. In these works, Lin addresses the critical social and political issues of our time - war, racism and gender equality - though never in a didactic way. Instead these works ask visitors to think, to react and to respond in their own way.

Introduced in her book, Boundaries (Simon and Schuster, 2000), Lin is planning her last memorial to the extinction of species. This project will be international in scope and include an artwork for Yellowstone National Park at the site of Old Faithful. A devoted environmentalist, Lin has used recycled, living, or natural materials in her work and has focused on sustainable and sit-sensitive design solutions. Her life and work are detailed in the Academy Award-winning documentary film, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1995). She lives with her husband and two children in New York City.

Sister Nancy Linenkugel Sister Nancy Linenkugel Erie Math, Science and Health Services 1999 Get Biography

From 1986-2001, Sister Nancy Linenkugel served in Sandusky, Ohio as president and CEO of Providence Hospital, a 270-bed nonprofit, general community hospital sponsored by her order, the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio. She also served as president and CEO of Providence Health System from 1987-2001, an umbrella corporation that united the hospital, a nursing home, an assisted living facility, a foundation and several other subsidiaries. Linenkugel played an integral role in founding the system in 1987 and leading its development over the years. She was the last religious sister to serve as CEO of an Ohio hospital.

Today, Linenkugel is President of Chatfield College in St. Martin, and Cincinnati. Chatfield is sponsored by the Ursulines of Brown County and named after their foundress, Sister Julia Chatfield.
Linenkugel has prepared for her administrative role well and was educated at Ohio colleges, receiving an associate in arts degree from Lourdes College, a bachelor of arts in education from Mary Manse College, a master of hospital and health administration from Xavier University and a doctor of management from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Prior to her work in Sandusky, Linenkugel served as vice president of support services at St. John Medical Center in Steubenville. She also worked as a junior high school teacher in Catholic schools for several years before entering the health care profession. Linenkugel is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and served on its national board of governors from 2000-2002.

Linenkugel has significant community service to her credit. She was the first woman to become a member of the Sandusky Rotary Club and its first woman president. In addition, she was president of the Erie County Chamber of Commerce board of trustees, besides serving on various nonprofit and civic organizations. She served as a member of the Lourdes College board of trustees for ten years.

Throughout her years of service, Linenkugel has received many awards, including Businesswoman of the Year, Distinguished Xavier Alumni award, Distinguished Xavier Preceptor award, Paul Harris Fellow, Woman of the Year and the ATHENA Award.

Linenkugel, an accomplished musician, is a church organist; she is also a cellist and plays with the VA-National Medical Musical Group based in Washington, DC as well as with local ensembles.

Irene Long Irene Long Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2001 Get Biography

As the Chief Medical Officer, at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Dr. Irene Long and her team are personally involved with the launch and recovery of every Space Shuttle mission. She directs medical support activities for space shuttle launch and landing activities, including services to astronauts, families, senior management and the general public. She has made major contributions to NASA's employee development, educational outreach and community service activities.

Dr. Long is the first female to hold the position of Chief Medical Officer, previously known as Director, Biomedical Office. She is also the first minority female SES (equivalent of a military rank of General) at the Kennedy Space Center. She founded the Space Life Sciences Training Program designed to increase the number of women and minorities in science and related fields.

Dr. Long's superior contributions to Aerospace Medicine as a physician, NASA Flight Surgeon and Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association, are widely recognized. Her meritorious citations include: the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons President's Special Award and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.

Tami Longaberger Tami Longaberger Licking Business and Labor 1995 Get Biography

Tami Longaberger is President and CEO of The Longaberger Company, a family-owned national direct-selling company founded by Tami's father, Dave Longaberger, in 1973. The company is recognized as one of the 500 largest privately held companies in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine and is the premier maker of handcrafted baskets in the United States. The Longaberger Company also was recognized as the 18th largest woman-owned company in the U.S. by Working Woman Magazine.

Tami joined the company in January 1984, the same year she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. In 1994, she assumed the role of President. From 1993 to 1994, she chaired the board of directors of Direct Selling Association (DSA), becoming only the third woman and the youngest chair ever in the association's 83-year history. Her term was marked by a steady growth in membership and increased activity in government relations at the state and federal levels to protect the direct selling marketplace She has steered the company through unprecedented sales growth, product diversification and new technologies. In 1998, she also assumed the responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer.

She serves on numerous boards including The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy, and serves as a member of the Battelle for Kids Board, which is encouraging educational reform (K-12) in the State of Ohio. Longaberger is listed in George Magazine and Newman's Own, Inc. Top 10 Most Generous Companies in America in 1999. She was presented the Business Award for entrepreneurship by The Ohio Federation of Business and Professional Women.

Ruth Lyons Ruth Lyons Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1979 Get Biography

Ruth Lyons was a television pioneer. She broke ground as host of The 50-50 Club, a popular, first if its kind, talk-variety show in 1949. Lyons attracted national celebrities to the program and at one time there was a three-year waiting list for tickets.

Ruth began her career in 1929 as a musician and music librarian at WKRC. She launched two one-hour programs on the station in 1931 and was promoted to Program Director of the Taft Broadcasting Company station in 1933. She then joined WLW and worked there for four years when she then became the host of The Fifty Club, a live show broadcast each day. The show was renamed The 50-50 Club when it switched to television in 1949.

She originated the Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund for hospitalized children which has raised funds for 41 tri-state hospitals. In its first year, the fund raised $1,000 for hospitals in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Lyons, who trademark was to cover the microphone with flowers, gained a devoted following through her down-to-earth style. Music was a big part of Lyons' program. She recorded several albums and wrote many Christmas songs that were performed on the show. She retired in 1967.
She received numerous awards including Cosmopolitan Magazine, America's Top Sales Woman (1953) Seratoma Award for Service to Mankind (1968), the International Humanity Service Award (1972) and the Golden Mike Award from McCall's Magazine.

Image First Name Middle Name Last Name County Category Induction Year Biography
Martha MacDonell Martha MacDonell Allen Religion and Community Services 2001 Get Biography

Martha MacDonell is a living example of the difference one person can make. She is a community advocate and change agent, enriching education, promoting cultural understanding and respect for diversity.

As a founding member of the Council For The Arts of Greater Lima, Martie led innovative arts programs that pioneered artist residencies in the schools. This work influenced the development of an Arts Magnet School program intended to eliminate segregation and provide quality education.

At Mizpah Community Center, she helped establish a childcare facility to enable self-sufficiency and employment for low-income women.

MacDonell co-founded American House to record authentic local cultural traditions, by featuring Lima's rich industrial history and the stories of Italian, Irish, Greek, Macedonian and African American cultures.

Martie's work has brought vitality to the central city. She spearheaded a ten-year effort resulting in the opening of a convention and performance center, developed an annual arts festival, initiated "City Sense", a Lima design program and rehabilitated a landmark commercial building as a demonstration project in historic preservation.

Geraldine Macelwane Geraldine Macelwane Lucas Law 1993 Get Biography

Geraldine Macelwane was born in Detroit to the children of Irish emigrants. Her family moved to Toledo in 1924, where she graduated from Central Catholic High School two years later. Working full time as a freight clerk and stenographer for the Wabash Railroad, Macelwane studied law at night. She was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1932, receiving her law degree from the University of Toledo and a liberal arts degree from DeSales College shortly thereafter.

Although Macelwane was one of only a handful of women attorneys at that time, she was named Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Lucas County, a position she held for 15 years. In 1952, Macelwane became the first woman to be elected to the Toledo Municipal Court, where she founded the Women's Traffic Council to promote traffic safety and funding for better law enforcement. The American Bar Association named her traffic court one of the five best in the country.

In 1956, Macelwane was appointed the first woman judge on the Lucas County Common Pleas Court, a position to which she was subsequently elected four times. She was instrumental in developing the pattern Ohio Jury Instructions for Ohio judges and her individual docket system was recognized as a statewide model.

Macelwane was an important role model for a generation of women attorneys and she remained devoted to her family throughout her career. She was involved in many civic organizations and received numerous awards and honors.

Audrey Mackiewicz Audrey Mackiewicz Erie Arts, Music and Journalism 1998 Get Biography

Audrey Mackiewicz's accomplishments as a female veteran, community leader and journalist make her outstanding among women today. Because she paved the way and served as a role model, she influenced the destiny of countless young women.

Mackiewicz served in the U.S. Coast Guard SPARS during World War II interviewing injured servicemen who were scheduled for discharge from the hospital. In the last year of WWII, Mackiewicz was Yeoman in charge of the discharge office at the Brooklyn, New York Separation Center, supervising a staff of 20 Coast Guardsmen and CG SPARS. Since then she has served in innumerable capacities as a female veteran and veteran advocate. She was the first woman to serve as an Erie County Veterans Service Commissioner and has done so since 1976.

Her service on the board of the Ohio Veterans Home (OVH) was also a "female first" and resulted in the decision to allow female veterans admission to OVH. For her accomplishments, including the start of an OVH magazine, Mackiewicz was one of the first female veterans inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

She is also a journalist and achieved several female firsts in this medium. During her 26-year career she began the agricultural publication, Firelands Farmer, and has been an editor for the Sandusky Register. Mackiewicz has received two journalistic excellence awards from the International Association of Farm Editors. She was the first woman member of the International Association of Newspaper Farm Editors and became its first woman president. During her career, she interviewed four U.S. presidents and wrote award-winning articles chronicling her experience with breast cancer.

In 1999, she received the Athena Award from the American Business Women's Association for outstanding community service.

Anne Variano Macko Anne Variano Macko Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1990 Get Biography

Anne Variano Macko has been a staunch unionist for more than fifty years. Her involvement with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) began in the 1940s when she was a telephone operator with the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. Six months after joining Ohio Bell, she became a union steward of CWA Local 4340.

Subsequently, she became the first woman officer of CWA Local 4340. She held positions as vice president, director, and secretary-treasurer, a post from which she retired in 1994. Macko also served as vice president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) in Ohio and as president of the CLUW Cleveland chapter.

She is president of the CWA Cleveland Retirees and a national executive board member of the CWA Retired Members Council. In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed her one of 200 labor delegates to the White House Conference on Aging, helping to shape Clinton administration policy to protect retirees' standard of living in the face of budget cutting by GOP lawmakers. She chaired a workshop on resolutions at the conference and appeared on CNN defending senior citizens entitlements.

She performs with the Gold Coast Follies, a group of seniors who sing, dance, and perform comedy sketches for community groups, union retirees, and nursing homes.

Elizabeth Magee Elizabeth S. Magee Cuyahoga Business and Labor 2008 Get Biography

Elizabeth Stewart Magee was an advocate of women and children's rights in the workforce. Her social and political activism helped lay the foundation for Ohio's Unemployment Insurance program.

She was appointed Executive Secretary of Ohio's Commission on Unemployment Insurance in 1931 by Governor George White?one of the first instances in which a woman had held such a high government position. Elizabeth served on the Public Hearings Committee as chair, the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor, the Women's Joint Congressional Committee as a delegate, the Protection of Young Workers of U.S. Children's Bureau, President Truman's Commission on Health Needs of the Nation, the Consumers Advisory Committee of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, the Conference of Economic Security, Ohio's Governor's Committee on Migrant Labor, the National Consumers League, and the American Association of Social Workers Club.

Ohio's Commission on Unemployment Insurance, on which Elizabeth worked, created the Ohio Plan?a key document on unemployment compensation?and was adopted by the national Social Security Act helping to create the national unemployment program.

She also campaigned to prevent child labor, to establish shorter work weeks for women, and to improve the status of migrant workers in Ohio.

Born in Des Moines, IA, Elizabeth graduated from Oberlin College in 1911 and earned a masters degree from Columbia University in 1925, after which she moved to Ohio.

Joyce 'nowfeather Joyce 'nowfeather" Mahaney Lucas Religion and Community Services 2007 Get Biography

Joyce "Snowfeather" Mahaney has left a legacy in Ohio and the Midwest for the preservation of Native American culture. She dedicated her life to teaching Native Americans and non-Native Americans the importance of Native American heritage.

Joyce "Snowfeather" Mahaney was born in 1947 on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota of Chippewa parents. She graduated from Minot State College where she completed a Baccalaureate Degree in Education with minors in Library Science and Sociology.

Throughout her life, Ms. Mahaney continued to support her Native American heritage, becoming a spokesperson for all tribes of Native Americans in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. She was designated as a Pipe Carrier from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, which gave her permission to conduct special religious and cultural ceremonies. It is one of the highest honors provided to a member of a tribe.

Ms. Mahaney moved to Toledo with her husband, Russell, and daughter, Kim, in the late 1970s. Her son, Patrick, was born in Toledo in 1972. In 1988, She established the American Indian Intertribal Association of Toledo to preserve all tribal cultures by promoting cultural education among American Indians and the general public. She served as director until her death in 2006. Ms. Mahaney also worked with social service agencies in applying for the Indian Child Welfare Act to ensure Indian children were placed in homes where they would be exposed to their culture.

Ms. Mahaney was active in the preservation of Indian burial grounds in Maumee in the 1990's, was instrumental in the development of the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the purchase of that battle sight in 2002, and was of service to the native American Advisory Council. She is an author of two books, Prairie Winds (1995) and Spirit of Dakota (1999), a collection of prose and poetry of Native American culture, spirituality, and life on an Indian reservation.

Joyce "Snowfeather" Mahaney was devoted to keeping the Native American Indian heritage alive. Today, the AIIA is still active with her daughter Kim as the Director.

Carolyn Mahoney Carolyn Mahoney Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1989 Get Biography

Dr. Carolyn R. Mahoney has made outstanding contributions in the area of mathematics education. She was the 25th black woman in the history of the United States to receive a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Mahoney earned her B.S. at Sienna College in Memphis, Tennessee. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D., respectively, in 1972 and 1983 from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Mahoney has remained dedicated to improving the quantitative skills of women and minority students. She has worked with students in at-risk programs at Dennison University and The Ohio State University. Her work with quantitative learning also has a national scope. She directed a learning program in mathematics for black students from South Africa. Dr. Mahoney serves on the College Board Test to give expert advice on bias against women and minorities in quantitative testing.

With a specialty in working with women in mathematics, she has given lectures across the country. Dr. Mahoney has dedicated her time giving college women attention inside and outside the classroom. Her research indicated that college women do not have enough encouragement and support in college mathematics classes and departments.

Dr. Mahoney has served on the Board of Directors of the Columbus YWCA, the Board of Trustees of the Alice P. Franklin Trust and Mathematics Curriculum Evaluation committee of Watterson High School. She currently resides in San Marcos, California.

Margaret Mahoney Margaret A Mahoney Cuyahoga Education 1978 Get Biography

A lawyer and a resident of Cleveland Heights, Margaret A. Mahoney held numerous public offices throughout her career.

She was first elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where she served from 1939 to 1943. From 1943 to 1951 she served in the Ohio Senate and officiated as Senate President Pro Tem and Majority Leader in 1949 and 1950. From 1951 to 1953, she was the Chief of the Ohio Division of Securities. From 1953 until 1957, she was the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations of Ohio. Mahoney was also a member of the Cleveland Civil Service Commission and the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations.

In 1948, she was the Presidential Elector and was a Delegate to the Democratic National Conventions during 1956, 1960, and 1964. She was the only woman on the State Council of Defense during World War II. Mahoney was a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall Law School and passed the Ohio Bar in 1929.

She was named "Woman of Achievement" for 1956 by the Interclub Council and has been listed in the Who's Who of American Women since the 1950s. In 1977, Mahoney was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Cleveland State University. She was chosen because of her work "as a pioneer in the field of public service for women."

Farah Majidzadeh Farah B Majidzadeh Franklin Business and Labor 2000 Get Biography

Farah B. Majidzadeh, CEO and Chairperson of Resource International (RI) Inc. has been at the helm of her firm since 1973, which she founded in her basement to market technology applications for the road building industry. Under her leadership, RI has grown to one of Ohio's top 10 engineering, construction management, and technology firms with multi-Ohio and international offices serving building and infrastructure projects valued at more than $1 billion annually.

Majidzadeh is among the few pioneering women who have successfully met the challenges of a male-dominated construction and engineering profession. Undaunted by an adverse environment, she expanded her business into the countries of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offering technology transfer, training and information technology to assist in their transportation industry since 1975. Majidzadeh has served as chairperson and member of the steering committee of an international joint venture, HMA, under contract with the Government of Saudi Arabia since 1988, the only woman to do so. As a mentor, she has hosted 20 Saudi engineers and their families in Columbus for two years.

Majidzadeh is the first woman elected (1984) to the board of directors of the International Road Federation (IRF), a non-profit global organization, and serves on its executive committee. She also serves as vice president of the IRF Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization responsible for providing training programs, mentoring and fellowship to transportation engineers from developing countries.

As an active member of the community, Majidzadeh supports programs serving children, education, and ending domestic violence. She serves on the Committee for the Children Defense Fund and Columbus Coalition Against Domestic Violence, among others. She has mentored for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and graduate students for the Ohio State University Business College. She is a member of the Otterbein College MBA advisory board and has sponsored the Majidzadeh Family Scholarship Fund for female athletes pursuing engineering programs at The Ohio State University. She has also sponsored internships to international students seeking graduate studies in transportation.

Majidzadeh has been recognized as the Ohio Order of Commodore for her commitment to international trade, as well as a top 10 Women Business Entrepreneurs of Ohio and a top 100 leaders for the New Millennium of Central Ohio. She has been recognized by Working Women Magazine and as a Bank One Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Finalist. She was awarded a 2002 Ellis Island Medal of Honor and is a member of the Columbus Women Executives Committee.

Barbara A Mandel Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1985 Get Biography

Barbara A. Mandel served two terms as President of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the oldest Jewish women's organization in the country.

The NCJW is a volunteer service organization that is dedicated, in the spirit of Judaism, to advancing human welfare and a democratic way of life. As President of the NCJW, Mandel presided over 200 sections with a membership of 100,000. Five of those sections were here in Ohio with a membership of 6,000.

Her accomplishments include procuring grants to support the NCJW's advocacy and community service programs; testifying before the U.S. Congress on issues concerning women, particularly on fair practices for women in the insurance industry; and conferring with President Reagan and his administration on issues relating to Israel, the Middle East, and Soviet Jewry.

In addition to her NCJW activities, Mandel also served as the general campaign chairwoman of Cleveland's Jewish Federation for three years, and she has been involved with Cleveland's United Way Campaign.

She has received many special honors and awards, including: the Torch of Learning Award, American Friends of Hebrew University; Mayor's Citation for Exemplary Community Leadership; and the Hannah G. Solomon Award.

Virginia Manning Virginia Manning Erie Business and Labor 2009 Get Biography

The late Virginia Manning successfully challenged the "protectionist" laws of Ohio with regard to working women, which were in violation of Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The class-action lawsuit Manning v. International Union and General Motors Corp., in which she was lead plaintiff/representative of the class, was as significant a milestone for working women in her time as was the recently-passed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Virginia Manning was always concerned with improving conditions for women workers at the New Departure plant in Sandusky. When they merged with Hyatt Bearings to become the New Departure-Hyatt Bearings Division of General Motors Corp., there was a noticeable change in policy toward the women workers, designed to force them to quit, to eliminate their jobs. The company kept separate seniority lists for men and women and did not call back laid-off women workers.

Manning's suit changed Ohio law and set a precedent for the 49 states forcing state laws, which still allowed separate job classifications for women, to comply with the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Manning was the oldest of 15 children, growing up during the Depression. She helped raise her siblings, making daily sacrifices to meet all their needs to the best of her ability so both her parents could work outside the home to make ends meet. When she was married and had four children of her own, she always worked to supplement the family income. This included driving a bakery truck, doing child care in her home and factory work. While this should have been enough for any one woman, she was never too busy to help others particularly when they were struggling.

Manning's life was well-lived, characterized by hard work, courage, strength and selflessness.

Norma Marcere Norma Marcere Stark Education 1985 Get Biography

Norma Marcere, pioneer feminist and educator, is unquestionably recognized as one of the leaders of the African American Community of Stark County. A Canton native, Marcere attended Kent State Normal College where she earned her Teaching Diploma. As teacher, counselor, psychologist and accomplished author, Dr. Norma Marcere has dedicated her life to excellence through education.

When she was denied employment because of her race, she attended Temple University to train as a social worker, eventually becoming certified in that field. Marcere, who holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Kent State University, taught English for the Massillon Public Schools. She was the first black counselor and the first school psychologist in the Akron City Schools. Convinced that low-achieving children could become scholars, she founded Project Academic Excellence (PAX). The PAX Saturday School, run completely by volunteers, emphasizes basic academics, study skills and ethnic cultures in a high-expectancy atmosphere.

Marcere holds leadership roles in numerous professional and community organizations and has received many awards including an honorary degree from Walsh College and the Junior League's Woman of the Year Award. She is also listed in Who's Who of American Women.

Following her retirement from public education, she remains an active and positive force in her community. Her autobiography, "The Fences Between," has recently been adapted for the stage and performed at local schools.

Marie Barrett Marsh Marie Barrett Marsh Trumbull Government and Military Service 1999 Get Biography

During the 1930s, Marie Barrett Marsh learned to fly through the Civilian Pilot Training Program while in college. She became one of only six women in the country at that time to complete the Advanced Training Program.

In 1943, Marsh used her flight experience to serve her country in the Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) program during World War II. Nearly 25,000 women applied for training during this time, only 1,830 were accepted and only 1,074, including Marsh, completed the program. She was assigned to headquarters of the Weather Wing in Asheville, North Carolina and flew all types of planes,although her favorite was the Douglas Dauntless Dive Bomber. She served as a Pentagon liaison for her base and flew personnel of the Weather Wing to bases located throughout the United States.

After the war, Marsh introduced others to her love of flying and encouraged the careers of several pilots. But she taught other career-building skills as well. As Marsh raised her family, she taught night school at Warren G. Harding High School and at the Warren branch of Kent State University. Her students attended the classes by choice as Marsh taught recent widows and displaced homemakers nontraditional employment skills. She assisted women and men in pursuit of better job opportunities and provided the necessary training for their advancement.

Marsh, a graduate of Youngstown College, also worked with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and received recognition for her efforts. In 1996, her contributions to the country were highlighted by Congressional Representative James Trafficant via telecast,he shared her life story as a model for others to follow.

In February, 1999, Youngstown State University unanimously voted to name an alumni award in Marsh's honor, the Marie Barrett Half Century Club Award. This award will be presented annually to a graduate of more than 50 years who has demonstrated consistent support to Youngstown State through leadership and action , just as Marie Barrett Marsh exemplified.

Ada Martin Ada M Martin Franklin Religion and Community Services 2000 Get Biography

Ada Martin, known to many as "Angel," has saved many lives, both literally and figuratively. She and her husband, Harold, were legendary throughout Columbus for their nonprofit organization "Take It to the Streets." Take It to the Streets, a grassroots, community-based organization, is dedicated to helping the homeless, women with children, unruly teens, the needy, and chemically dependent individuals.

The Martins' mission began more than a decade ago when Harold saw a homeless man steal a pair of shoes and socks at a skating rink. Harold convinced him to return the shoes and socks, and gave him his own shoes and socks, plus his coat, in return. From that point forward, he and his wife, Ada, devoted their lives to helping this man and others like him.

"Miss Ada," as she was fondly known, once pawned her coats and jewelry in order to obtain funds to help the downtrodden. Her mission was to reduce the number of homeless people in Columbus through education, training, and by enhancing self-esteem. Some of the homeless men and women helped by the Martins suffer from alcohol and drug addiction. They said she was constantly encouraging them to seek rehabilitation.

For years, the couple prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless who lived beneath an overpass. Martin used to prepare the meal herself, but in later years, was helped by dozens of volunteers to prepare as many as 20 turkeys donated by Kroger, which they served with all the trimmings.

"'We're no better than you, is what the dinner teaches," said Martin. "We're all just a paycheck away from disaster entering into our own lives."

In addition to the dinner, Take It to the Streets sponsors holiday adopt-a family gifts for children through local Columbus malls. Other dinners and sleepovers with the homeless are held throughout the year.

The Martins' Take It to the Streets ministry is a family affair. Their two daughters, Rhonda and Sabrina, are active participants. The Martins also have a foster daughter, Osha'Leek, for whom they received guardianship after rescuing her from a crack house as a baby. Rhonda has guardianship of the child's brother, Elijah-Jaun.

Martin's health was fragile for many years. She had taken medical retirement in 1994 from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections the year Take It to the Streets received its nonprofit status. She died in July 2000 at age 51.

Sister Mary Andrew Matesich Sister Mary Andrew Matesich Franklin Education 2001 Get Biography

Sister Mary Andrew is a premier educator, administrator and advocate who has devoted her life to improving the lives of others. In 1978, at the age of 39, she became president of Ohio Dominican College and has successfully filled the college's mission of serving disadvantaged and underserved populations. Under Sister Mary Andrew's tenure, college enrollment has grown 144%.

Her commitment to government, civic and community service has been evident throughout her career. She was an early inventor of Weekend College, LEAD (Learning Enhanced Adult Degree) for working adults to earn a college degree, Operation Second Chance, to reach out to students who dropped out before completing their degree and PATRIOTS, a program for veterans.

Sr. Mary Andrew has assisted educational and religious groups in the transition from communism. She delivered a paper on voluntary accreditation to university officials of the International Alliance of Universities for Democracy and attended the dedication of the first new Catholic university in the area formerly behind the Iron Curtain.

Jacquelyn MayerTownsend Jacquelyn MayerTownsend Erie Math, Science and Health Services 1997 Get Biography

Jacquelyn Mayer Townsend, a motivational and inspirational speaker who lives in Sandusky has dedicated her life to educating the public, government and the health care industry about strokes. She is a founding member of the National Stroke Association based in Englewood, Colorado and served on its board of directors from 1984 - 2000.

Townsend was chosen Miss Ohio 1962 and Miss America 1963. She suffered a stroke in 1970 which left her paralyzed and without speech. Today, in her own words, she is "90 percent recovered". Her life has truly been an example of triumph. Working with stroke survivors and their families has earned her The Award of Hope and Courage from the National Stroke Association, The Unsung Heroine Award from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Crystal Angel Award from the Madonna Foundation and the Individual Achievement Award from the National Council on Communicative Disorders. In 1997, Mayer received the Woman of Excellence Award of Providence Hospital in Sandusky where the "Jackie Mayer Rehab Center" also was dedicated. A lay spokesperson on stroke for the American Heart Association from 1982 to 1986, she and her family were featured in the Association 1982 campaign film "A Different Kind of Beauty."

Under President George H. Bush, she was appointed by Dr. Louis Sullivan to the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. In addition to testifying before Congress and conducting a series of stroke educational programs throughout the country, Townsend has appeared on many local and national television programs.

Jackie received an honorary doctorate degree in Public Service from Lourdes College in Sylvania in 2001. Route 2 in Erie County was rededicated the Jackie Mayer Miss America Highway in 2002.

Helen Grace McClelland Helen Grace McClelland Columbiana Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

Miss Helen G. McClelland was one of only three women ever to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation's second-highest combat award, which she received for her valorous service as a member of the Army Nurse Corps during World War I. Her extraordinary heroism occurred when she and Beatrice MacDonald were dispatched as part of an American surgical team to the British Front. MacDonald became the first American nurse wounded in WWI. McClelland exposed herself to great personal danger in order to provide life-saving emergency medical treatment to her tentmate. She also received England's Royal Red Cross, First Class Award.

McClelland is a 1912 graduate of Pennsylvania Hospital's School of Nursing. She returned to Pennsylvania Hospital as a staff nurse in 1926 and was named head of the Nursing department in 1933, a position she held until her retirement in 1956. Under her leadership, the hospital's nursing education program received national accreditation. She implemented a shorter work day for nurses and encouraged faculty and nurses to seek additional education and experience. After WWII, she studied ways to solve the post-war shortage of nurses, implemented a two-year program to prepare nurses for bedside care and designed a four-year college nursing course.

Nina I McClelland, Ph.D. Lucas Math, Science and Health Services 2010 Get Biography

Dr. Nina McClelland is currently the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at The University of Toledo and was recently appointed to the position of Interim Dean of the University's new School of Solar & Advanced Renewable Energy.

Dr. McClelland received two bachelor degrees from The University of Toledo, in biology and chemistry. She went on to become chief chemist and head of industrial wastes for the City of Toledo. A short time, later, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She has been the chief executive officer for NSF, International; chair of the board of the American Chemical Society; served on the board of the American National Standards Institute; was appointed to the Presidential Commission on the Human Genome Project; and started her own consulting service, Nina I. McClelland, LLC.

Improving the quality of life, Nina's passion is to provide health care and safe drinking water, food, education, disease control and other essential needs to developing countries such as Haiti, Ghana, and Nigeria. Dr. McClelland presented a paper at the United Nations International Water Decade Conference that was a tangible response to a statement made by Kofi Annan (UN Secretary General). "The stark truth is that every fifteen seconds, a child dies as a result of disease related to unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation".

To her credit, Dr. McClelland has more than 100 books, articles, and invited scholarly presentations and has spent nearly forty years garnering international recognition for her achievements in the fields of environmental science and technology.

Anne O'Hare McCormick Anne O'Hare McCormick Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

Anne O'Hare McCormick was raised in Columbus, where she graduated from Saint Mary of the Springs Academy (now Ohio Dominican College). The family moved to Cleveland, where Ann embarked on a career in journalism with the Catholic Universe Bulletin.

After marriage, McCormick moved to Dayton and freelanced for Catholic World, Reader Magazine, and the New York Times Magazine. She accompanied her husband on his business travels abroad and became knowledgeable about post-World-War-I Europe. McCormick began sending dispatches from overseas to the New York Times and her articles included analyses of the social, political and economic events of Europe. She was granted personal interviews by such leaders as Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin.

Her thrice-weekly column In Europe won a wide readership in the United States and also among government officials and other professional journalists throughout Europe and Asia. In 1936, McCormick became the first woman to sit on the editorial board of the New York Times. The following year, she became the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The 1940s saw McCormick's greatest era of influence, when she was named to the Advisory Committee on Post-War Foreign Policy and served as a delegate to UNESCO conferences.

She received numerous honorary degrees over the years, including the first such degree offered by her alma mater.

Rubie McCullough Rubie J McCullough Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1992 Get Biography

Rubie J. McCullough began her career as a public school teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina. After moving to Cleveland in 1945, she worked for the Phillis Wheatley Association and later went on to become the founder and Executive Director of the Harvard Community Services Center where she worked until her retirement.

When speaking to young people, McCullough took every opportunity to stress the importance of education and the opportunities it can provide. She was a strong advocate and supporter of the Cleveland Public Library, the Cleveland Public School System, and Cuyahoga Community College.

She was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga Community College District in 1974 where she helped build the college into Ohio's first and largest two-year institution. A charter member of the Greater Cleveland Roundtable, McCullough helped establish an Education Committee in the mid-1980s, on which she served as chair.

She was active in many other community organizations, including the United Area Citizens Agency, Miles Ahead, and the Community Organizations for Community Progress. McCullough received numerous awards including: the Outstanding and Dedicated Service Award, John F. Kennedy High School; Career Women of Achievement Award, YWCA; and Ebony Rose Most Honored Woman Award.

Florence Melton Florence Melton Franklin Business and Labor 1994 Get Biography

Florence Zacks Melton first gained acclaim as the inventor of removable, washable shoulder pads. She also introduced a line of chair pads, adjustable car seat covers and neck pillows. In 1946, she revolutionized the footwear industry by introducing the use of foam in footwear. She founded the R. G. Barry Corporation with her invention and the company is currently the largest manufacturer of foam-soled slippers in the world. Melton continues to serve the company as a consultant for product development and design.

Melton was a pioneer in adult education. In 1980, she wrote a proposal for an entirely new approach for Jewish Education for Adults. The Florence Melton Adult Mini School is a formal, two year school for serious adult learners. The curriculum was developed at the Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. The Mini School currently operates in 63 sites in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. More than 6,000 adults were enrolled as of 2002.

Melton has provided extensive volunteer leadership and support to numerous community, religious, and charitable organizations. Among her awards and recognition are: Woman of the Year, Community Service Award, 1986; Women of Achievement Award YWCA, 1988; Columbus Jewish Foundation Honoree for 1994; The National Foundation for Jewish Culture, 1995 and Recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Service Award, 1997. She received an honorary Ph.D. from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York and an honorary Doctor Humane Letters from Gratz College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

An avid reader of religious books, business news, world affairs, the arts and education, she continues to invent new products for unmet human needs.

Agnes Merritt Agnes S Merritt Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Agnes S. Merritt has increased promotional opportunities for women by opening educational facilities and programs to them and encouraging educational development by sponsoring participation by women and men.

As former director of the American Legion Auxiliary' Buckeye Girls" State, Agnes had a significant role in molding the lives of many young women leaders through intensive study and active participation in political affairs. She is a member and past state president of the American Legion Auxiliary. Merritt is the author of the Ohio Government Digest, an official reference book detailing the law and procedures of Ohio government on the state, county and municipal levels. Merritt served as Secretary for the Governor' Committee on the status of women and was a member of the Ohio International Women' Year coordinating Committee. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and former state Professional Affairs Chairman.

Agnes Merritt has publicly supported increased opportunities for employed women through speeches and articles. She has given numerous lectures on the status of women and related topics to groups of Business and Professional Woman (BPW), the Honorary Teachers Delta Kappa Gamma Society and the National Organization of Women (NOW). She has actively supported legislation toward improving the status of women that resulted in enactment or extension of laws.
Merritt has served in numerous clubs and organizations including the Women' State Committee for Health, Education and Welfare; the Women' Division Advisory Council of the Governor' Status of Women Commission on Aging and the Women' Advisory Council of Ohio Bureau of Employment Services Women' Division. As a parliamentarian, Merritt has served the Columbus Reserve Officers American Ladies Club, the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio and the Franklin County Council American Legion Auxiliary.

Lucille Middleton Champaign Education 1985 Get Biography

Dedicated to improving educational opportunities and the quality of life for all citizens, Lucille Middleton of Cable established the first classes for developmentally disabled children in Champaign County in 1953.

Middleton also organized the county's first Special Olympics and escorted the only group of Ohio Special Olympians to the first National Special Olympics in 1969. She organized the first Council for Retarded Citizens in Champaign County, and has served as the council president, trustee and secretary. She was given a Certificate of Appreciation from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, signed by Edward Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, "whose interest, enthusiasm and unselfish efforts gave a special child a chance to play, a chance to compete, a chance to be like other children through participation in the Special Olympics Program."

A past member of the president's and the governor's committees for hiring the handicapped, Middleton was named Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Association for Retarded Citizens in 1978 and Mother of the Year for Champaign County in 1979. She directed a camping program for 125 developmentally disabled people on the Middleton farm.

Lucille was honored by the National Director of Project Head Start for her work with Head Start in its pioneer years at the celebration of its 25th year in Champaign County.

After retirement, Middleton remained busy tutoring elementary and high school students as well as substitute teaching. She also helped her husband, John, with their 96 acre tree farm and campgrounds.

Ruth Miller Ruth R Miller Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 1986 Get Biography

As the first woman health director for the city of Cleveland, Ruth Ratner Miller developed many highly successful health awareness programs, including the first city wide pap smear and breast examination targeted at poor women, and the "Down with High Blood Pressure" campaign in which citizens could have their blood pressure checked at numerous public places in the Cleveland area.
As the Director of Community Development, Miller upgraded the salaries of women to equal the salaries of men doing the same job. While president of the Tower City Center, Miller was at the forefront of the revitalization of Downtown Cleveland.

In 1985, she was the only woman from Ohio appointed to the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Conference on the Decade of Women in Nairobi, Kenya. Miller was appointed by Presidents Bush and Clinton to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Miller served as honorary Chairman for the International Year of Women and Chairman for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland. She served on the several boards and received many awards throughout her career: the Citizen of the Year Award, Cleveland Area Board of Realtors; the Brotherhood Award, Greater Cleveland Area; and a Certificate of Appreciation, Housing of Urban Development.

Jerrie Mock Jerrie L Mock Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1979 Get Biography

Jerrie Mock has accomplished many aviation firsts. In 1964, she became the first woman to fly solo around the world. The "flying housewife" and later known as the "flying grandmother" was also the first female and the first American to win the Louis Bleriot Medal for aviation, the world's highest award for overtaking an existing record in a light plane - under 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds).

Mock was the first woman to fly the Pacific in a single engine plane. She set nine U. S. speed records and nine world speed records in 1969. Her most spectacular flight was the women's straight line distance flight from Russia, a record once held by Amelia Earhart.

Making her historic flight in an eleven year-old, single-engine Cessna 180, which she christened The Spirit of Columbus, she was greeted by Governor James A. Rhodes when she returned. Today, the plane is on display in the Space and Flight Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. She later received the Federal Aviation Agency's (FAA) Decoration for Exceptional Service from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

A recipient of over 100 other awards and citations, Ms. Mock was a producer/coordinator of "Youth Has Its Say", the nations first youth talk series on TV, a writer/director of Opra Preludea radio series and co-producer of the first semi-live trans-Atlantic telecast.

Mock was a member of the Women's Advisory Committee to the FAA for four years.

Betty Montgomery Betty D Montgomery Wood Government and Military Service 1996 Get Biography

In January 1995, Betty D. Montgomery was sworn in as Ohio's first woman Attorney General. She is Ohio's 45th Attorney General and was re-elected to a second four-year term in November 1998. A former criminal prosecutor and state senator, Montgomery has spent her entire career protecting Ohio's most vulnerable citizens by prosecuting criminals, helping victims, protecting consumers, reshaping Ohio law, and supporting local law enforcement across the state.

A graduate of Bowling Green State University (1970) and the University of Toledo College of Law (1976), the Attorney General began her legal career as a criminal clerk for the Lucas County Common Pleas Court. In 1980, she became assistant prosecuting attorney in Wood County, and quickly advanced to become Perrysburg city prosecutor. She was then elected to serve as Wood County prosecuting attorney, becoming Ohio's only woman county prosecutor, where she increased the felony conviction rate in her office by 250 percent during her eight years as prosecutor.

After two terms as Wood County prosecuting attorney, Montgomery was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1988, where she served as chair of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, and vice-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission. In the Senate, her work included drafting Ohio's first living will law, its first brownfields legislation, and its Victim's Rights Law. Much of her work centered on crime and law enforcement.

Montgomery has fulfilled commitments to provide increased state support for local law enforcement and to upgrade the state's crime labs, joining only 4 percent of the nation's law enforcement agencies in earning accreditation for both the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. Additionally, her national award-winning Consumer Protection section continues to process record numbers of complaints, log record amounts of revenue recovered on behalf of consumers, and prosecutes consumer fraud cases obtaining a record number of convictions.

Being recognized for excellence in service and advocacy nationally, Montgomery has been awarded the Best Brief Award for briefs filed with the U. S. Supreme Court six years in a row by the National Association for Attorneys General and the annual Consumer Agency Achievement Award by the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. This award recognized Montgomery's Consumer Protection Section as the most outstanding in the nation.

In January, 2003, Montgomery became Ohio's first female Auditor of State.

Donna Moon Donna Moon Montgomery Business and Labor 1995 Get Biography

Donna B. Moon devoted her entire professional career to improving the quality of life for the residents of Montgomery County. During her nine years on the Kettering School Board, Ms. Moon was elected vice president in 1978 and 1981 and president in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

In 1984, Ms. Moon was elected to her first term as Montgomery County Commissioner, only the third woman in Montgomery County history to be elected to this high local office. Commissioner Moon' working style was one of collaboration and community input. In 1990, she helped form the Drug Collaborative, which brought professionals and community members together to coordinate drug prevention and education programs in Montgomery County. This evolved into the Drug Action Coalition, which she chaired for one year. In 1993, Ms. Moon formed the Children' Protection Task Force, which was charged with reviewing the entire system of laws, organizations policies and procedures created to protect children.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Dayton Sunrise Center' "Heart of the Community" award (1993) and the Montgomery County Republican Party' "Woman of the Year" Award (1992).

Martha Moore Martha C Moore Guernsey Government and Military Service 1991 Get Biography

Long before many women were considering politics, Cambridge native Martha Moore devoted much of her volunteer time to getting people involved in choosing their elected officials. While pursuing a career in higher education, Moore was an active volunteer with the Ohio Republican Party. She has been an excellent role model for women in politics and has nurtured and encourage many women to serve in elected public or political party positions.

Miss Moore was born into a family with a long history of political involvement. Her father, C. Ellis Moore, served as a member of Congress from Ohio. She served as a member of the Republican State Central and Executive Committee in 1950 and had been elected vice chair of the committee in 1968. At her suggestion, the position of county chairwoman was created within local Republican Party organizations, giving women expanded leadership roles.

Gaining national prominence for the role she played in Ohio politics, Miss Moore represented Ohio on the Republican National Committee beginning in 1968. She was honored by the Ohio delegation with her selection as second choice for President of the United States at the 1972, 1976 and 1984 Republican National Conventions. In 1984, she was elected regional vice chair of the Republican National Committee by the Midwest States Association.

Miss Moore received a bachelor of arts degree from Muskingum College and a master's degree from The Ohio State University. She is a retired professor of speech at Muskingum College, a member of the American Association of University Women and an elder in the Presbyterian Church. She is a former member of the Defense Advisory Committee of Women in the Service, the Ohioana Library Association Board and Bank One Cambridge Board. She is the past recipient of the American Association of University Women's Distinguished Service Award and the Rotary Service Above Self Award. Moore was also inducted into the Guernsey County Hall of Fame.

Lana Z Moresky Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2010 Get Biography

Lana Z. Moresky has worked continually and passionately for the advancement of women and the pursuit of social justice her entire adult life

A former educator, Lana was a key advocate for passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, spearheaded a fourteen month campaign resulting in the appointment of the first women to the Federal Northern District Court of Ohio by President Carter.

By securing the passage of city and county Female Business Enterprise (FBE) legislation with the largest goals in the nation at the time, numerous government contracts previously closed to women and minorities were made accessible. Even when she was engaged in a losing battle, Lana Moreseky's efforts often won the war. She began her leadership on behalf of women in 1970 with the thirteen year struggle for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Ms. Moresky has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as Ohio Advocate of the Year, the Women Business Owners Association with an Honorary Lifetime Membership, Black Women's PAC Networking Award, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women Woman of the Year Award. She holds a B.S. Degree in Education for Pennsylvania State University.

She worked for fourteen years as a department director in county government and briefly as acting director for the Women's Law Fund. She was also appointed to a six-year term to the Ohio Board of Regents and has served on the Board of Trustees of Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.She is married to Marc Moresky, a former information technology executive. They have two daughters.

Toni Morrison Toni Morrison Lorain Arts, Music and Journalism 1982 Get Biography

Toni Morrison (Chloe Anthony Wofford) was born into a working class family in Lorain, Ohio. She was educated at Howard and Cornell Universities and obtained her Masters degree from Cornell in 1955.

Morrison moved to New York in 1965 and worked as an editor for Random House Publishers while teaching creative writing at Princeton University. Making her debut as a novelist in 1970, she gained the attention of both critics and a wider audience for her poetically-charged and richly-expressive depictions of Black America. Her writing concentrated on rural Afro-American communities and on their cultural inheritance, which she explores with cold-blooded detail and rich vocabulary.

In 1984, Morrison was named the Albert Schweitzer Professor of the Humanities at the State University of New York in Albany. While living in Albany, she started writing her first play, Dreaming Emmett. The play premiered January, 1986 at the Marketplace Theater. She is the author of eight novels. Beloved, published in 1987, was a bestseller and won the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 1988. It has been filmed starring Oprah Winfrey and Thandie Newton.

In 1987, Morrison was named the Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Council of Humanities at Princeton University. She became the first black woman writer to hold a named chair at an Ivy League University. In 1993, Toni Morrison received the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was the eighth woman and the first black woman to do so.

Ellen Mosley-Thompson Ellen Mosley-Thompson Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 2003 Get Biography

Ellen Mosley-Thompson, Professor of Geography and Research Scientist with Byrd Polar Research Center of The Ohio State University, is an eminent researcher addressing critical environmental issues facing our world.

Dr. Mosley-Thompson has been a major contributor to the U.S. Global Climate Change Program concerned with global warming, one of the most critical issues facing the human race.

Mosley-Thompson is the co-founder of the world-class Ice Core Paleoclimate Research Group that analyzes ice cores from around the world. In 1986, she became the first woman to lead an ice core drilling project to remote field locations on the East Antarctic Plateau.

A charter member of the National Research Council - National Academy of Sciences Committee on Global Change, Dr. Mosley-Thompson has chaired NASA's Universities Space Research Scientific Advisory Board and the National Science Foundation's Advisory Board for Polar Programs.

The recipient of numerous awards, the naming of the Mosley-Thompson Cirques in Antarctica now ensures she will always be a part of that ice-covered continent.

Helen Moss Helen F. Moss Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2009 Get Biography

As a young housewife and mother, Moss attended college when the Government offered student loans in 1966. She graduated summa cum laude and first in her class from the University of Akron in 1970 at the age of 34 and promptly founded the Akron chapter of the National Organization for Women the very next year.

Five years later, Moss secured a Merrill Lynch stockbroker position. As one of only a handful of women stockbrokers, Moss faced prejudice as often as she brought in clients. After eight years, Moss became Merrill Lynch's first female vice president in Northeast Ohio, and a member of Merrill Lynch's "Chairman's Club," a group of top-producing financial consultants.

Moss's contribution to the community has been equally strong. Moss served as president of the Ohio Ballet Board of Trustees. She also was instrumental in saving the Akron Civic Theatre from destruction in the late 1970s.

After relocating to Cleveland, she was appointed by Ohio Arts Council and became a board member of the Cleveland Music School Settlement, the Cleveland Ballet, the Great Lakes Theater Festival, and the Cleveland Opera. She served as treasurer of the Modern Art Society of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Moss established the Helen Moss Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 2000, after discovering she had the disease. By making her private struggle public, Moss became a patient advocate speaking for women who were ashamed of their suffering and offered them the promise of representation and a means to find better care. Moss currently serves as founder and managing trustee of her foundation and was recently appointed to the international Society for Integrative Oncology's Board of Trustees as its first patient advocate. She is now a ninth-year survivor of metastatic breast cancer.

Alicia Mott Alicia Mott Wood Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1990 Get Biography

Bowling Green's Alicia G. Fernandez is an advocate for the educational and economic advancement of Ohio's Hispanic community. She is involved with a number of agencies to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers, Hispanics and women. After 17 years of volunteer service to this community, Alicia became director of Ohio Farmworker Opportunities, now known as Rural Opportunities, Inc. She worked to increase training and employment opportunities for the rural poor and especially for farmworkers seeking a more economically stable life for themselves and their families.

In 1991, Alicia expanded her public service to farmworker programs, moving to the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. She is now Chief of the Division of Farmworker Programs, administering approximately $90 million in grants to community based organizations, serving farmworker youth and adults across the country.

While in Ohio, Alicia was active in numerous public service organizations and was recognized as a 1990 Outstanding Adult Learner by the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education.

In Washington, D.C., she continues to mentor minority women in the Federal government and participates in the D.C. Initiative to tutor mathematics to local youth.

Helen Mulholland Helen Mulholland Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1985 Get Biography

Helen Warner Mulholland of Worthington dedicated her life to improving the status of women throughout Ohio and across the nation.

Mulholland was a founding member of both the Ohio Commission on the Status of Women and Ohio Women, Inc. which was instrumental in the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in Ohio. She chaired the Ohio Coalition for Implementation of the ERA after the two merged and served on the Board of Trustees.

Her 35-year international career with the YWCA was marked by the Formulation of the Ohio YWCA network, the USA Racial Justice Institutes and ACTION for Battered women. She was instrumental in the passage of the Ohio law that provides a portion of marriage license fees to support county shelters for battered women.

Committed to religious freedom, Mulholland worked as state coordinator of the Ohio Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights and as the first chairperson of Freedom of Choice-Ohio. Helen consistently battled for the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies and lives as well as for the religious freedom of all people.

Gratia Murphy Gratia Murphy Mahoning Education 1995 Get Biography

Long-time Youngstown State University (YSU) professor Gratia Murphy earned a national reputation for teaching excellence, most particularly as a teacher of teachers of writing. Dr. Murphy was routinely invited to present day-long workshops at the National Council of Teachers of English and College Composition and Communications annual conferences, the most prestigious national conferences for writing teachers.

Her life' work has resulted in the improvement of writing instruction in local elementary and secondary schools and universities throughout Ohio. She instructed teachers on how to effectively engage students in the writing process, how to prepare students for state proficiency exams, how to develop assignments, and how to assess student performance.

Dr. Murphy' leadership in such programs as YSU' English Festival and Early English Composition Assessment Program (EECAP) of the Ohio Board of Regents earned YSU three coveted national awards: The Council for Advancement and Support of Education Bronze Medal for High School/College Partnerships (1985); the Mitau Award for Collaborative Programs, Honorable Mention (1986) and the National Council of Teachers of English Designation as a Center of Excellence with Youngstown City Schools (1988-1989). Dr. Murphy was awarded the Ohio Outstanding Teacher of the year by the Ohio Council of Teachers of English (1990).

Linda Myers Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1989 Get Biography

Dr. Linda James Myers has contributed greatly to Ohio through her work with human behavior. While teaching and conducting research at The Ohio State University, Dr. Myers developed a theory of human behavior based on feminine principles. Her optimal theory surpassed the conceptual limits of patriarchal thinking and embraces a peace and unity perspective that cuts across the disciplines of psychology, history, physical science, religion and philosophy. Dr. Myers has authored a book entitled Understanding Afrocentric World View which articulates her theory of human behavior as well as numerous articles including "A Therapeutic Model for Transcending Oppression: A Black Feminist Perspective."

Dr. Myers' role in substance abuse treatment and prevention, psychotherapy and domestic violence have had a remarkable impact on her community. She treats clients, mostly women, with psychotherapy in a small private practice, often for free. For several years, Dr. Myers has conducted support groups for black women. Her holistic approach to human service delivery, with its special emphasis on women, minority women in particular, has become an accepted model for treatment of the chemically dependent and those exhibiting other addictive behaviors.

Dr. Myers serves as a Board member of Choices and Compdrug and on the Advisory Board of the Franklin County Mental Health Board. Being a dynamic speaker, she has lectured in a variety of community education settings. Dr. Myers' work has helped innumerable women, with issues of racism and sexism, and its amelioration in personal experience.

Amelia Nava Seneca Religion and Community Services 1986 Get Biography

Amelia Nava has dedicated her life to improving the living condition of an often silent and underprivileged community - the migrant farmworker. Through her personal involvement with and active contributions to over twelve organizations and committees, she has provided numerous migrant farmworkers and Mexican-American settleouts with much needed financial, nutritional, health and family planning services. She has also educated the public as to the needs, values and present situation of the Ohio migrant farmworker.

Nava is the founder and President of Auxilio y Amistad (Aid and Friendship) based in Tiffin, Ohio. She has provided services including assistance for traveling expenses to and from work, translating services at area social service agencies and medical localities, and clothing for children and adults. She has been called upon to assist the migrant communities in times of legal difficulties, serving quite often as a public liaison between the migrant farmworker and other Ohio organizations.

In addition to her full-time job at Heinz HJ Company in Fremont, Ohio, Amelia Nava has participated actively and continues to contribute to several organizations.

Cathy Nelson Cathy D Nelson Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2003 Get Biography

Cathy Nelson honors Ohio's past, educates the present, and is influencing the future as the Founder and President Emeritus of The Friends of Freedom Society.

Raising awareness about the bravery of fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad, Nelson and her organization has successfully documented over 1,000 Ohio Underground Railroad sites, many which proudly display the Friends of Freedom Society flag identifying their former status as a 'top" on the Underground Railroad.

In 1999, Nelson and the Friends of Freedom Society were awarded one of the sixteen "flagship" sites on the National Millennium Trail.

Nelson has helped establish similar organizations in six states and is a national expert on the history of slavery, the Underground Railroad and African American participation in the Civil War.

She testified in Congressional hearings leading to the passage of the national Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1997.

Nelson with five teachers produced an elementary school curriculum featuring the Underground Railroad, in partnership with the Ohio Historical Society, so that our children will learn the price of freedom.

Mary Louise Nemeth Mary Louise Nemeth Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1980 Get Biography

Mary Louise Nemeth retired in 1995 after nearly forty years in the field of business publishing and industrial advertising.

Nemeth was certified as a Business Communicator by the Business Marketing Association in which she has a lifetime membership. She has worked in various support roles at both the local and national levels, ultimately serving as International Treasurer, Secretary, and Functional Vice President.

Nemeth was also nominated and confirmed as a Citizen Ambassador of the United States. This program promotes friendly relations among all countries through the medium of scientific, professional, and technical exchange.

In honor of her achievements, Nemeth was presented a Certificate of Recognition by the Association of Industrial Advertisers (1974); the Mousetrap Award, presented by the Industrial Marketers of Cleveland (1977); and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (1979).

Andre Norton Andre Norton Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

Alice Mary Norton began writing fiction in her teens. She wrote short stories as an editor of her school paper at Collingwood High School in Cleveland. It was at the school where she wrote her first book Ralestone Luck. It was published as her second book in 1938 after The Prince Commands, which was published in 1934.

As a female author targeting a male-dominated market, Norton legally changed her name to Andre Norton in 1934. Norton was employed for many years with the Cleveland Library System until she devoted herself totally to writing. Her first novels were historical adventure and espionage types, but after being asked to edit a series of science fiction books, she became interested in that genre.
Norton authored more than 132 science fiction and fantasy books. She was the first woman to receive the Invisible Little Man for Life Achievements Award for sustained excellence in science fiction, as well as the first woman to receive the Grand Master of Fantasy (Gandalf) Award and the Grand Master of Science Fiction.

Norton was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 1997. She is currently the Director of the High Hallack Library for Research for genre writers in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Karen Nussbaum Karen Nussbaum Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1984 Get Biography

Karen Nussbaum, the first director of the Working Women' Department of the AFL-CIO, brings her lifetime commitment to working women into the heart of the labor movement and back out into workplaces and communities around the country.

Charged by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney with developing a program that will "inject the concerns of working women into every nook and cranny of our movement," Nussbaum' work covers organizing, politics, policy and outreach. Nussbaum comes to the AFL-CIO from the U.S. Department of Labor where she served as the director of the Women' Bureau, the highest seat in the federal government devoted to women' issues.

President Clinton declared her "uniquely qualified" to serve as chief advocate for the nation' 60 million working women. Nussbaum is also known for her work with 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women, which she led for 20 years.

In 1981, she also became president of District 925 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). She served on the SEIU Executive Board and headed up the union' 170,000 member Office Workers Division.

Lucille Nussdorfer Lucille Nussdorfer Tuscarawas Religion and Community Services 1994 Get Biography

In 1941, Dennison's Lucille Nussdorfer raised $200 to begin a homefront war effort that resulted in one of the largest canteens for service men and women in the United States. More than 1.3 million individuals received free sandwiches, cookies and coffee as they passed through the Dennison Railroad Depot Canteen on their way to war in Europe, or the South Pacific from 1942 until 1946.

The Canteen, know across the country as "Dreamsville" involved nearly 4000 volunteers from eight counties. It was supervised by volunteers from the Salvation Army when it grew too large for Nussdorfer to oversee single-handedly. Although more than 50 years have passed since the Canteen first opened, many soldiers from all over the country still write to express their appreciation to the people of Dennison.

Nussdorfer has been active in numerous other civic and charitable activities in her community, including serving as the first woman president of the Dennison Public Schools Board of Education and choir director and organist for the First Presbyterian Church.

Ann O'Rourke Ann L O'Rourke Franklin Religion and Community Services 1997 Get Biography

Ann L. O'Rourke, former finance director and financial consultant to the 23-county Catholic Diocese of Columbus, was involved with the education of youth in eleven secondary and forty-five elementary schools and with the Legacy of Catholic Learning, the origin of the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, which helps support diocesan and inner-city schools.

She concentrated her volunteer services on the elderly, an interest which began more than 30 years ago with the first Seton Square Residence. Fifteen Seton residences, sponsored by the diocese provide affordable, secure housing for more than 1,100 men and women.

O'Rourke was Secretary-Treasurer of all Seton Housing as well as The Villas of Saint Therese, another diocesan community center for the elderly. She was a board member of St. Raphael's and St. Rita Homes for the Aged. She also served on the Administrative Council of St. Agatha Parish.

Her awards and honors include the Papal Medal Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice (1987) and the Ohio Dominican Outstanding Alumni Award.

O'Rourke passed away November, 2002.

Mary Rose Oakar Mary Rose Oakar Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1984 Get Biography

Mary Rose Oakar, Ohio Democrat, began her political career in 1973 on the Cleveland City Council. She was first Democratic woman in Ohio elected to the United States Congress. She is currently serving in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Oakar is CEO and President of Mary Rose Oakar & Associates, Inc. She hosts a Morning Radio Talk Show on WERE-AM 1300 featuring women' issues and teaches in the Elders Program at Cuyahoga Community College.

A national advocate for cancer research and prevention, Oakar was credited by the House leadership as the Member most responsible for securing inclusion of mammography screening under Medicare during the 1990 budget debate. She has received seven national awards for her work on breast cancer and several national awards for work against alcohol and drug abuse.

She has been recognized as "One of the Ten Best Legislators in Congress" by 50-Plus national magazine; "One of America' Most Important Women" by the Ladies Home Journal and "One of the Ten Best Members of Congress for Health and Women' Issues" by McCall' Magazine.

Oakar attended both John Carroll University and Ursuline College in Cleveland.

Nancy Oakley Nancy C Oakley Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1992 Get Biography

In 1974, acting as an advocate for Ohio' adult nonreaders, Nancy Oakley launched Project: LEARN.
Project: LEARN is a local outpost of a national literacy movement - Laubach Literacy Action - that trains volunteers to teach adults one-to-one. It encompasses programs designed to fit the needs of very specific populations such as those in corrections, those in the workplace, and those studying English as a second language.

Although Oakley is retired from Project: LEARN, she remains involved in literacy and education. She tutors adult immigrants in English, and as a member of Friends of Project: LEARN, she helps raise funds to support the literacy work of the organization.

Oakley is an active member of the Friends of Valley View School, a small but dedicated group that has raised over $10,000 to provide teachers, students, and staff at this Cleveland public elementary school with tools to improve the quality of their educational experience.

Not only has Oakley' work benefitted the Cleveland community, her work has influenced educators nationally. In 1990, First Lady Barbara Bush recognized the achievements of Project: LEARN with a personal visit and a public speech.

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley Darke Sports and Athletics 1980 Get Biography

The American sharpshooter, Annie Oakley, was born Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses, in Patterson, Ohio. She took up shooting at the age of six, often using her skills with a rifle to capture wild game for the family dinner table. By the time Oakley was 21, she was ready to challenge Sells Brothers Circus marksman Frank Butler, to a pigeon shoot. Oakley defeated her opponent and married him less than a year later. Oakley' special skill was stunt shooting: she could shoot a playing card in half or from a distance of ninety feet, hit a dime in mid-air.

The great Sioux chief Sitting Bull, was so impressed with her performance that he adopted "Little Miss Sure Shot" into his tribe. In 1885, both Oakley and Chief Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill' Wild West Show. She spent sixteen years with the show and was a favorite performer throught the United States and abroad.

Oakley believed in helping others live up to her motto, "Aim at a high mark." She regularly gave benefit performances to support widows and children and help other women pay for college and nursing school. The popular musical Annie Get Your Gun was based on her life.

Rena Olshansky Rena Olshansky Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1993 Get Biography

An award-winning broadcaster, author, lecturer, and civic activist, Rena Blumberg Olshansky' work as a Community Relations Director and Radio Interviewer at WDOK-FM and WRMR-AM has made her an important asset to the city of Cleveland. She is the CEO of Rainmaker, Inc., a corporate advisory organization in the areas of media, business, politics and health.

In addition, she is the author of Headstrong-A Story of Conquests and Celebrations... Living Through Chemotherapy, which details her battle against cancer, both with medicine and her undying zeal and hope.

Olshansky serves on the boards of more than twenty local, nonprofit organizations including the American Cancer Society, Playhouse Square Foundation and the Cleveland Zoological Society.

Because of her professional and personal achievements, Olshansky has been awarded the Whitney M. Young Humanitarian Award from the Urban League, the City Club of Cleveland' Hall of Fame, and named "Most Influential Woman" by the Cleveland Magazine.

Martha Potter Otto Knox Math, Science and Health Services 2010 Get Biography

Martha Potter Otto is a native of Central Ohio and earned a Master of Arts degree in anthropology from the Ohio State University. She spent her entire professional career at the Ohio Historical Society (OHS), beginning as a part-time student assistant in 1961 and concluding as Senior Curator of Archaeology upon her retirement in 2009.

During that time, she participated in or directed a number of archaeological excavations that focused primarily on precontact American Indian sites dating between 500 B.C. and AD 700. Working with teams of designers and fabricators, she developed archaeological exhibits at the Ohio Historical Center and at sites such as Serpent Mound, Fort Ancient, Fort Hill and Flint Ridge.

A major portion of Martha's responsibility was stewardship of the Society's world-class archaeological collections. This work included the day-to-day maintenance not only of the nearly one million items, but also of the quantities of paperwork that accompany these collections. She also assisted in adding archaeological collections data to the Society's burgeoned online collections catalog, making these materials accessible to the general public.

Educating the public about Ohio's significant American Indian heritage has been one of Martha's main activities. In 1993 she originated and taught DISCOVER ARCHAEOLOGY!, a hands-on program in which students become archaeologists for a day and using math and science concepts, experience the excitement of discovery.

In retirement, Martha keeps in touch with the Society by volunteering in the OHS archaeology lab. Closer to home, she enjoys gardening, volunteering at the Knox County Humane Society and especially traveling with her husband, Frank.

Darlene Owens Darlene M Owens Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1991 Get Biography

Darlene M. Owens overcame the barriers of racism and sexism to become the first woman pipe fitter in Ohio.

The pipe fitting trade is one of the most physically demanding of all building construction trades. Building on her past job experience as a welder, Owens spent three-and-one-half years training to become a journey-level trade woman.

She was active in the Pipe Fitters Local Union No. 120, fighting for minority rights. Owens also served as board president for Hard Hatted Women, one of the first trade women' training and advocacy organizations in the nation, and the first in Ohio.

She served as a role model for all Cleveland-area trade women and frequently spoke at area schools enlightening young women about non-traditional careers. Whenever she heard women speaking with lack of confidence, she addressed them spiritedly with, "Women can do anything they set their minds to!"

Kathy Palasics Kathy Palasics Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1998 Get Biography

Kathy Kapossy-Palasics is a founding member of the Nationality Broadcasters Association, which represents the coalition of nationality broadcasters at WCPN and has served as its president since 1995.

Kapossy-Palasics produces and hosts weekly bilingual radio programs at public radio stations. Her mission is to educate and inform the community about current cultural, educational and social events and about accomplishments of local Hungarian-Americans.

Kapossy-Palasics escaped from communist terrorism during the Hungarian Revolution with her husband and two daughters in 1957. Since then, she has worked as a medical technologist at St. Luke's Medical Center in Cleveland.

In addition to her broadcasting career, she is president of the United Hungarian Society, an umbrella organization comprised of 34 greater Cleveland Hungarian organizations and churches. As president, she organizes and hosts numerous commemorative programs and events, and serves as public relations liaison to visiting dignitaries, such as Hungary's president and other visitors from Hungary.

Kapossy-Palasics serves on the Board of Magyar Park as Vice President and Trustee and Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators.

Rose Papier Rose L Papier Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Rose L. Papier was a pioneer gerontologist framing the problems and needs of senior citizens. She served as Research Director for the Ohio Commission on Aging and became Ohio' first Director of the Ohio Administration on Aging.

A delegate to the 1961 White House Conference on Aging and co-chairman of Ohio' 1971 delegation, she was elected Secretary of the National Association of State Agencies on Aging.

Papier initiated and organized the first five Governor' Conferences on Aging in Ohio drawing several thousand persons annually to hear nationally prominent experts in the field. She coordinated planning, construction and services of two Golden Age Villages, in Columbus and Toledo.

She held degrees from Ohio State University, graduating with honors and high distinction in social work administration. Papier was the author of Ohio Senior Citizens which was published in 1960.

She had received numerous awards including The Alumni Association of the Ohio State University Alumni Award and the Distinguished Service Award from OSU' School of Social Work. Rose is also listed in Who' Who of American Women and a member of the Ohio Seniors Hall of Fame.

Marjorie Parham Marjorie B Parham Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1999 Get Biography

Marjorie B. Parham has made a positive difference in Ohio by giving the African-American community two assets that all oppressed groups need to survive and thrive: leadership and a voice. She provided those tools through two community newspapers, The Cincinnati Herald and The Dayton Tribune.

Parham's husband founded the two papers and although she studied business, Parham agreed to run the Dayton papers. Both provided a critical voice to the African-American community in the 1950s, a time when segregation and discrimination seemed the norm. Each publication brought news to the community but also chronicled important milestones in the lives of average citizens, bringing importance and decency to the day-to-day happenings within the African-American community. It provided an outlet for individuals to share viewpoints and frustrations with others.

When Parham's husband died in the early 1960s, Parham accepted the challenge of managing two newspaper operations. She eventually closed the Dayton paper, but the Cincinnati Herald continued to provide a voice to the community for decades under her leadership. Despite several tragedies, including an office bombing in the 1990s, Parham's Herald never missed a week of publication. The paper always arrived on schedule.

In 1996, Parham sold the Herald, but she remains the publisher emerita, providing editorial and business advice. She remains active in the Cincinnati community, as well. Past board memberships include the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center Project, Hamilton County American Red Cross, Greater Cincinnati Urban League, the Cincinnati chapter NAACP, the Metropolitan YMCA, and the Greater Cincinnati Community Chest and Council.

Parham has received numerous awards for her contributions, including Business Woman of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Communications, One of 12 Women Who Influenced the Queen City, Trail Blazer Award, Governor's Award for Outstanding Journalism, Lifetime Achiever Award and others. In 1977, Parham received an honorary doctor of technical letters from Cincinnati Technical College. In 1999, she was inducted into the Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame.

Harriet Parker Harriet Parker Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 1992 Get Biography

As a student geneticist at The Ohio State University, Harriet Hyman Parker spent the summer of 1932 trying to tease a chromosome from a fish egg. The first Ph.D. student of Dr. Laurence H. Snyder, "the father of human genetics," Dr. Parker' research proved that the heredity of human blood groups was established as early as three months after conception and that the A', B', O', M' and N' were present at birth. This made it possible to safely transfuse jaundiced newborns, news of which was reported worldwide. It also provided a means to determine when a man was not the father of a child, and Dr. Parker played a pivotal role in drafting and passing legislation which made blood group typing permissible as evidence in Ohio.

In addition to her regular teaching responsibilities, she conducted mock trials of nonpaternity cases for law students and assisted in preparing the first human genetics textbook. After relocating briefly during World War II, Dr. Parker returned with her family to Columbus to find the human genetics department about to be dismantled.

Although she continued doing non-paternity tests independently, she devoted herself to the community, providing leadership to the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Civic Ballet, Community Chest, Columbus Symphony Women' Association, Hillel Foundation, Columbus Jewish Federation, Temple Israel' Interfaith Program and Zivili, among many others.

She was a founding member of Riverside Hospital Women' Auxiliary and the Women' Sustaining Board of Maryhaven Home for Alcoholic Women. Dr. Parker was a cabinet member of the Columbus YWCA Academy of Women of Achievement, has been named Woman of the Year by B"nai Brith Women and AAUW and is in Who' Who of American Women and Men of Science. She received The Ohio State University' Alumni Citizenship Award and the Mayor' Award for Volunteer Service.

Dr. Parker continued to advise undergraduate genetics students at The Ohio State University, where she and her late husband, Dr. Milton M. Parker, established a lecture series in psychiatry and human genetics.

Helen Peterson Helen H Peterson Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1991 Get Biography

A lifelong advocate for social justice, Helen H. Peterson began her career of volunteer service with the YWCA in 1928. During the decades that followed, she continued to advocate for a discrimination-free workplace and fair wages for women and minorities. As chair of the Industrial Women and Girls Committee, Helen helped organize the YWCA' School of Leisure Time Activities which provided free classes for those suffering the effects of the Depression. She secured Work Progress Administration funds and community support to establish a local Household Training Center, which certified program participants and enabled them to command a fairer wage and greater respect in the workplace.

Continuing the struggle for workplace equality, Helen lobbied successfully for passage of a state minimum wage law for women and minors in the 1930s. She represented the public on one of Ohio' first wage boards, and then became the only woman to serve on the State Commission that heard cases of alleged discrimination against minorities in the defense industry. Helen served on the YWCA National Board from 1946-1959. In 1985 she was named one of only ten cabinet members in the Columbus YWCA' Academy of Women of Achievement.

For more than 50 years, Helen was a member of Columbus" First Congregational Church, where she chaired the Social Action Committee and helped establish the city' first interracial nursery school. She is a past president of Church Women United. Helen worked to recruit and encourage women to be actively involved in working for change and improvements that will enhance the quality of life in Columbus for all persons.

Emma Phaler Emma Phaler Franklin Sports and Athletics 1979 Get Biography

Through devoted service and leadership, Emma Phaler has contributed greatly to the development of the Women' International Bowling Congress (WIBC). Membership for the WIBC grew from 5,357 in 28 cities to 2.7 million in over 2,800 cities in the United States, Canada and many foreign countries during her 38 years as Executive Secretary.

After serving only one season as secretary of the Columbus Women' Bowling Association, Emma was elected Executive Secretary of the WIBC. During her tenure as Executive Secretary, Emma promoted steady increase of membership; initiated the 'tar of Yesteryear" Award, a division of the WIBC Hall of Fame and assisted in awarding the WIBC Annual Convention and Championship Tournament to Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. Emma served on committees to revitalize the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC) and senior programs and continually assisted new associations with their organization and rule interpretations.

Emma received many awards and honors for achievements including the Fritz Howell "Flowers For The Living" Award in 1978. Upon her retirement in 1965, she was inducted to the WIBC Hall of Fame and made a life member. Emma was also inducted into the Columbus Women' Bowling Association Hall of Fame.

Edna Pincham Edna D Pincham Mahoning Religion and Community Services 1993 Get Biography

Edna D. Pincham (93)
Mahoning County
Religion & Community Services


Edna D. Pincham was born into a segregated society in rural southern Georgia. Upon graduation from high school, she moved to Youngstown to attend college, where she earned a degree in applied science from what is now Youngstown State University and began working for the Youngstown Hospital Association.

After marriage, Pincham and her husband founded the H.H. Pincham Moving Company. She devoted herself full-time to raising her children, but embarked on what was to become a long and distinguished career of volunteerism. Active in the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Pincham became president of her local unit. She moved on to become president of the Youngstown Area PTA and thereafter vice president of the statewide organization. During that time, she was named to two national task forces of the U.S. Department of Education, Excellence in Education and Absenteeism.

Pincham has logged countless volunteer hours on behalf of children and other community and church activities, including Children's Services Board, Food Bank, Homeless Coalition, Crime and Violence Task Force, YWCA, United Way, Arts Council, Chemical Dependency Board, Third Baptist Church, American Baptist Conference-USA and many others.

She was Administrative Assistant to the Mayor of Youngstown, the first woman to hold this position, and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors.

Catherine Pinkerton Catherine Pinkerton Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1984 Get Biography

Catherine Pinkerton CSJ, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Cleveland, is a lobbyist at the federal level with NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.

Through the lens of Catholic social teaching, NETWORK analyzes legislation which affects people who are economically impoverished both domestically and globally. In the domestic arena, NETWORK'S economic justice agenda includes: federal budget priorities; welfare and its related issues - housing, wage and labor justice, health care, child care etc. In the global arena, NETWORK addresses international financial institutions and trade. Presently, Pinkerton's domestic issue area is health care legislation and particularly universal access to affordable quality health care. Her global issue arena centers in international financial institutions and trade.

Her ministries include teaching and administration on the secondary level, Congregational leadership, Consultant to Parish Councils in the Diocese of Cleveland and involvement in diocesan and national organizations of women religious. Presently, she is Vice-President of the Churches Center for Theology and Public Policy and a Board member of Americans for Democratic Action.

Pinkerton has been awarded John Carroll University's Centennial Education Medal, the Institute of Women Today's Award and listed among Cleveland's 100 Most Influential Women

Martha Pituch Martha J Pituch Lucas Math, Science and Health Services 1991 Get Biography

Martha J. Pituch (91)
Lucas County
Math, Science & Health Services


Martha J. Pituch, Ph.D., R.N., has made unique and outstanding contributions to improving access to health care and raising the health status of the medically underserved. As an associate professor of nursing at the Medical College of Ohio (MCO), she provided her students with extraordinary educational opportunities, mentored and inspired them through her own example of scholarship and exquisite caring.

She founded a nursing clinic to provide primary care for homeless persons, pioneered self-care support strategies and counseling services for persons with HIV-AIDS and their caregivers, developed a model of self care for battered women, developed nationally recognized health and safety education materials for school-age children and a self care program for children with asthma. Her efforts have earned numerous prestigious awards at both the state and national level.

In 1985, she developed a nursing clinic for the Toledo's homeless to provide health assessments, health education, mental health counseling, care of minor illnesses and emergencies and linkages to other health and social service providers. MCO was one of the first Nursing Schools in the U.S. to have a primary facility for homeless individuals and thus provide nursing students with an opportunity for clinical experience in public health and mental health nursing. Since its inception, hundreds of nursing students have been provided unique learning opportunities.

Dr. Pituch launched a family support group for persons with HIV-AIDS early in the epidemic to provide individual and group counseling services to individuals and their families, donating her expertise to numerous organizations and agencies and serving as a primary investigator for ground breaking research on health and self care for persons with HIV-AIDS and their caregivers. She was nominated for the prestigious Public Health Service Award for Nurses who have exhibited courage and compassion for persons with HIV-AIDS.

She developed health and safety education materials for school-age children, receiving a National Health and Safety Award and an American Red Cross Healthy Innovation Award in 1981. She co-developed a self-care program for children with asthma, for which she was awarded the American Lung Association of Ohio's 1983 Outstanding Service Award. In addition, she expanded her clinical practice to provide a self-care model for battered women.

In 1997, she was inducted into Milestones, honoring women from Northwest Ohio who have made outstanding contributions. Dr. Pituch has been called an advocate, an activist, dauntless, sparkling and courageous. She is committed, accomplished and singularly unassuming.

Minnie R Player Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1983 Get Biography

Minnie Player's life took her from rural Alabama to her role as the leading spokesperson for the poor in Ohio as the leader of Cleveland's Welfare Rights Organization. Without formal education, she spoke eloquently and forcefully for the poor, for women and for minorities throughout Ohio.

Ms. Player worked tirelessly with the welfare system in the Cleveland community to aid low-income families. During her tenure as Chairman of the Greater Cleveland Welfare Rights Organization, she achieved many goals, including the creation of hunger centers, increased public assistance levels and clothing donations. For her efforts in assisting welfare recipients, she has received local, state, and national recognition.

Several of Player's awards include: the Edith McIntosh Award presented by the Council of Economic Opportunities, the Outstanding Devotion Award presented by the Council of Negro Women, a Certificate of Appreciation presented by the International Kiwanis Club, and an Outstanding Service Award presented by former Governor Richard Celeste and the Ohio Senate.

Willa Player Willa B Player Summit Education 1984 Get Biography

Willa B. Player (84)
Summit County
Education


Willa B. Player is considered a rare figure within education, not only for her historic place as first Black woman president of a four-year women's college, but also for her commitment to the civil rights movement and equal opportunity for women.

Brought up in a devout Methodist family, Ms. Player attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. In 1930, Ms. Player became an instructor of French and Latin at Bennett College, a historically Black college in Greensboro, North Carolina, eventually being appointed university president in 1955. Player the first Black woman to preside over Bennett College and she was also the first Black woman appointed president of a four-year women's college in the nation. Presiding during the years of the civil rights movement, Player considered student participation in sit-ins and other nonviolent protests as entirely reasonable forms of dissent. She was proud of the Bennett students who attempted to desegregate Greensboro during the 1960's.

After retiring from Bennet College in1966, Player became director of the Division of Institutional Development in the Bureau of Postsecondary Education in Washington D. C. There she developed and maintained funding for Title III programs, a major source of categorical support for historically Black and other minority institutions of higher education. She retired in 1977.

In addition to several honorary doctorates, Player has been the recipient of the Stepping Stone to Freedom Award for her contribution to the civil rights movement. In 1972, she was awarded both the Superior Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Maxine Plummer Maxine Plummer Jackson Religion and Community Services 1993 Get Biography

Maxine Stephenson Plummer is a nationally recognized leader in government and volunteerism. For more than three decades, this Jackson County native has worked to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of a wide variety of health and human services to all citizens of Ohio, but most especially to the residents of her beloved Appalachia.

As the first executive director of the Gallia-Jackson-Meigs Community Mental Health Board, Plummer oversaw the development of the first community mental health center in Ohio to include a free-standing inpatient unit, a program which subsequently became a model for the nation. She has provided leadership to the Ohio Mental Health Association, Ohio Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Association, Vocational Rehabilitation, Wellston Mothers Club, Jackson County Women' Republican Club, Ohio Women' Federated Club, Jackson County Crime Solvers Anonymous, and the Southern Hills Arts Council, among other organizations.

She is the co-author of The Mountains and Valley Are Mine (1982) a medial/sociology text and is working on a new book about women in the work place. Plummer holds a doctorate in Health Administration from St. Louis" Clayton University.

Yvonne Pointer Yvonne Pointer Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

Since the tragic murder of her daughter Gloria, Yvonne Pointer has worked tirelessly toward safer communities in and out of the city of Cleveland.

She is the founder of the Positive Plus Support Group, P.A.C.K, (Parents Against Child Killing) and an active member of P.O. M.C. (Parents of Murdered Children). She also began a one-woman crusade to bring the Chicago-based Midnight Basketball Program to Cleveland. The program gives 18- to 25-year-old men a recreational and educational outlet during the hours when crimes are most likely to be committed.

Pointer has also given both her time and money to the Cleveland Public Schools. In addition to serving as a mentor to troubled students in the schools, she sustains the Gloria Pointer Scholarship Fund to award annual $500 scholarships to inner city children.

She has received many honors for her efforts in improving community safety, including: Volunteer of the Year Award, Cleveland Jaycees; Mayor' Award for Volunteerism; 908th Daily Point of Light for the Nation, President Bush; Director' Community Leadership Award, FBI; Making a Difference Award, Cleveland Plain Dealer; and the Greater Cleveland Woman of Achievement Award. Also, in 1996, Pointer received the Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Literary Award for her book Behind the Death of a Child.

Lorle Porter Lorle Porter Knox Education 2000 Get Biography

Lorle Porter has prevented many of Ohio' historical figures from fading quietly into oblivion. Her medieval European history training, which emphasized the "building blocks" of societies from the bottom up, gave her a unique perspective on Ohio' local history. For 30 years she has given her time to help local historical and genealogical groups "fill in the blanks" and in fitting their stories into the broader scheme of American and world history.

Some whom she has resurrected from obscurity include Paddy Brown and Willie W. Richey, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War; hundreds of nameless immigrants buried in a common grave after the 1918 flu epidemic; Titus Basfield, the first African-American to graduate from Franklin College in New Athens; Mary Ann Bickerdyke, the "angel of the battlefield," during the Civil War; and many more.

Porter, while caring for her Alzheimer'-stricken mother, spent many hours on soothing drives through the back roads of Ohio' Appalachian counties. This led to her book, Discovering Ohio' Hill Country," as a way to stimulate pride in heritage and to encourage Heritage Tourism in the region. She has also written Immigrant Cocoon, a book about the immigrants of Guernsey County, and A People Set Apart, about the Scots-Irish who settled in southeastern Ohio, Roscoe, Generations Regeneration.

Porter has taught in Ohio colleges for nearly 40 years. She was a member of the Muskingum College faculty from 1965 , 1998, and was honored with the William Oxley Thompson for Excellence in Teaching Award in 1989 and as an Outstanding Teacher by the Ohio Academy of History in 1998. As a holder of a bachelor' degree from Notre Dame College, she was honored as one of its "70 Outstanding Alumnae." She earned a master of arts degree from Boston College, and a doctor of philosophy from the University of New Mexico.

In 1996, Porter delivered the keynote speech at a conference on heritage tourism at Roscoe Village. As a result of the conference, representatives of the Ohio Arts Council organized what has become the Ohio Hill Country Heritage Area, now an officially designated heritage area.

Jennie Porter Jennie Porter Hamilton Education 1989 Get Biography

Jennie Davis Porter began her career as a teacher in 1897 and dedicated her life to educating Cincinnati' black youth. After founding a private kindergarten and a summer school for black children, this daughter of a former slave enrolled in the University of Cincinnati' (UC), College of Education at the age of 42. She was the first black individual to receive a Ph.D. from that institution in 1928.

She was the first black female public school principal in Cincinnati. Porter was the organizer, founder and principal of the Harriet Beecher Stowe School, the largest public school in Cincinnati. She focused on providing opportunities not offered to the children at other schools, including high standards of academic achievement and a strong vocational program. She initiated a public relations and community involvement program by creating glee clubs, bands and orchestras and holding concerts for parents and the community-at-large.

During her life, she also supervised a community center, a social service bureau, 15 clubs and a farm where black public school children received training in agriculture. She served as a trustee of Wilberforce University and was active in national movements focusing on education and social reform.

Susan Porter Susan L Porter Allen Arts, Music and Journalism 1992 Get Biography

American music historian and musicologist Susan L. Porter, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized authority on late 18th and early 19th century American musical theatre, music education, folk music and local music history. She has published and lectured extensively on these topics, both in this country and abroad. An accomplished musician herself, Dr. Porter is one of the founders and principle organizer for the Great Black Swamp Dulcimer Festival, one of the largest and most respected in the country. Held each April since 1979, the Festival features prominent artists performing on the mountain and hammered dulcimer, educational workshops and displays. She also organized the Great Black Swamp Folk Music Tours of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in 1987 and again in 1990. Dr. Porter has served on the Sonneck Society for American Music Board of Trustees and since 1987 she has edited The Sonneck Society Bulletin. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Antiquity Society and the American Music Research Center. Since coming to The Ohio State University' Lima Campus in 1977, Dr. Porter has developed a number of courses designed to highlight and preserve Ohio' rich musical heritage. She teaches courses in Music in the United States, Ethnic Music in the United States and Music in Ohio, which include such Ohio topics as canal songs, cities (Lima and Cleveland), the Underground Railroad and the Abolitionists and music of Ohio' religious and immigrant groups (Shakers, German and Welsh settlers). She is the first woman to have been promoted to the position of Professor at the Lima Campus.

Diane Poulton Diane W Poulton Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1989 Get Biography

Diane W. Poulton was a dedicated and outspoken lifetime advocate for the rights of women, who focused on changes in laws to prohibit discrimination, worked for the implementation and enforcement of those laws and provided information and resources to educate the citizens of Ohio with regard to them.

In 1974, Diane chaired the Governor' Task Force on Credit for Women. As a result, Ohio' laws against discrimination were amended to prohibit discrimination in the extension of credit on the basis of sex and marital status guaranteeing women equal access to credit in our state.

Poulton served as director of the State of Ohio' Women Information Center in 1977, promoting the philosophy that the empowerment of women is aided by providing information about their rights, resources available and pending legislation that may impact their lives.

She served as the first director of the Ohio Women' Policy and Research Center until her retirement in 1992. Focusing on changes in laws to prohibit discrimination, Diane took a leadership role to provide direct help to displaced homemakers, victims of domestic violence and women running for political office. Beginning in 1983, Diane worked to assure equitable treatment for women under the Job Training Partnership Act as a member of the Ohio Job Training Coordinating Council.

The recipient of many awards, Diane volunteered her leadership on many commissions, task forces and boards, including the Center for New Directions, the Woman' Roundtable and the Child Care Action Campaign National Advisory Panel, where she promoted an improved quality of life for women and families. Diane earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University.

Reverend Elizabeth Powell Reverend Elizabeth Powell Mahoning Religion and Community Services 2001 Get Biography

Reverend Mother Elizabeth Powell came to Youngstown, Ohio in 1925. Her endless energy and an undying passion to minister to the needs of others keeps Rev. Powell dedicated to the residents in that city. In 1962, she founded the World Fellowship Interdenominational Church, which she still pastors today at age 99. Under opposition from her colleagues, she became the first woman to be ordained as a credentialed Baptist Minister.

She is widely known for her vast evangelistic and charity efforts, often using her own resources to feed, clothe and shelter persons in need. In 1945, she helped organized the South Side Prayer Band to stabilize fragile families.

During wartime, Rev. Powell served her country in the Ravenna Arsenal. Always maintaining grace and dignity, she displayed an attitude "that if it must be done for the good of the whole, count me in." She was active in unionization efforts to improve the working conditions for others.

While recovering from an injury, Rev. Powell continues to make rounds visiting the sick and offering counseling to those people who need encouragement.

Renee Powell Stark Sports and Athletics 1989 Get Biography

Renee Powell is the second of only three African American women to ever play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in its fifty year history. Powell is the only African American women to become a Professional Class A member of both the LPGA and PGA of America.

She is currently the head professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Renee picked up her first club at the age of three, a club her father William had cut down to fit her tiny hands. She got her first taste of the game at Clearview Golf Club, the course designed and built by her father following his return from World War II. It is the only course in the world designed, built, owned and operated by an African American.

Chosen to represent the United States in the United States vs. Japan Team Matches on four separate occasions during the 1970's, Renee's team won all four matches. She was invited to participate in King Hassan's Tournament in Morocco and was the only American to play in President Jawara's Tournament in the Gambia. President Kaunda of Zambia personally invited Powell to play with him at the State House Golf Course, the first woman golfer to do so.

Powell made history in the golf world in 1979 by becoming the first woman to be name Head Professional at a golf course in the United Kingdom. While in England, Renee began designing and promoting golf, tennis and jogging clothes for McCarthy Sports of London. She also wrote instructional articles for Par Golf Magazines.

Leaving the LPGA Tour in 1980, Powell continued to conduct golf clinics and lecture. In 1985, she hosted the fist of what has become an annual event, The Renee Powell/Anheuser Busch Golf Tournament to benefit the United Negro College Fund. It is held each year at Clearview Golf Club, with teams of amateurs getting the opportunity to play with both past and present stars of the NFL, NBA and other sports. She has worked as a commentator for ABC and CBS and her career has been chronicled in Golf Digest, Black Sports, Jet, Ebony and Golf for Women magazines.

Powell has received The Card Walker Award in 1998 and the1999 LPGA Service Award for significant contributions to junior golf. The LPGA also honored Renee by nominating and selecting her to receive an honorary membership in the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division. She was named as one of the fifty top teachers by Golf for Women Magazine and Golf Digest named her as one of the top ten teachers in the State of Ohio and the only women named to the list for the year 2000.

Arline Webb Pratt Arline Webb M Pratt Stark Religion and Community Services 1986 Get Biography

Aboard a Cunard liner, the H.M.S. Corinthia, M. Arline Webb Pratt expressed her dismay to her traveling companion that they could not see the Statue of Liberty in the dark as they steamed out of New York Harbor.

Mrs. Pratt enlisted the interest of the Captain, the cruise director and found other shipboard acquaintances with common interests. There were 25 members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) on board, including two Massillon women. Arline Pratt led the impromptu group in developing a resolution about the need to illuminate the Statue of Liberty. The resolution, listed in the ship's log, states: "to memorialize our government to inaugurate a suitable system of illumination of the Statue of Liberty to the end that it shall constantly proclaim the great principles it symbolizes." The resolution was subsequently taken to the D.A.R. local, state and national organizations.

Upon her return to the States, Pratt appealed to the local utility, the Ohio Public Service, who took the request to the Chicago headquarters of City Service Company. It took several months to accomplish their goal, but ever since 1930, our national beacon of freedom has been visible - day and night.

Deborah Pryce Deborah Pryce Franklin Government and Military Service 2001 Get Biography

Deborah Pryce was elected to Congress in 1992. She has risen to become a member of the congressional leadership and the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A longtime advocate for children, enactment of the Child Abuse and Prevention and Enforcement Act is a highlight of Deborah' legislative career. She has led efforts to increase financial incentives for adoption and the issuance of the Adoption Stamp by the U.S. Postal Service. Pryce is a national leader promoting graduate medical education, working to provide more resources for physician training at children' hospitals nationwide.

Pryce is Co-Chair of the U.S. House Cancer Caucus, and is a national spokesperson in the fight against childhood cancer. She introduced legislation to increase access to clinical trials, streamline cancer research programs and update Medicare' anti-cancer oral drug policy to ensure that seniors have access to cutting-edge treatments. She has also authored the Seniors Healing at Home law.

Deborah and her husband, Randy Walker, who lost their nine-year old daughter Caroline to childhood cancer in 1999, founded Hope Street Kids, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the elimination of childhood cancer.

Anastasia Ann N Przelomski Mahoning Arts, Music and Journalism 1986 Get Biography

Ann Przelomski joined the Youngstown Vindicator in 1942 as a summer temporary reporter. She retired more than forty years later. She served as an assistant city editor, city editor and became managing editor in 1976. She was a member of Associated Press Managing Editors Association, UPI Ohio Editors Association and Ohio Society of Newspaper Editors. Przelomski was the first female city editor at the Vindicator and one of the first female managing editors on a daily newspaper in the United States.

Przelomski was recognized as Women of the Year, Youngstown Business and Professional Women's Club; Youngstown YWCA for services to the community; Community Service Award from Youngstown Federation of Women's Club and the YWCA Women of the Year Award.

She served on the board of Volunteer Service to Seniors, a United Way agency, on student publications committee of Youngstown State University the Youngstown State University Alumni Association Board and was active in her church.

A graduate of Youngstown State University, she also taught in the Youngstown Public Schools before entering the field of journalism.

Virginia Purdy Virginia Purdy Adams Arts, Music and Journalism 1986 Get Biography

Virginia Purdy is a strong role model and an inspiration for current and future generations of Ohio women to strive for excellence. Actively involved in the Adams and Brown County community, she applied for a construction permit and built her own radio station - which went on the air in 1981 - WRAC-FM.

The radio station is an old tobacco barn which provides charm and services to the West Union area. President, Owner and General Manager, Purdy does a daily talk show and is a beloved community leader.

Ms. Purdy has a BS degree in Home Economics Education from OSU and has taught at Jones Junior High and in the adult program at Upper Arlington. She was a part time instructor at Tri County Community College and Southern State Community College.

Virginia Purdy actively promotes tourism for the Southern Ohio area and remains active in school and community activities. She was elected vice president and president of the State Board of Education.

Active in the community, Purdy received the Friend of the 4-H Award in Adams and Brown counties. She served on The Ohio State Board of Education, Private Industry Council, Seal of Ohio Girl Scout Council and the United Way, Brown County Campaign Chairman.

Margaret Diane Quinn Margaret Diane Quinn Muskingum Government and Military Service 1998 Get Biography

Zanesville Chief of Police Margaret Diane Quinn is a woman of "firsts" in many areas of Zanesville law enforcement, including becoming the first female chief of a large municipal department in the State of Ohio.

In addition to being the Zanesville Police Department's first woman chief of police, Quinn was the first woman to work its patrol, the first female to serve as patrol sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. She was the first woman to hold a position on the executive board of the Ohio Association of the Chiefs of Police, and the first female chief to sit on the Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission. Quinn became president of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police in 1988.

She developed the first supervisors' course for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and graduated the OACP's Certified Law Enforcement Executive Program -- one of three women in Ohio to achieve this.

Her awards include the Muskingum Area Technical College's Outstanding Alumnus award and the Ohio Association of Community College Distinguished Alumnus Award.

She is the past president of the Zane Chapter of the American Business Women's Association and the Police Executive Leadership College Alumni Association, and past Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police District 6 Representative.

As chief of police, Quinn oversees a 99-employee department, including 56 sworn officers, a full-service jail, and the 911 dispatch for the City of Zanesville.

Kasturi Rajadhyaksha Kasturi V. Rajadhyaksha Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2008 Get Biography

Dr. Kasturi Rajadhyaksha (Dr. Raja) has worked in maternal and child health, family planning and the empowerment of women for 63 years in the United States and India as well as other countries.

She migrated to the U.S. in 1969. After finishing her Master's in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Kasturi served as the Jhpiego Asian Coordinator from 1978 to 1984 and traveled to more than 20 countries arranging laparoscopy training. She worked as one of the Directors and the Coordinator of Minority Business for the DLZ Corporation.

She is co-founder of the Asian American Commerce Group (AACG), which brings Asian American business owners together in central Ohio; of ASHA-Ray of Hope, an Asian organization to educate the community about violence against women and offer support to victims of domestic violence; and of the Women to Women Business Mentoring Group. She worked closely with Choices and the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence.

Her work toward equality for women of all races earned her an induction into the Ohio Senior Citizen's Hall of Fame, where she is the only Asian. Among her many awards, she has received the Columbus YWCA Woman of Achievement Award (1996), the F.I.A. "Outstanding Community Service" Award (1998), the Ohio Civil Rights Commission "Outstanding Leader" Award, and the "Women of Courage" Award (2001).

She has been appointed to many boards and commissions including the Columbus Equal Opportunity Commission and the board of the South Central Minority Business Development Council for her work on minority issues, and is affiliated with many state and national groups.

For more than 20 years, Kasturi has been working toward equality and understanding for women and Asians in Ohio.

Lottie Randolph Lottie Randolph Perry Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

A firm believer in the basic fundamentals of life, Lottie Randolph determined to put this belief into practice as a wife and mother which helped her earn the degree of Master Farm Homemaker.

Mrs. Randolph' service to Ohio Agriculture began when she and her husband organized the first 4-H Club in Perry County. Both she and her husband were honored by Ohio State University with degrees of Master Homemaker and Master Farmer.

As assistant director of the Department of Agriculture, improvements in market news reporting and the grading and inspection regulations to protect the consumer, distributor and farmer were made. Training schools were held at night to improve our marketing regulations and food handling techniques with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Serving as assistant director of Farm Labor at OSU, her special assignment was recruiting women for the Women' Land Army. This work entailed supervision of women' camps in northern Ohio where they helped produce and harvest fruit and crops to be canned and preserved for the armed services. She also visited and advised managers of the foreign farm labor camps as to food and sanitation.

Mrs. Randolph was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1978. The first woman to be awarded Ohio' highest honor for an agriculturalist.

Rachel Redinger Rachel Redinger Tuscarawas Arts, Music and Journalism 1979 Get Biography

Rachel Bair Redinger of Dover, Ohio was an active participant in many travel and theatric organizations and historic societies, but is best known as the founder of the Ohio Outdoor Historical Drama Association, Inc. She was responsible for the production, Trumpet in the Land, Ohio's first outdoor drama. The story about Schoenbrunn village which debuted in July, 1970 has been performed each summer since.

She worked extensively with the Delaware Nation Grand Council on North America, Inc. organizing cultural exchanges and Indian symposiums each summer beginning in 1981 at the Tuscarawas County fairgrounds. Redinger's other projects include helping the Delaware Indians reestablish a village historical center with the Ohio Outdoor Historical Drama Association and raising funds for The Lenape Ellis Island Memorial monument to honor all Native American Indians.

Mrs. Redinger was appointed to the Ohio Arts Council in 1973 by former Gov. John Gilligan and named vice chairman in 1975 by Gov. James A. Rhodes. In 1995, she received the Ohio Humanities Council Richard Bjornson award for distinguished services.

Jane Reece Jane Reece Montgomery Arts, Music and Journalism 1994 Get Biography

Dayton' Jane Reece is an internationally recognized leader in the establishment of photography as a fine art form through her innovative use of papers, methods of printing and use of camera focus. She opened her first studio in 1904 and always worked in a creative and highly individualistic manner. Reece was renowned for photographic silhouettes which she called Camera Cameos. By the 1920' she traveled extensively in the United States and abroad, sought after by prominent persons due to the quality of her work, always bringing out the personality and expressions of the sitter.

For Miss Reese, every portrait was "an artistic arrangement," the achievement of which was most demanding on both model and photographer.

Reece became the first woman portraitist to be admitted to the Photographers Association of America and received the organization' top award in 1907. She continued to receive numerous honors in the many competitive and invitational exhibits in which she participated. Declining eyesight and hearing forced her to stop shooting in the mid-1940s.

Her entire collection of nearly 400 prints, as well as all her medals and awards, were donated to the Dayton Art Institute in 1952. The Institute held a major exhibit and catalog of her work for March 18 - June 11, 1995, titled, The Soul Unbound: Photographs by Jane Reece (1868-1961).

Mary Regula Mary A Regula Stark Religion and Community Services 1999 Get Biography

In the mid 1960s, Mary Regula was asked to serve as a Lincoln Day speaker in the absence of her husband, Senator Regula. She chose to speak about Mary Todd Lincoln rather than Abraham Lincoln, but quickly realized that the country lacked appropriate resources detailing the lives and contributions of the nation's first ladies. This frustration motivated Regula to found the National First Ladies' Library, dedicated in June 1998.

The National First Ladies' Library, located in the Ida Saxton McKinley home in Canton, preserves books, letters, manuscripts and artifacts highlighting the first ladies' contributions to the national and world. Regula serves as volunteer president of the library and spearheaded the renovation of the McKinley home, working tirelessly to raise funds from individual and corporate sponsors throughout Ohio to historically document each public room in the house. In addition to the permanent Canton site, the library also features a web site for visitors throughout the world. In 1999, the library launched a program that will teach students about the first ladies' accomplishments.

Beyond establishing the First Ladies' Library, Regula has been involved in many other community activities. She served as the first woman president of the Navarre Community Fund in 1959 and as the first woman president of the Bethlehem Township Park District in 1960. Regula has been actively involved in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and is a recognized leader for her dedication to improvements in education. She taught school for several years before she began her career in public service.

Throughout her career, she has served on several national commissions, including the National Constitution Bicentennial Educational Commission and the Holocaust educator's Commission. She is a member of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, the Smithsonian Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Regula has received much recognition for her achievements, including awards from the League of Women Voters and Malone College. She received the first Women Helping Women in Ohio award from Soroptomist International. Regula received an honorary doctor of humanities from her alma mater, Mount Union College.

Jean Reilly Jean Reilly Franklin Religion and Community Services 1993 Get Biography

Jean Waid Reilly learned the values of family, education and service from her parents. A Columbus native, she held positions of leadership throughout high school and her undergraduate years at The Ohio State University, where she earned a master' degree in guidance and counseling.

Reilly held several professional positions after marriage, including Acting Dean of Women at the University of North Carolina. Devoting herself full-time to motherhood, she embarked on a distinguished career of volunteer service, helping to establish a wide range of volunteer programs and services in the areas of education, human services and the arts. For more than 45 years she provided leadership to many dynamic volunteer efforts, several of which have subsequently been assumed by professional staff: OSU Division of Continuing Education and Alumni Career Counseling Service; WOSU Volunteer Program; Columbus Public Schools Volunteer Services; Volunteer Action Center (now CALLVAC) and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Comprehensive Education Program.

Reilly has received dozens of awards and honors recognizing her exemplary community service which includes: The American Red Cross-Columbus Area Chapter, Columbus Bar Association Auxiliary, Governor' Status of Women Committee, United Community Council of Franklin County and The Ohioana Library Association.

Alice Robie Resnick Alice Robie Resnick Lucas Government and Military Service 1995 Get Biography

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick has become a role model and mentor for women across the state. Only the fourth woman elected to statewide office, Justice Resnick became the second woman elected to the Supreme Court of Ohio in 1988. She was re-elected in both 1994 and 2000.

Throughout her career, Justice Resnick has worked to improve the legal profession, the judiciary and the status of women. In 1991, she spearheaded establishment of the Joint Task Force on Gender Fairness, which sought equal treatment for all participants in the Ohio justice system. Later that year, she initiated formation of the Ohio Women's Bar Association, which fosters support for women's issues, networking and mentoring.

As Assistant Prosecutor of Lucas County, Justice Resnick tried more than 100 serious felony cases, one of which was accepted and heard by the United States Supreme Court on the death penalty issue. She was elected to the Toledo Municipal Court in 1975 and 1981 and the Sixth District Court of appeals in 1982 and 1986.

Justice Resnick's contributions have been recognized by organizations throughout Ohio including: Columbus YWCA; Appleseed Ridge Girl Scout Council; American Association of University Women, Columbus Chapter; Women in Communications, Toledo Chapter: Business and Professional Women's Club, District Two: 1995 Nettie Cronise Lutes Award of the OSBA, Section on Women in the Profession and many others.

Judith Resnik Judith Resnik Summit Math, Science and Health Services 1984 Get Biography

The daughter of an optometrist, Judith Resnik was able to read and do arithmetic when she entered school and enjoyed academic challenges throughout her life. Always at the top of whatever she did, Judith was accomplished at the piano and knew how to complete electrical repairs and build simple machines.

As valedictorian at Firestone High School in Akron, Judith entered Carnegie-Mellon University earning a bachelor of science degree and going on to receive a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Resnik was a design engineer for RCA and a biomedical engineer and staff fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Immediately preceding her selection by NASA in 1978, she was a senior systems engineer with Xerox.

Resnik was selected as an astronaut candidate in January, 1978. She first flew as a mission specialist and the second American woman in space on STS 41-D which launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1984. This was the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. They completed 96 orbits of the earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. With the completion of this flight she logged 144 hours and 57 minutes in space.

Dr. Resnik was a mission specialist on STS 51-L which launched from KSC on January 28, 1986, at 11:38. The crew of seven held the first civilians as payload specialists. The STS 51-L crew died when Challenger exploded when an O ring on the booster failed causing an explosion of fuel during lift off.

Emma Ann Reynolds Emma Ann Reynolds Ross Math, Science and Health Services 1994 Get Biography

Emma Reynolds was born near Frankfort in 1862. She began her early years as a school teacher, taking a three-year course of study at Wilberforce. Reynolds, who had been refused enrollment in Chicago's School of Nursing because of her race, was instrumental in establishing the first interracial hospital nursing program at Provident Hospital in Chicago. In 1892, she became one the of the first two graduates of the 18-month nursing program. Furthering her education, she became the first African American woman to earn a doctor of medicine degree from Northwestern University School of Medicine.

She practiced medicine in Texas and Louisiana before returning to Ohio in 1902. Reynolds continued her general medical practice in the Sulphur Lick area of Ross County, providing much needed services to the residents of this rural area.

She was a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Reynolds died in 1917, but a tombstone was not erected until the Provident Hospital Nurse Alumni Association did so in 1990. Reynolds was inducted into the Chillicothe-Ross County Women' Hall of Fame in 1991.

Helen Rice Helen Rice Lorain Arts, Music and Journalism 1992 Get Biography

Known as the "Poet Laureate of Greeting Card Verse," Helen Steiner Rice was a woman ahead of her time. Born in Lorain in 1900, her plans for a career in law were interrupted by the untimely death of her father. Joining the Lorain Electric Light and Power Company, her enthusiasm and ingenuity won accolades throughout the public service industry. She traveled across the United States emphasizing women' contributions to the industry in speeches to local business and civic groups and arguing eloquently for the hiring and promotion of women workers. She opened her own Lecture Service in 1927.

The stock market crash of 1929 and the death of her young husband prompted Mrs. Rice to move to Cincinnati in 1831 to work for Gibson Greeting cards, a relationship destined to span five decades. Although only humorous messages were used in greeting cards early on, Mrs. Rice wrote inspirational verses for her personal correspondence and for her friends. In 1960 her poem, "The Priceless Gift of Christmas," was featured on the nationally televised Lawrence Welk Show. After that Helen Steiner Rice cards and books, which reflected the author' deep concern for others and her abiding love of God, were in great demand.

Shortly before her death she established the Helen Steiner Rice Foundation. Located in Cincinnati, this nonprofit corporation provides grants to charitable programs assisting the elderly and the needy. Royalties from the sale of Mrs. Rice' books, cards and other gift items are used to further the work and carry out the goals of the Foundation. The most recent Baker Book House publications utilizing her works are: Blossoms of Friendship, Joys for the Heart, God Bless America, and To Mother With Love. Mrs. Rice' Daily Devotional is published by Gibson and Baker Book House.

Pauline Riel Pauline S Riel Morrow Education 1993 Get Biography

Pauline S. Riel of Marengo has devoted her life to helping others, both as a professional educator and as a volunteer with numerous community organizations. She served 20 years as an elementary school principal for the Mt. Vernon schools and spent the preceding 20 years as a classroom teacher.

Although she retired from the paid workforce in 1989, she continues to maintain an active schedule that includes a wide variety of volunteer activities. Riel has provided leadership to the National Business and Professional Women's Association, White House Conference on Aging, U.S. Department of Labor's Committee on Special Standards for Minimum Wage, the National Federation of Republican Women, Ohio Social Services Advisory Board, Christian Service of American Baptist Women of Ohio, Ohio Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Ohio Federation of Republican Women and county chapters of the Ohioana Library Association, United Way, Human Services Board, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Educational Employees Credit Union and Mt. Vernon School Administrator, among other organizations.

She has served continuously as chairman of the Morrow County Republican Party since 1978 and was a delegate to four national conventions. Riel earned a master's degree from The Ohio State University after completing her undergraduate program of study at Ohio University.

Viola Startzman Robertson Viola Startzman Robertson Wayne Math, Science and Health Services 2002 Get Biography

The young daughter of a harness maker in a small southeastern Ohio town always knew she wanted to be a doctor. Today, most call Viola Startzman Robertson "Dr. Vi."

Viola Startzman is a woman of great determination. She earned a BA degree from the College of Wooster and a MS degree from Case Western Reserve University. At the age of 28, she was initially refused admission to the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University because she was "too old". Through perseverance and the help of two influential friends, she was finally permitted entrance, graduating in 1945. She launched her practice in Cleveland and Wooster, despite fervent opposition to a woman doctor.

Before entering medical school and after training as a clinical technician, she worked six years as a bacteriologist in the Health Laboratories of the City of Cleveland. During those years she lived at Hiram House Settlement working with youth, including a girls basketball team. In 1952, she was invited by a medical colleague to join him as co-director in developing a Pediatric Department at the Cleveland Clinic. She was the first female physician on the clinical staff at that institution. Dr. Vi, always companionate about those without adequate medical care, worked in several City of Cleveland Well Baby Clinics.

In 1956, she returned to The College of Wooster, where she served for more than 20 years as the Student Health Center physician. She developed model programs emulated across the country and impacted many student and faculty lives by her wise counsel.

In retirement, Dr. Vi serves her community. She accepted the City of Wooster Mayor's challenge to assess local health needs resulting in the development of an independent free health center on the grounds of the Wooster Community Hospital. Recently, the facility was re-christened the "Viola Startzman Free Clinic" in honor of her continued dedication and commitment to providing free care to low income and uninsured residents. She continues to monitor the clinic's progress, through her frequent visits.

Dr. Startzman Robertson's impact is broad and expansive. She helped create a church-based child care center and supports a medical clinic in Alexandria, Egypt. She was instrumental in bringing ballet and chamber music to Wooster.

Linda Rocker Sogg Linda Rocker Sogg Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1988 Get Biography

As a lifelong advocate for social justice, Linda Rocker has improved the lives of countless people in the Cleveland area.

In 1971 and 1972, she led the Ohio Coalition for the Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment which successfully lobbied for the ERA in Ohio. In 1986, she led a county-wide effort that established the Zelma George Shelter Project to house homeless women and their children.

In 1990, Rocker was appointed by then Governor, Richard Celeste, to the Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas, where she served as Judge and subsequently, as a visiting Judge until 1998. Since that time, she has been in private practice with the law firm of Dinn, Hochman, Potter & Levy.

She continues to work for civil rights, particularly for reproductive freedom and opportunities for women.

Rocker has served as the chair, convenor, or board member for more than fifteen agencies and service organizations, including WomanSpace, the American Jewish Committee and the Women' Interfaith Coalition. She has received many awards, including: Corpus Juris Secundum, Marshall College of Law; Pacesetter Award, Cleveland' Most Enterprising Women; Career Woman of Achievement, YWCA; and Most Treasured Volunteer, Cuyahoga County Federation for Community Planning.

Beryl Rothschild Beryl E Rothschild Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1997 Get Biography

Beryl E. Rothschild was the first woman elected to the University Heights City Council and the first woman Mayor of University Heights. Her long-time political service to her community is abundantly clear. She is now serving her 24th year as Mayor, becoming the longest serving female Mayor in Cuyahoga County.

Mayor Rothschild founded the Northeast Ohio Mayors Think Tank in conjunction with the Center for Public Administration and Public Policy at Kent State University and is a member of its Advisory Board to The Ohio Urban University Program.

Mayor Rothschild is the first woman to be elected President of the Cuyahoga County Mayor's and Manager's Association, serving for two years (2000 and 2001).

Over the years, Mayor Rothschild has held many offices and served on numerous civic and governmental boards and commissions, dealing with municipal issues to nursing home and health care to the special needs of children. She was the first woman Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Meridia Suburban Hospital, 1987-1991, (now known as South Pointe Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System), and is a member of Leadership Cleveland, Class of 1998. She is married to Attorney Edmund W. Rothschild, has a married daughter, a son and one grandchild.

Lee Lenore Rubin Lee Lenore Rubin Athens Religion and Community Services 1999 Get Biography

In 1998, Lee Rubin received the first annual Advocate of the Year award from the Ohio Association of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Metal Health Services Boards. The award, given 'for her tireless leadership on behalf of caring communities and her unflagging devotion to the cause of human justice" is now named the Lee Rubin Advocate of the Year award in her honor.

Rubin is worthy of such an honor, as she has served the field of behavioral health at various levels for almost thirty years. She has driven policy changes at the local, state and national levels and has served as an effective liaison in government, business, health and university settings.

Since 1981, Rubin has been the executive director of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board serving Athens, Hocking and Vinton counties. As director, she administers an $11 million budget and oversees a system of agencies serving more than 15,000 people a year throughout southeastern Ohio. Rubin has served as president of the Ohio Association of Community Mental Health Services boards and of the Ohio Association of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services boards.

Rubin also is a founding member and chair of the Southern Consortium for Children and the Southern Consortium for Rural Care, two 10-county systems created to ensure services to children and indigent people in need. She served as chair of the Southeast Psychiatric Hospital Collaborative and continues to serve as a certified diplomat of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Throughout her career, she has been active on several Governor' councils and worked with the Ohio Supreme Court to raise awareness of substance abuse issues. In each of her various roles, Rubin is known and respected for bridging the gap between service providers, state government and the consumers themselves. She serves as an effective liaison in the effort to provide quality services to the underserved and to those in need.

Rubin has received numerous awards and honors for her commitment to service, including special recognition for professionalism and courage, legislative recognition for her service on behalf of children and the homeless and a certificate of achievement for public service. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from City College of the City University of New York and a master of science from Yeshiva University.

Virginia Ruehlmann Virginia J Ruehlmann Hamilton Religion and Community Services 1991 Get Biography

Virginia Ruehlmann has been described as "one of the brightest jewels" in the Queen City' crown. A former first lady of Cincinnati, Mrs. Ruehlmann has devoted much of her personal and professional life to helping those less fortunate.

Since 1983, Mrs. Ruehlmann has been actively involved with the Helen Steiner Rice Foundation, which makes grants available to non-profit organizations that serve the elderly, the young and the poor in Cincinnati and Lorain, Ohio. She acted as Administrator for 15 years and was named Director of Creative Products in 1997. Mrs. Ruehlmann has been the editor, author and compiler of more than 45 books that utilize the poetic skills of Helen Steiner Rice. Titles of these inspirational works include: Daily Stepping Stones; Daily Pathways; Daily Bouquets; Daily Reflections; Helen Steiner Rice 365 Daily Devotionals; Joy for the Heart; An Instrument of Your Peace; Gifts of Love; Mother, I Love You; An Old Time Christmas; Wings of Encouragement; Celebrating the Golden Years and God' Promises from A to Z. Royalties generated from the sales of the books add to the financial capabilities of the Foundation. She and her son, Rick Ruehlmann, co-authored Making Family Memories.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Mrs. Ruehlmann has been a volunteer leader of many charitable organizations in the Cincinnati area. These activities include chair of the Hamilton County Special Olympics, president of the Freedoms Foundation and president of the Catholic Social Services of Southwest Ohio. Mrs. Ruehlmann has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Cincinnati Enquirer' Woman of the Year Award in 1977, the Lady of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre recognition from Pope John Paul II in 1989. In 2001, she was appointed to Guideposts" National Advisory Cabinet. She is listed in 2002 Who' Who of American Women, 2002 Who' Who in America 55th Edition and 2002 Who' Who in the World.

Mrs. Ruehlmann earned a bachelor of science degree in education in 1946 and a master' degree in education in 1948, both from the University of Cincinnati. While her husband attended Harvard Law School, she served on the faculty of Wellesley College and participated in the early efforts to research the effects of stress and stress management techniques. She and her husband, former Cincinnati Mayor Eugene P. Ruehlmann, raised eight children and keep busy entertaining 24 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Elizabeth S Ruppert, M.D. Lucas Math, Science and Health Services 2010 Get Biography

After reading the biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, MD for a fourth grade book report in Cleveland, Elizabeth knew she wanted to become a doctor. In 1957, Libby was awarded a B.A. from Tulane University and came back to Ohio as a first-year medical student. Interning in Chicago at Rush Presbyterian, she and her husband, George (Dick) returned to Ohio where she worked at Children's Hospital.
In 1976, she became a professor of pediatrics in recognition of her work as a teacher, clinician and innovator in The Pilot School, an independent computer-assisted education program for first and second year medical students. In 1977, the Ruppert family moved to Toledo where Dick became president of the Medical College of Ohio and Libby established Comprehensive Children Services, an innovative multi-disciplinary clinical program for the evaluation, treatment and long-term care of children with special health care needs. In the 1980s, Ruppert collaborated with other professionals to write, lobby, and testify for the successful passage of State legislation to test newborns for hearing impairment at birth and to provide appropriate follow-up if any issues were found. In 1993, Libby became Emeritus Professor.
Dr. Ruppert was President of Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (1995-2000) and was recognized by naming the annual Pediatrician Award as the Elizabeth S. Ruppert Award.

Dr. Ruppert is the mother of four daughters and has seven grandchildren, the greatest of all accomplishments.

Judith Rycus Judith S. Rycus Franklin Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

For the past 35 years, Dr. Judith Rycus has been an organizational consultant, a training manager, a trainer, and an advocate on behalf of physically abused, neglected, and sexually abused children and their families.

In 1977, Dr. Rycus co-founded the Institute for Human Services in Columbus serving as Program Director. She is also co-founder and senior policy analyst of the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. These organizations promote large scale systems change in the field of child welfare.

Since 2004, she has served as Associate Editor of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's APSAC Advisor. She is lead author of the Field Guide to Child Welfare, published by the Child Welfare League of America and recognized as the League's all time best selling child welfare resource textbook.

Dr. Rycus has directed the development and implementation of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP), which is the longest-running competency-based child welfare training system in North America, and has served as a model for state and provincial child welfare organizations and university schools of social work.

Dr. Rycus received a doctorate in psychology from The Ohio State University and a master's degree in social work from Wayne State University.

Dr. Rycus also has received numerous awards for her work, including the Outstanding Professional Award by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children; the Peter Forsythe Award for Leadership in Public Child Welfare by the National Association of Child Welfare Administrators of the American Public Human Services Association; two Quality in Training Awards from the National Staff Development and Training Association; a Distinguished Service Award from the Child Welfare League of America; and the Dan Schneider Award for Leadership in Child Welfare Training by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

Image First Name Middle Name Last Name County Category Induction Year Biography
Julie Salamon Julie Salamon Adams Arts, Music and Journalism 2008 Get Biography

Raised in Seaman, Ohio, Julie Salamon is a highly esteemed author and journalist. She worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and then became a movie critic and weekly columnist. She has worked as a culture writer on the New York Times.

Julie's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Bazaar, and The New Republic. She has been an adjunct professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. After her first fiction book White Lies, her novella The Christmas Tree became a New York Times Bestseller. The Christmas Tree has been translated into eight languages and was awarded the Audie Award for Best Inspiration/Spiritual AudioBook.

Her nonfiction works include The Devil's Candy: The Bonfire of the Vanities Goes to Hollywood; The Net of Dreams: A Family's Search for a Rightful Place (Florence Roberts Head Ohioana Book Award, 1996), a story that trails her parents' histories as Holocaust survivors; Facing the Wind, A True Story of Tragedy and Reconciliation (nonfiction Ohioana Book Award, 2003); Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why it is Necessary to Give (nonfiction Ohioana Book Award, 2005); and her latest, Hospital. Julie was chosen to be a Kaiser Media Fellow for 2006-2007 for Hospital. She is a chair of the BRC, a social services organization in New York City that provides care for people who are homeless and might suffer from addiction or mental disease.

Julie is married to Bill Abrams and the mother of Roxie and Eli. She lives in New York, but also considers Ohio her home.

Lanna Samaniego Lanna V Samaniego Mercer Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2000 Get Biography

For more than 23 years, V. Lanna Samaniego has worked to improve the lifestyles of Ohio's Native American population through education, employment, and advocacy. In 1979 she became associated with North American Indian Cultural Center Inc. (NAICC) as a program coordinator for the Celina Indian Center and northwestern Ohio. She was appointed NAICC executive director in 1999.

Samaniego has helped implement many programs for Ohio Native American peoples, working with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Commission on Minority Health to identify Native American issues and needs, and develop programs to resolve these issues. She has helped educate agencies and the community about the needs and issues of Ohio's Native American population.

In April 2000, Samaniego received a Community Service Award from the Ohio Commission on Minority Affairs for her service to the Native American community of Ohio. The National Native American Employment and Training Program has twice honored her years of leadership and dedication to the Indian and Native American community: once with an Outstanding Service Award in 1994 and again in 1998 with a Certificate of Recognition.

Samaniego is an author who has received an Award of Excellence from the International Poetry Society for two poems, which have been published in a Book of Anthology. She is now writing a book to teach children of color how to deal with prejudice and adversity.

Samaniego, who is of Eastern Cherokee ancestry, has long been active in state, regional, and local organizations, and currently serves on the Summit/Portage Area Health Network, Summa Health Advisory Committee, the Ryan White Consortium, the University of Akron School of Nursing Clinic Advisory Board, Ohio Center for Native American Affairs Advisory Board, and the Committee for Native American Reburial and Repatriation, and Ohio's Workforce Investment Act Board.

She coordinates the Mercer County Ministerial Association's Food Pantry and Supportive Service program, and mentors Native American children through the Black Swamp Singers and Dancers, a Native American Alcohol/Drug Prevention Intervention group.

Mother Mary Adelaide Sandusky Mother Mary Adelaide Sandusky Lucas Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

Mother Mary Adelaide Sandusky was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 10, 1874 and journeyed to Minnesota to become a member of the Rochester Franciscan order. She came to Sylvania, Ohio as the leader of a new group of Franciscans that was established in 1916.

She founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio in 1916, at the age of 42, with almost no resources except a few sandy acres in Sylvania. She developed the group into the largest congregation of religious women in the Diocese of Toledo.

For 48 years Mother Mary Adelaide provided administration, vision, and spiritual leadership to the Congregation she founded, and established numerous ministries to respond to persons' needs for education, healthcare, and social service. The group eventually became an autonomous religious congregation known as the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania. She served as its Mother General for 48 years and then she carried the title "Mother Foundress" for the last 10 years of her life.

Sylvania Franciscan sisters have served across United States: principally in the Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and California to staff schools; in the states of Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Arizona to staff or sponsor hospitals; and in many other states where sisters serve singly or in groups of two or three responding in particular ministries.

The Sylvania Franciscans continue to serve, to minister, and to touch lives throughout Ohio and do so with deep gratitude to their foundress, Mother Mary Adelaide, whose example inspires them to continue that lasting impact in her home State of Ohio.

Helen Santmyer Helen Santmyer Greene Arts, Music and Journalism 1984 Get Biography

Helen Santmyer began to write a book, ...And Ladies of the Club in 1929. The book was a 1,344 novel about life in small-town Ohio and written entirely in longhand in a bookkeeper' ledger. The book took fifty years to write because she .."could only write part time. I always had to earn a living." It was first published by Ohio State University Press in 1982, which had previously printed Miss Santmyer' Ohio Town in 1963.

A native of Xenia, Miss Santmyer graduated from Wellesley, worked in New York as a secretary to the editor of Scribner' magazine and earned a bachelor of letters degree at Oxford University. Santmyer also wrote two novels; Herbs and Apples published by Houghton Mifflin in 1925 and The Fierce Dispute published by Scribner' in 1929.

From 1935 - 1953 she was dean of women and head of the English Department at Cedarville College in Ohio.

Ludel Sauvageot Ludel B Sauvageot Summit Arts, Music and Journalism 1990 Get Biography

Ludel Sauvageot was a pioneer in the field of hospital public relations and forever changed the women' role in the field.

Ludel Sauvageot made her mark in every stage of her life. In the 1920', she became the first female journalism graduate of Ohio University. In the 1930', her public relations position for a large Methodist Mission group took her to the slums of Cuba and the hills of Appalachia. In 1946, she organized the first hospital public relations program in Ohio.

During her more than six-decade career, she has upheld the highest standards of public relations and served as president of the Akron chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and Kent State University' Public Relations Council. She is past president of the Akron chapter of Women in Communications and served on the Press Club Board. In 1992, she authored a book, Partners in History.

Retiring from Akron General Hospital at the age of 70, Sauvageot returned as a public relations consultant.

Sauvageot never forgot the younger generation of young professionals. She advised, mentored and counseled many young people entering the field and remained an outstanding role model for both aspiring and practicing public relations professionals everywhere.

Alice Schille Alice Schille Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1992 Get Biography

Considered one of America' foremost women watercolorists, Columbus native Alice Schille earned international recognition, including top prizes from arts institutions in San Francisco, New York, Washington and Chicago, for her magnificent painting of street scenes, women and children. Graduating from the Columbus Art School (which later became the Columbus College of Art and Design) at the top of her class in 1893, Miss Schille continued her studies in New York and Paris.

In 1904, five of her paintings were accepted for exhibition at Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts and from that time on, her work was included regularly in important American annual exhibitions. Miss Schille returned to Columbus and began what was to become a lifelong career in education, teaching watercolor and portrait painting at her alma mater for 40 years.

Traveling each summer to paint, her unique style expanded to reflect what she had absorbed while in England, Germany, France, Spain, Holland, Yugoslavia, Russia, North Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Norway, Turkey, Greece and Belgium. Although personally very shy, Miss Schille possessed unusual courage and strength of will. This was reflected in both her independent lifestyle and in her work, as she continually worked to master new modes of painting throughout her career. A German critic once referred to Miss Schille as "this daredevil disciple of art who is interested in anything and afraid of nothing."

Miss Schille has received numerous awards and honors from throughout the United States. In 1988, Miss Schille' work was the subject of a traveling museum retrospective exhibition organized by Keny Galleries in association with the Columbus Museum of Art. Two of her works were loaned to the American Embassy in Bonn and her watercolors and oils have been displayed recently in Atlanta, New York, Columbus, Dallas, Chicago and Washington.

Lauretta Schimmoler Lauretta Schimmoler Crawford Math, Science and Health Services 1985 Get Biography

The first woman to establish and manage an airport, Lauretta Schimmoler founded the Port Bucyrus Municipal Airport in 1929. Born in Fort Jennings, this important promoter of early aviation development was one of the first members of the 99s, a national organization of licensed women pilots.

In 1930, Schimmoler recognized a need for air nursing personnel and formed the Emergency Flight Corps, later renamed the Aerial Nurses Corps of American (ANCOA). Although her efforts to incorporate aerial nurses into the armed services were not originally supported, Schimmoler' ANCOA provided an early model for the U.S. Air Force Flight Nurses Corps.

By 1940, Schimmoler was called in as a technical director for a Columbia motion picture, Parachute Nurse. She eventually landed the pivotal role of Captain Jane Morgan, Commander of the Parachute Corps.

In 1966, she was recognized by the Air Force as a pioneer in air evacuation and was awarded the gold wings of the flight nurse.

Rozella Schlotfeldt Rozella May Schlotfeldt Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2007 Get Biography

Rozella May Schlotfeldt, Dean Emerita, Professor Emerita, and Honorary Alumna of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, was a remarkable woman, a world-wide nursing icon, visionary leader and tireless champion of excellence in nursing.

Dr. Schlotfeldt graduated from the University of Iowa in 1935 with a B.S. in Nursing. In 1938, she became an instructor at the University of Iowa Hospitals School of Nursing and a supervisor of maternity nursing. From 1944 to 1946, Dr. Schlotfeldt was 2nd and then 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps serving in France. In 1947, she earned her Master's in Nursing Education and Administration from the University of Chicago. She then moved on to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, but took a leave in the mid-1950s to earn her Ph.D. in Education and Curriculum Development from the University of Chicago.

In 1960, Dr. Schlotfeldt became Dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in Cleveland. She served on a national task force that developed the 1964 Nurse Training Act, which provided nurses with financial assistance for advanced education. She maximized learning for students and improved quality of care for patients by creating a ?collaboration model' in which faculty became heads of departments at University Hospitals of Cleveland, developed various improvements in nursing education, promoted graduate education and nursing research, and conceptualized the Nursing Doctorate (ND).

Among her other activities, Dr. Schlotfeldt was a founder of the Midwest Nursing Research Society and held leadership roles in the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, and the International Council of Nurses. After retiring as Dean in 1972, she held visiting professorships in nursing at many universities. She received honorary degrees from five universities, and numerous distinguished awards and honors from nursing organizations nationally and internationally. In 1995, she was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Schlotfeldt changed the face of nursing, first in Cleveland and then, as her ideas reverberated more widely, throughout the world. Scores of nurses attribute their successes to her influence and acknowledge her as the person who changed their career paths and their lives forever.

Marge Schott Marge Schott Hamilton Business and Labor 1985 Get Biography

Margaret "Marge" Schott's achievements include many firsts. Schott is the First Lady of Cincinnati baseball, serving as the former President and Chief Executive Office of professional baseball's oldest franchise. The Reds drew more than 16 million fans to Riverfront in her eight years as the club's principal owner. She built a winning team and kept ticket prices among the lowest in the major leagues.

Mrs. Schott became a businesswoman by necessity when her husband Charles, died in 1968, leaving her in charge of a business empire that included such divergent holdings as an auto agency, cement, brick and concrete companies and real estate. An astute businesswoman, she was the first woman in the nation to obtain a General Motors dealership. She later became the first woman trustee of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

An active community volunteer, Schott served as a board member of the Ohio Arts Council, St. Margaret Hall, the Boy Scouts of America, Maryville College in St. Louis, Rio Grande College in Ohio, the Xavier University President's Council and the Cincinnati Zoo.

Mrs. Schott was inducted into the Communiplex Women's Hall of Fame for women in sports in 1987, received an honorary degree from Maryville College in St. Louis in 1991 and was named Woman of the Year by the American Legion Auxilliary. She has hosted the Red's Rally, a major fund-raiser for the Children's Heart Association at Children's Hospital for over twenty-five years.

Josephine Schwarz Josephine L Schwarz Montgomery Arts, Music and Journalism 1991 Get Biography

Josephine Schwarz, a grande dame of the ballet, is nationally acclaimed as one of the very finest regional dance instructors in the country. With complete devotion to her art, she has promoted dance in capacities that range from international performer to choreographer to dance company founder to teacher. Perhaps better known in her hometown of Dayton as "Miss Jo," she instructed three generations of students who attended the Schwarz School for the Dance she founded with her sister, Hermene, in 1927.

Miss Jo began taking ballet lessons as a child and continued through high school. During summer vacations, she continued her studies in Chicago and New York under the great George Balanchine. Miss Jo's professional career began as an international performer before she graduated from high school and continued until she sustained a serious knee injury in 1934. No longer able to perform, Miss Jo turned her talents to choreography, crafting more than 60 major works in the course of her career.

Ten years after starting their dance school, Miss Jo and her sister founded the Experimental Group for Young Dancers. This organization evolved into the Dayton Ballet, the nation's second oldest regional ballet company and one of the most respected companies in the country. Schwarz also helped start the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. She co-founded the Northeast Regional Ballet Association's Choreography Conference in 1960 and served as the program director for the National Craft of Choreography from 1968 to 1970.

Miss Jo and her sister collaborated professionally until Hermene's death in 1986. Their students have become professional dancers and dance instructors. Miss Jo has served on many national boards and testified before Congress on behalf of the arts. She has written articles for Dance Magazine and is included in Who's Who in America.

Carol Scott Carol Scott Clark Religion and Community Services 1994 Get Biography

Carol L. Scott has devoted her life to helping other people. She began her distinguished career of volunteer service while an undergraduate at Ohio Wesleyan University. She organized students to visit veterans at Chillicothe Veterans Hospital and senior citizens at the Delaware County Nursing Home. Her efforts garnered her first recognition for volunteerism; the Red Cross Gray Lady Pin.

Scott has consistently demonstrated her concern for improved relationships between the races for the betterment of the community. Her activities as a community organizer, community activist and a humanitarian have been to improve the lives of the less fortunate and to provide equal opportunities for them. Her most important role has been promoting and providing job training opportunities to assist families in getting off welfare. In 1969, she founded the Clark County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), a nationally recognized community-based organization which provides job training to individuals seeking self-sufficiency.

Scott was the first woman elected to the Board of Directors of Wilberforce University where she served as a trustee. She has provided leadership to Clark Technical College, Ohio Wesleyan University, National Executive Board of Directors of OICs of America, United Way of America, United Way of Ohio, United Way of Clark/Champaign Counties, Springfield Community Hospital, BancOhio National Bank, Springfield Urban League's Leadership Development Project, National Council of Negro Women, National Business League and many others.

Evlyn Gray Scott Evlyn Gray Scott Cuyahoga Math, Science and Health Services 2003 Get Biography

Evlyn Gray Scott's career as a hospital pharmacist began at a time when there were few pharmacists practicing in hospitals and even fewer women practicing pharmacy at all.

She began her tenure as Director of Pharmacy Services at St. Luke Hospital in 1934. Devoted to her profession, she was instrumental in organizing hospital pharmacists to form professional societies.

Scott established a Pharmacy Internship Program at St. Luke Hospital, one of the first in the country. She was among those who successfully lobbied the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy to accept internships for the Pharmacy Registration Practice Requirement. She also pioneered in the use of "pharmacy helpers," now called technicians.

Scott was also the first woman awarded the prestigious Harvey A.K. Whitney Award for Excellence in the Practice of Pharmacy in 1954 by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. In 1990, the Ohio Society awarded her the Walter M. Frazier Award. Since 1985, the Cleveland Society annually awards an Evlyn Gray Scott Award for Excellence in the Practice of Pharmacy.

Photo: The Western Reserve Historical Society

Henrietta Seiberling Henrietta Seiberling Summit Religion and Community Services 1998 Get Biography

Henrietta Buckler Seiberling played a key role in the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous. It all began in the early 1900s, when distressed over family and financial problems, Seiberling began attending weekly Oxford Group meetings in Akron. The Oxford Group was a religious revival group that stressed prayer and charitable work as ways of life. She helped to organize the Oxford Group' "alcoholic squad" in Akron and led many of these meetings from 1935 to 1939.

Through the Oxford Group, Seiberling met two men who were struggling with alcoholism. They came to her home at the gate lodge at Stan Hywet Hall and talked about the experiences of alcoholics. They concluded that alcoholics should never take another drink, and that they should live a spiritual-quality life and share their experiences with other people. These two principles have become the cornerstone of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Seiberling, along with her colleagues, developed principles that would become the foundation for the AA organization. Meetings at the Oxford Group sessions with alcoholics proved so popular that they began to hold their own meetings at King School in Akron, the first site of official AA meetings. By 1938, AA had spread to several other cities. Eventually it evolved into an organization that has helped millions of people worldwide to fight alcoholism.

Phyllis Sewell Phyllis Sewell Hamilton Business and Labor 1982 Get Biography

Phyllis Shapiro Sewell spent her entire career at Federated Department Stores, Inc., an $11 billion corporation operating department stores, discount stores and supermarkets purchased by Campeau Corporation in 1988. Before retiring Senior Vice President Sewell's responsibilities included corporate and divisional strategic plans, studies of consumer attitudes and buying habits, studies of retail merchandising and marketing opportunities techniques and development of effective management information systems.

She has served on various corporate boards including; Lee Enterprises, Inc.; Pitney Bowes, Inc.; U.S. Shoe Corporation; Sysco Corp.; Huffy Corp; Cystic-Fibrosis Foundation (Cincinnati Chapter) and United Way.

A graduate of Wellesley College, She was named one of the top 85 Woman Business Executives by Industry Week Magazine and one of the top 100 corporate women in Business Week Magazine.

Maria Sexton Maria Sexton Wayne Sports and Athletics 2001 Get Biography

Teacher and collegiate coach, Maria Sexton came to the College of Wooster as chair of the Women' Physical Education Department. A strong advocate for varsity sports, Maria laid the groundwork to begin women' varsity programs. Soon after, men' and women' programs were merged under a man who was brought in to chair the combined departments. Disappointed, Maria did not let it cloud her vision. A year later, with her guidance, Wooster offered its first varsity sports for women - field hockey and basketball - followed by volleyball.

"Doc" as she was known to students and colleagues, pushed for funding and inclusion of women' sports. In 1971, tennis became a varsity sport. Maria was the coach for the next twelve years, taking her team to state and regional tournaments as well as the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women' National Tournaments.

She served on the U. S. Olympic Committee for Track & Field, and chaired the U. S. Olympic Committee for Women' Basketball. Maria was the chair of the National Basketball Rules Committee when women' basketball shifted from a six-player half-court game to five-player full-court game.

At home, Sexton is a premier and award-winning breeder of Saint Bernard dogs.

Thekla Shackelford Thekla R Shackelford Franklin Education 1997 Get Biography

An educational consultant for students entering independent secondary schools and colleges, Thekla Shackelford founded School Selection Consulting in 1978. She then established the nationally recognized I Know I Can school program for the Columbus Public Schools. The program assists underserved students in successfully applying for and obtaining financial aid for post-secondary education. She has received numerous awards for the I Know I Can program, including a Private Sector Initiative Award from President Ronald Reagan and a Point of Light from President George H. Bush.

The Columbus Foundation elected her as the first woman chair of its Governing Committee. She has served on numerous community boards including Banc One Corporation; Wendy's International; Fiserv; Franklin University; The Ohio State University Foundation; Columbus Capital Club; the Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts; H&R Block; Sundance Broadcast of Wisconsin; Columbus Academy; Players Theatre of Columbus; Junior League of Columbus and the Columbus Foundation.

Shackelford has worked to increase community awareness, understanding and appreciation of women. Some of her awards and accolades include the Anti-Defamation League's Jackie Robinson Civil Rights Award, a President's Volunteer Action Award, the League of Women Voters' Democracy in Action Award, YWCA /Women of Achievement Award, Temple Israel Humanitarian Award, Christopher Columbus Achievement Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Citizenship Award, Columbus Public Schools' Golden Ruler Award, Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year Award and a Columbus Foundation Award. In addition, she was an inductee into Junior Achievement's Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges' Hall of Excellence.

A mother of three daughters, she resides in Gahanna.

Fanchonbat-Lillian Shur Fanchonbat-Lillian Shur Hamilton Arts, Music and Journalism 1990 Get Biography

Fanchon bat-Lillian Shur of Cincinnati is a choreographer and an educator. She devotes her creative energies to the development of choreographic ceremonies based in Hebraic traditions, cross-cultural myths and legends that integrate movement, music and poetry.

Her work led her to found the Growth in Motion, Inc. in Cincinnati, where she has taught dance, authentic movement and produced ceremonial theater works since 1978. As an educator, Shur developed movement studies courses for elementary school children and adults. She is a registered movement therapist, affiliated with the International Movement Therapy Association and works to create an awareness of the body' connection to emotional and psychological states.
Her newest performance project, "FLIGHT, FIGHT, FREEZE!," is a performance and a series of four workshops that teach people how to manage stress and heal themselves from trauma through movement, therefore promoting participants ability to communicate more effectively, prevent violence and overcome anxiety.

Muriel Siebert Muriel Siebert Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1995 Get Biography

Muriel "Mickie" Siebert is the founder and president of the discount brokerage firm that bears her name and is the first woman member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Muriel Siebert & Company is the only woman-owned NYSE brokerage firm with a national presence. She also served five years as the first women Superintendent of Banking for the State of New York and was responsible for the safety and soundness of financial institutions.

In October, 2000, Siebert purchased two women websites and created a unique women' financial website; www.wfn.com. She has started her own charitable program, The Siebert Entrepreneurial Philanthropic Program (SEPP). While President of New York' Women' Agenda, she developed a Personal Finance Program to equip high school seniors with essential financial management skills.
Throughout her career, Ms. Siebert has been actively involved with a wide range of nonprofit, civic and women' organizations. Siebert has received countless awards and honors throughout her career, including the first women selected as "one who has made a difference" for the Working Women' Hall of Fame. In addition to being inducted into the Ohio Women' Hall of Fame, she has been inducted into the National Women' Hall of Fame and the International Women' Hall of Fame.

Rita N Singh Cuyahoga Business and Labor 2010 Get Biography

Rita N. Singh is the CEO & Founder of Elite Women Around the World - A worldwide platform to enhance the economic position of women globally. Her legacy of leadership, innovation and humanitarian efforts has made her one of the few South Asian Women to receive the most prestigious awards, recognitions and accolades in the United States. Rita is a person of broad and deep accomplishments, with a global mindset to create success strategies worldwide. At various times she has excelled as an expert entrepreneur, brilliant executive coach & leadership strategist, dynamic speaker, author and moderator, philanthropist and thought leader, trained consultant and CPA. She received her bachelor's and master's degree in India and later completed her education as a Certified Public Accountant in the USA.

In 1989 she co-founded with her husband Nip, S&A Consulting Group LLP - A Global Resource Management Consulting Firm. Under her leadership many of the summits, forums & conferences over the years have been produced, directed and designed.

Rita has strong community relations and professional involvement in several trade and civic associations, local chambers and non-profit organizations and served on several boards and committees. As a women of Indian heritage Rita is the recipient of many firsts including: 2010 FICA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2006 Enterprising Women of the Year Award, 2005 Business Woman of the Year, Top Ten Women Business Owners of Northeast Ohio and Woman of the Year Award in 1998 from her Indian Community and Association of Asian Women in Northeast Ohio.

Eleanor Smeal Eleanor Smeal Ashtabula Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1988 Get Biography

Ashtabula native Eleanor (Ellie) Smeal, recognized throughout the nation as a women's rights leader, appears frequently on television and radio, testifies before Congress on a wide variety of women's issues and speaks to diverse audiences nationwide on a broad range of feminist topics. For over two decades, she has played a leading role in both national and state campaigns to win women's rights legislation and in a number of landmark state and federal court cases for women's rights.

During her tenure as National Organization for Women (NOW) president, Smeal led the drive to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA campaign reshaped the contours of women's political participation in the United States and Smeal's own vision of what is necessary for women to achieve equality. Emboldened by the ERA campaign and willing to make waves, Smeal led the first national abortion rights march in 1986, drawing more than 100,000 participants to Washington, D.C.

As President of the Feminist Majority, Smeal co-authored and co-produced two-awarding videos, Abortion for Survival and Abortion Denied: Shattering Women's Lives. She helped lead the campaign to save affirmative action at the national level and to defeat California's Proposition 209. She re-framed the debate by mobilizing women's groups to demand the inclusion of women and provided a compelling analysis of the impact of affirmative action attacks on women's opportunities and sex discrimination.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University, Smeal holds an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida and an honorary Doctor of Law degree. She is widely sought out for her political commentary and insight on national issues.

Katherine Smith Katherine May Smith Hocking Sports and Athletics 2007 Get Biography

Katherine May "Katie" Smith has raised the profile of women in sports. She is arguably one of the best female athletes to ever play the game of basketball, and has impacted the sport at every level.

Katie Smith began playing basketball in Logan, Ohio. She excelled, leading the Logan Lady Chiefs to runner-up in the Division I Girls' Basketball State Championship. She was named the National Gatorade Player of the Year and the High School Basketball Coaches' "Ms. Basketball" for her accomplishments.

At the Ohio State University, she helped to lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Championship, their first Final Four appearance, and the NCAA title game her freshman season. In 1993, she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, National Freshman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and earned the Kodak All-American honors.

By her senior season at OSU, Katie Smith had been named a Kodak First Team All-American twice, had been a three-time All-Big Ten First Team Selection and the Big Ten Player of the Year.

She also excelled in the classroom, earning recognition as an OSU Scholar-Athlete (all four years), an Academic All-Big Ten recipient (three years), and the GTE Co-Academic All-American of the Year. She was offered a number of scholarships, including a distinguished NCAA post-graduate scholarship.

Katie Smith represented the United States on two gold medal-winning Olympic teams and earned five other gold medals and two silver medals in international competition, including two World Titles.

In addition to being the only OSU female athlete to have her number retired, Ms. Smith was the first women's basketball player inducted into the Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2002, she was named the Ohio State Female Athlete of the Century; in 2006, she was named to the WNBA All-Decade Team as one of the 10 best and most influential players during the league's first ten years of play.

When she isn't playing basketball, Ms. Smith can be found taking classes at OSU in preparation for application to dental school.

Jayne Spain Jayne Spain Hamilton Business and Labor 1982 Get Biography

A resident of Cincinnati, Jayne Baker Spain had operated her own machinery manufacturing firm for fifteen years until that company merged with Litton Industries at which time she became a Litton divisional vice president. In 1976, Spain was elected senior vice president of public affairs for the Gulf Oil Corporation and in 1978, was elected to the board of Beatrice Foods Company of Chicago, the largest food company in the United States.

Concerned with the problems and needs of the handicapped, Spain has served on the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. In 1971, she became a member and vice chairman of the United States Civil Service Commission and was the sixth woman to serve as a commissioner in 91 years.

A recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Spain also served as a visiting professor and executive-in-residence at the school of Government and Business Administration at the George Washington University.

Paula Spence Paula A Spence Franklin Business and Labor 1994 Get Biography

An accomplished public relations and public affairs specialist, Paula A. Spence, now retired, was president and partner of Hameroff/Milenthal/Spence, one of Ohio' leading communications firms. She has provided leadership to Society Bank, Nationwide Investing Foundation, Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Franklin County, Children' Hospital, Columbus Public Schools, among many other civic and charitable organizations.

In addition to many other awards and honors, she is the first woman to be featured on the cover of Ohio Business Magazine and the first woman to be name a Laureate in the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame. She was a key leader in the relocation of Ohio' Center of Science and Industry to its new $125 million home on the west bank of Columbus" Scioto River. Spence now resides in Fort Myers, Florida.

Marian Spencer Marian Spencer Hamilton Religion and Community Services 1984 Get Biography

Marian Spencer is recognized for her lifelong pursuit of human and civil rights. While at the University of Cincinnati, she struggled against the institutional racism that barred African Americans from living on campus, attending social events on campus and from being accepted at certain colleges such as medicine and music. She took Coney Island management to court after being banished from the front gate by a guard brandishing a gun on the Fourth of July, 1952.

Also active in politics, Spencer became the first black woman elected to Cincinnati's City Council. She ran for the Cincinnati Board of Education on the Citizens School Committee ticket. She was the first African American female ever to serve as president of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP, has been a delegate to two democratic National Conventions and has been a member of the Charter Board since 1985.

For six years, Spencer has served as Chairperson of the Shalom Zone Committee of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church - a committee working for the youth of a Walnut Hills Neighborhood providing mentoring and recreation. She is Vice President of HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Equal) and was selected as a Great Living Cincinnatian by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Other awards include Glorifying the Lions - Urban League Award, the National Conference of Community Award and the Justice Award.

Spencer's seeking after justice, her unflagging energy and spirit and her unswerving principle make all who come in contact with her love and admire her.

Stefanie Spielman Stefanie Spielman Franklin Religion and Community Services 2002 Get Biography

In early 1998, while performing a breast self-exam, Stefanie Spielman felt a lump. She immediately went to her physician and was told...at age 30...that she had breast cancer. A mastectomy and six months of chemotherapy followed.

At the time, Stefanie and husband Chris were looking forward to their careers and raising their young children. She, a talented sports reporter for a Detroit television station, was to begin a job reporting from the sideline of Ohio State home football games. Husband Chris, an All-American linebacker at Ohio State, winner of the Lombardi Trophy and star athlete, played professional football with the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.

Following her diagnosis, Chris chose to forego the 1998 NFL season with the Bills. Together, the Spielmans, in partnership with the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at Ohio State launched The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. Their leadership and public commitment to the fight against breast cancer has received over-whelming support. More than 4,700 contributors have given more than $2 million to the Spielman Fund.

Stefanie and Chris received the Upper Arlington (Ohio) Rotary Club's 'ervice Above Self Award" in 1998. In 1999, they were presented the Governor's Award, Ohio Governor Bob Taft's highest honor, for their work as ambassadors for breast cancer awareness and research and for "making a positive challenge in the lives of their fellow citizens." The same year, they received the highest philanthropic honor given at The Ohio State University, the John B. Gerlach, Sr. Development Volunteer Award. In 2002, Stefanie was awarded the William Oxley Thompson Alumni Association Award from Ohio State.

Chris retired from playing professional football in 1999 and is a college football analyst for ESPN. He and Stefanie continue their work as volunteer advocates for breast cancer research. Stefanie serves as a trustee of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute Foundation and is active on a national and local level with the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Chris and Stefanie have faced a very personal challenge in a very public and selfless way; with poise, determination, and courage that have inspired countless cancer patients and their families. Their considerable efforts have impacted the future of cancer research. They have, quite literally, helped save lives.

Charlene Spretnak Charlene Spretnak Franklin Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1989 Get Biography

Charlene Spretnak has done pioneering work in the peace, feminism and ecology movements, and has focused in particular on the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of social-change activism. She is a co-founder of the Green Party in the U.S.

Charlene earned a Bachelor's degree, magna cum laude in English from St. Louis University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a Master's degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was a faculty member from 1978 to 1986. Since 1992, she has been a professor in the philosophy and religion program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a graduate institute in San Francisco.

Spretnak is the author of six books. Her works on ecological through, spirituality and the Green vision are Green Politics, (co-author, 1984); The Spiritual Dimension of Green Politics (1986); States of Grace: The Recovery of Meaning in the Postmodern Age (1991); and The Resurgence of the Real: Body, Nature, and Place in a Hypermodern World (1997), which was named a "Best Book of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times.

Active in the women's spirituality movement and ecofeminist movement, Charlene also wrote Lost Goddesses of Early Greece: A Collection of Pre-Hellenic Myths (1978), and she edited a groundbreaking anthology, The Politics of Women's Spirituality: Essays on the Rise of Spiritual Power within the Feminist Movement (1982). Her forthcoming books are on the Virgin Mary today and on the spiritual dimension of modern and contemporary art.

Charlene lectures widely in the United States and Europe.

Mary Jen Steinbrenner Mary Jen Steinbrenner Cuyahoga Religion and Community Services 1985 Get Biography

Mary "Jen" Steinbrenner was instrumental in the development of programs focusing on the needs of women and children. As program director at the George Gund Foundation, she addressed numerous women' issues, particularly teenage pregnancy, childcare, reproductive freedom and domestic violence.

She was honored for her work through the establishment of the Jen Steinbrenner Fund, an entity within the Women' Community Fund, designed to support programs devoted to promoting women' self-sufficiency.

Through her position at the foundation, Steinbrenner has been involved with many women' organizations, including Action for Battered Women; the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center; WomenSpace; Ohio Women, Inc; Women Together; Education for Freedom of Choice; the ACLU Reproductive Rights Project; and the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights.

Steinbrenner founded the National Women in Foundations, a group that advocated more giving on behalf of women and more women in philanthropic decision-making positions. She also started Cleveland Women in Philanthropy, a support and information network for women in private and corporate giving.

Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem Lucas Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1983 Get Biography

Born in Toledo, Steinem has moved into the national and international forum to plead the case of women' rights. As an editor of Ms. magazine, she proved that women can make their mark in the tough publishing world when they speak to and on behalf of their sisters.

Her lifelong career as a writer and journalist began after college. She was always active in a wide array of political and social causes. She became a major feminist leader in the late 1960s. In 1971, she was a co-convener of the National Women' Political Caucus and in 1972 helped found the Ms. Foundation for Women, which raises funds to assist underprivileged girls and women.

Steinem is a best selling author whose books have inspired women of all ages to fight for their rights, to take risks and to defend the rights of others. Her writings form a lasting legacy of ideas and personal revelation that continues to inspire and inform.

Bobbie Sterne Bobbie L Sterne Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1979 Get Biography

Bobbie Sterne trained as a nurse, became Cincinnati' first lady of politics and the first elected woman mayor. Sterne graduated from the Akron City Hospital School of Nursing and served as a first lieutenant with the 25th General Hospital Unit in Britain, France and Belgium during World War II.

She has been active in health service organizations, serving as president of the Cincinnati Health Department Volunteers, and a leader of Volunteers in Public Schools providing one-to-one tutoring for school children in reading and mathematics.

Active in politics, Ms. Sterne worked behind the scene as a guiding member of the Charter Party, one of Cincinnati' three political parties and then moved to the forefront, waging a successful campaign for election to Cincinnati City Council. In 1975, she was inaugurated as Cincinnati' first elected woman Mayor serving for two terms.

A champion of women' rights, Ms. Sterne served on the Attorney General' Task Force on Domestic Violence and the Governor' Task Force on Credit for Women. She initiated legislation which opened all categories of city employment to women and to require equal pay for women in all categories.

Sterne served on the Governor' Task Force on credit for women resulting in Ohio law, prior to national Congressional Action. She was active on the Attorney General' Task Force on Domestic Violence influencing Ohio law to protect victims.

Ella Stewart Ella Stewart Lucas Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

Ella P. Stewart was the first Negro woman to graduate from Pittsburgh University in Pharmacy and to pass the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy. She is a former president of the National Association of Colored Women, was a delegate to the United States Commission of the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations and a lecturer on women' affairs during a State Department tour of the Far East. Stewart was a founder of the Toledo Chapter of the Pan-Pacific Southeast Asian Women' Association.

Stewart was also the first Negro to join The League of Women Voters.. Awards, plaques, scrapbooks, costumes, furniture and memorabilia of Stewart are in the museum of the school name in her honor in Toledo.

Harriet Stowe Harriet Stowe Hamilton Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1999 Get Biography

It is difficult to imagine that the Civil War would have garnered much support from citizens, or taken place at all, without the atrocities of slavery explained in full detail through the eyes and writing of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Stowe was born into a prominent religious family from Connecticut , the Beecher family remained at the forefront of many reform movements during the 19th century. In 1932, Stowe moved to Cincinnati and began her career as a teacher. After she married, she stopped teaching and began writing to supplement her husband' income.

While living in Cincinnati, Stowe became acquainted with several abolitionists and runaway slaves. She aided the escape of numerous slaves through the Underground Railroad and in her effort to protect and free slaves, learned of the atrocities of slavery. Angered by those horrors, as well as the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and the South' threats to secede from the Union, Stowe began writing a serial denouncing the evils of slavery. Her installments grew into a novel of 40 chapters, published in 1852 as Uncle Tom' Cabin.

Her novel, based on Nat Turner' rebellion, was the first in the United States to feature a black hero. With deft humor and drama, Stowe helped readers understand the cruel and unjust suffering of people bound by slavery. Stowe boldly used her novel to show that slavery undermined the moral sensibility of whites who tolerated or profited from it. Uncle Tom' Cabin became one of the most effective pieces of reform literature ever published in the United States and beyond.

After the success of Uncle Tom' Cabin, Stowe continued to write extensively on domestic science and horticulture. She also published several children' stories and poems. During the last half of the 19th century, Stowe was the most widely read American author in Europe and Asia and her works have been translated into more than 60 languages. In the spirit of reform, Stowe also penned Pink and White Tyranny, attacking the idea that women should remain helpless showpieces for the pleasure of men. However, none of her future publications would have the history-changing impact of Uncle Tom' Cabin, her antislavery masterpiece.

Kathryn Sullivan Kathryn D. Sullivan Franklin Math, Science and Health Services 2002 Get Biography

Kathryn D. Sullivan has explored the universe from the depths of the ocean's floor to the heights of outer space. She has broken traditional gender barriers and is paving the way for others to follow.

Dr. Sullivan is a former National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut, serving on three shuttle missions and logging more than 530 hours in space. As a member of the first Space Shuttle astronaut class, she spent six years preparing for the 1984 mission aboard Challenger, when she became the first American woman to walk in space. In subsequent missions aboard Discovery and Atlantis, she served as a Spacewalk Specialist for the Hubble Telescope and a Payload Commander for ATLAS-1.

In 1993, Sullivan was appointed Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for the National Weather Service, nautical charts and a broad array of research and technology programs in climate and global change, marine biodiversity and satellite instrumentation.

Dr. Sullivan joined COSI as President and CEO in April 1996, leading the institution through its biggest time of growth, including a move to the new state of the art facility. Under her leadership, COSI has deepened its commitment to expanding science and interactive learning opportunities through hands-on activities and demonstrations. She was also instrumental in the 1987 design of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, a nationwide education program and living tribute to her colleagues killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

Sullivan's historic accomplishments have been widely recognized. The U.S. Postal Service "Escaping the Earth's Gravity" hologram stamp features Dr. Sullivan in the Space Shuttle Cargo Bay. She received a First Ladies Salute First Women Awards, has been named YWCA Women of Achievement and inducted into Ohio's Veteran's Hall of Fame. Other honors include: NASA Space Flight, Exceptional Service and Outstanding Leadership medals, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation's Lone Sailor Award, and the National Air and Space Museum Trophy.

Dr. Sullivan is a Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve and serves on numerous corporate and non-profit boards. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a Life Member of the Naval Reserve Association and Girl Scouts USA.

Phebe Temperance Sutliff Phebe Temperance Sutliff Trumbull Religion and Community Services 1990 Get Biography

Phebe Temperance Sutliff of Warren, dedicated her life to the education and welfare of women and other minority groups. Her outstanding intellectual abilities and progressive spirit resulted in accomplishments that benefitted her entire community. A graduate of Vassar College and Cornell University, Sutliff chaired the departments of History, English and Economics at Illinois" Rockford College before eventually becoming its President.

Afer returning to Warren to care for her ill mother, Sutliff began a career in community activism. She was the founder and first president of the Warren branch of the American Association of University Women and helped organize the Warren Urban League, the local Visiting Nurses Association and the Warren Child Labor League.

In 1914, she organized a free evening school for European immigrants wishing to obtain citizenship. In 1920, when the ballot was given to women, she organized women' political committees. Soon thereafter, she was appointed Assistant Secretary of the 1924 National Democratic Convention. She was a trustee of the Warren Public Library for 32 years and was the first woman President of its board, serving from 1938 until her death in 1955.

Ethel Swanbeck Ethel G Swanbeck Huron Government and Military Service 1979 Get Biography

Ethel Swanbeck was dean of the Ohio House Republican delegation upon her retirement in 1976, serving 22 years in the House. During her legislative service, she sponsored legislation reforming state commercial fishing laws, fought against lake shore erosion as a member of the Great Lakes Commission and sought welfare reform as a member of the House Finance Committee' welfare section.

A former teacher at the high school and college levels, she consistently championed the cause of education in the General Assembly.

Hope Taft Hope Taft Hamilton Government and Military Service 1996 Get Biography

Hope Taft, married to Ohio Governor Bob Taft, became First Lady on January 11, 1999. As Ohio's First Lady, she focuses on three basic areas: mobilizing Ohio communities to promote positive youth development emphasizing drug and alcohol prevention, encouraging and recognizing volunteerism and promoting Ohio's Bicentennial through Ohio's arts and history.

She is co-founder of Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth, the Ohio Alcohol and Drug Policy Alliance and Cincinnati's Citizens Against Substance Abuse. She also is an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist II.

Nationally, she serves on the President's Commission for Drug Free Communities and she co-chairs the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's National Advisory Council. She joins other Governor's Spouses and co-chairs Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, an initiative sponsored by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation dedicated to keeping children ages 9-15 alcohol free.

In 1999, she partnered with the Greater Canton Habitat for Humanity to volunteer and build the "House of Hope" as part of Habitat's First Ladies Build. In 2001, she again partnered with Habitat to build a Circle of Hope, 25 homes in Ohio, to celebrate Habitat for Humanity International's 25th Anniversary.

Mrs. Taft graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1966 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. In 1993, she received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati and in 2001, was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Cleveland State University.

Over the past 25 years, Mrs. Taft has volunteered and served on numerous boards of arts, cultural, civic and service organizations. She has also received numerous honors and both state and national recognition for her volunteer public service in the areas of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment.

Mrs. Taft was born and raised in Camden, Arkansas. She and Governor Taft married in 1967 after meeting in Guatemala. They lived in Southeast Asia and Springfield, Illinois before moving to Cincinnati, Governor Taft's hometown. The Tafts have one daughter, Anna.

Yvonne Taylor Yvonne Taylor Greene Education 2000 Get Biography

Outstanding educator Yvonne Walker-Taylor has spent her entire adult life working in American education. She has been a secondary education teacher in the 1940s and a college professor in the 1950s. In the 1960s she was the first chairperson of the Wilberforce University Education department and then assistant to the college president.

In the 1970s she became academic dean of Wilberforce University; then in the late 1970s and the early 1980s she was made provost of the college. In 1984 she became president of the historically Black college. When she retired as president in 1988, she became the visiting education professor and student-teacher supervisor at Central State University, a position she held for several years. At 81 she served as interim president of Payne Theological Seminary.

She has spent 74 years in the State of Ohio, having lived for a while in Cleveland before coming to Wilberforce, Ohio, where she attended college and later became a teacher and administrator at the college(s) there. She has honorary degrees from Morris Brown College in Atlanta; Northeastern University in Boston; and Medaille College in Buffalo.

Her involvement in the African Methodist Episcopal Church has extended from her earliest childhood years, being the only child of an AME minister who went on eventually to become president of Wilberforce University. When she too became president nearly 40 years after his term, she became the only daughter to have followed her father to the presidency of a college in the United States. She was also the first woman ever to be elected to membership on the AME Judicial Council.

Walker-Taylor has received many awards and citations over her career. Some of them include the Dayton Metropolitan Civic Women' Woman of the Year award, the Wilberforce University Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award, the Northeastern University Citation as Dynamic Leader/Concerned Teacher/College President, the NAACP Distinguished College President Award, the City of Los Angeles Award for Outstanding Contributions to Promoting Educational Excellence, the Black Student Alliance of Muskegon College Appreciation citation, Central State University Appreciation of Outstanding Leadership and Numerous Contributions to Education, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Citation in recognition of Exemplary Experiences, and awards from the National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center.

Mary Emily Taylor Mary Emily Taylor Logan Education 1998 Get Biography

Emily Taylor, Ph.D., has been a leader of women educators, women' organizations, and groups concerned with the status of women all of her adult life. She has bachelor' and master' degrees from The Ohio State University and a doctorate from Indiana University. She spent two years as Counselor at Indiana University, one as Acting Dean of Women at the University of Louisville, six as Dean of Women at Northern Montana College, three as Associate Dean of Women at Miami University and eighteen years as Dean of Women at the University of Kansas. In 1975, she became Director of the Office of Women in Higher Education at the American Council on Education. In 1982, she became a Senior Associate for the American Council on Education' Office of Women.

Taylor established the National Identification Program at the American Council on Education. This network is designed to identify women ready for high-level administrative positions and to assist them to attain their goals. Hundreds of participants are now presidents or chancellors of colleges, universities, and other administrative organizations. She founded the first university student commission on the status of women in the United States, now housed at the Emily Taylor Women' Resource Center, University of Kansas.

Taylor' awards and recognitions include appointment to the Kansas and Maryland Governor' Commission on the Status of Women; induction into the University of Kansas Women' Hall of Fame; Kansan of Achievement for Human Rights award; Esther Lloyd-Jones Distinguished Service Award, the National Association of Women in Education; Governor' appointee to the Kansas Board of Healing Arts and as chair, Kansas Commission on Aging; and appointment to the Intermediate Selection Board of the U.S. Department of State. She served two terms as president of the National Association of Commission for Women and has received the highest award granted by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Louella Thompson Louella Thompson Butler Religion and Community Services 1992 Get Biography

When Middletown's Louella Thompson announced her plans to feed the hungry of Southwestern Ohio, there were those who said it couldn't be done. Five years and 75,000 meals later, people are wondering how she did it. With $15.00 and an unshakable faith, Thompson opened her heart and home to the 200 individuals lined up at her back door on that first day in September, 1987.

With the help of a well-organized crew of volunteers, Thompson's Feed the Hungry Project provides up to 12 carry-out meals the fourth Saturday of each month. She also provides a daily breakfast, serving about 50 people in the dining room of her home each day. Although the organization has acquired a distinguished board of advisers, tax-exempt status and a license from the local health department, Thompson steadfastly refuses any type of help from the government.

Relying completely on donations and volunteers, she has received support from businesses, students, individuals, churches, inmates and civic groups from a tri-state area. More than $100,000 has been raised to purchase land and construct a new building to house a kitchen, dining facility, meeting room and space for recycled clothing to be distributed to the needy twice a week.

Thompson, the soft-spoken great grandmother of seven, has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the J.C. Penny Golden Globe Award, The Butler County YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Year Achievement Award and the Governor's Ohio Humanitarian Award.

Jerry Sue Thornton Jerry Sue Thornton Cuyahoga Education 1999 Get Biography

As president of Cuyahoga Community College, Jerry Sue Thornton is committed to the philosophy that all people have the capacity to learn if given sufficient time, motivation, and instruction. Having served as an educator for over 30 years, she is dedicated to shaping lives through the acquisition of knowledge.

Through her collaborative efforts, Cuyahoga Community College has forged many partnerships with business and industry, the Cleveland Municipal School District, county-wide school districts, and community-based organizations.

Thornton has served on the boards of numerous organizations, which impact the direction of higher education, including the League for Innovation, the American Council on Education and the Association of University Women.

Thornton is a member of numerous corporate boards and also a board member of many non-rofit organizations, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the United Way of Greater Cleveland, and the Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For her commitment to education, Thornton has been awarded honorary degrees from St. Catherine' College, St. Paul, Minnesota; Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio; and Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio.

Suzanne Timken Suzanne P Timken Stark Sports and Athletics 1991 Get Biography


Canton native Suzanne Timken sustained a serious and potentially debilitating back injury when she fell off a horse as a young mother. Always physically active, she exercised her way to recovery. Since then, she has devoted her considerable talent and energy to increasing the public' awareness to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and to developing fun and innovative ways to involve people of all ages and abilities in physical fitness activities.

Ms. Timken was a national leader in the area of physical fitness and served as vice chairman of the President' Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Advisory Board, a board to which she was first appointed in 1983. She was the founder of the Canton Corporate Cup program, a community-wide fitness event now being emulated in cities throughout the United States. In 1984, she was named the Lifetime Honorary Chairman of this model program, which has grown to become one of the largest amateur sports events in the country. In 1985, Ms. Timken became the first woman to receive the Kenneth H. Cooper Prize for Aerobics Leadership, a national award for outstanding contributions to preventative medicine through physical fitness. She also received the Commendation Award by the President' Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the National Master Jogger Award in the Presidential Sports Award Program.

In 1991, Ms. Timken initiated and led a Model Youth Fitness Program in Canton, which served as a model for the national effort led by Arnold Schwarzenegger. She is a popular motivational speaker on a variety of health and fitness issues and founded her own company, Mindset, Inc., to explore the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit and to create opportunities for people to better themselves physically, mentally and spiritually.

Suzanne Timken currently resides in Naples, Florida.

Deanna Tribe Deanna L Tribe Vinton Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1994 Get Biography

Deanna L. Tribe has devoted her life to education, with a special concern for the residents of her native Appalachian Ohio. Beginning her career as a public school teacher, Tribe has spent 18 years teaching adults through The Ohio State University Extension Service. In her current position as District Specialist, she serves 16 counties and implements the Extension Services' educational mission of helping people help themselves through an emphasis on family, economic and physical well-being.

Tribe has donated countless hours of volunteer service to the Vinton Country Chamber of Commerce and the Vinton County Travel and Tourism Committee, both of which she helped found. She has been an eloquent advocate for southeastern Ohio and is considered an expert in Appalachian cultural awareness.

Tribe also volunteers, with her husband, for the local public radio station, co-hosting and co-producing a weekly cultural enrichment program. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for both professional and volunteer achievements.

Marian Trimble Franklin Business and Labor 1984 Get Biography

Marian Trimble is one of the highest ranking female corporate executives in Columbus and Ohio. As president of Nationwide Investment Services, Inc., she is the first woman to head a company in the Nationwide group. In a business center highlighted by "firsts", she has made her mark of excellence in a field dominated by male executives.

Marian began her career with Nationwide as an accountant. In 1974 she was named Vice President-Treasurer of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., the company that serves as the investment manager and distributor for the four Nationwide Investing Foundation mutual funds which are sold by the Nationwide agents. In 1978 she became Vice President and General Manager of Nationwide Financial Services, and in 1981 assumed the office of President. She also serves as Treasurer of the mutual funds. Marian received her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at Wittenberg University.

Trimble was the first woman to be accepted for membership in the Central Ohio Chapter of the Financial Executives Institute. In 1983, she was elected to the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute, the trade organization for the mutual fund industry. She served on the Boards of Directors of the Nationwide Credit Union and the Columbus Metropolitan Club. She is the past president of the Treasurers Club of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. She served on the Centennial Board of the Columbus YWCA and the Seal of Ohio Girl Scouts Council.

Jean Starr Untermeyer Jean Starr Untermeyer Muskingum Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

Jeanette Starr Untermeyer was a celebrated poet and translator. She was ten years old when she began piano lessons, studying music and singing in America and Germany. Her study of German diction helped her to translate Oscar Bie' Life of Schubert, Broch' The Death of Virgil and Re-creations her last book.

Mrs. Untermyer' passion for writing developed more slowly. Her reading of Zangwill' Dreamers of the Ghetto inspired her to write an essay called Dreamers and Doers. Her teacher suspected plagiarism, because it was so well written, but Jean proved that it was original and her writing career was launched.

She married in 1907 and the Untermeyer apartment soon became a mecca for poets including: Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Carl Sandburg, Ezra Pound and many others.

Other books included: Dreams Out of Darkness, The Winged Child, Love and Need, Job' Daughters and Private Collection, a book of reminiscences. She made her debut as a liedersigner in Germany and Europe in 1924. Her book of Poetry Growing Pains was published in 1918.

Harriet Upton Harriet Upton Portage Government and Military Service 1981 Get Biography

Harriet Taylor Upton of Warren fought for women' rights. Upton played a major role in ratification of the 19th Amendment giving the right to vote to women.

Her work for the cause of suffrage was monumental. In 1890, Upton joined the National Women' Suffrage Association (NWSA) and held OHIO WOMEN IN CONVENTION in her home in 1891. Among noted visitors were Susan B. Anthony and the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw. She organized and was elected first president of Suffrage Association of Warren. During 1903 through 1910, Upton brought national headquarters for NWSA to Warren and was treasurer. Along with Rev. Shaw and Elizabeth Hauser (Hall of Fame Member 1996) guided NWSA from a crusading movement to a national organization of growing power. The National Conference of NWSA was held in Warren, Ohio in 1904.

Harriet Taylor Upton had many "firsts". She was the first woman to serve on the Warren Board of Education and in 1918 was the first woman appointed Republican committeewoman from Ohio. In 1920, she became the first woman of any party to become vice chairman of the National Executive Committee, in 1924, she ran for congress unsuccessfully and in 1928 was assistant state campaign manager for the Republican party.

Carolyn Utz Carolyn G Utz Franklin Arts, Music and Journalism 1988 Get Biography

A retired bass player, Carolyn G. Utz, has devoted her many talents to improving the community through volunteer work. Carolyn performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and its fore-runner, The Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra, for 30 years before retiring.

A highly regarded music educator, Utz initiated music programs at North Carolina Central and Kentucky State Universities, as well as Edward Waters College. She was an instrumental music teacher in Columbus Public Schools for 19 years. From 1971-1991, Carolyn conducted the "Top Teen Orchestra," a group of young black musicians.

As an activist for youth issues, including the prevention of domestic violence and teen pregnancy, Utz is a member of the Columbus Women' Roundtable representing the Women' Services Board of Grant Medical Center; a member of the Roundtable' Domestic Violence coalition and local legislative chair of the American Association of University Women.

Utz is a former national first vice president of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. and a former member of the Columbus Women' Music Club where she was principal bass player for the Women' Symphony Orchestra. In 1996, she was inducted in the Senior Musicians Hall of Fame. For her community service, she received the Columbus Mayor' Award for the Arts.

Marigene Valiquette Marigene Valiquette Lucas Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

Marigene Valiquette, served as a representative from Lucas County in the Ohio General Assembly from 1963-1968. She was elected to the State Senate in 1969 both firsts for Democratic women in Ohio. For many years, she served as the sole woman Senator.

Valliquette was a forerunner in her community working on criminal justice system issues. She worked on behalf of prisoners and their families with the Jail Action Improvement League, Citizens Aiding Public Offenders and the Toledo Are Council of Churches. She was equally concerned about adequate funds for families of welfare recipients, decent housing for low income citizens and the elderly.

She positively supported the establishment of half way houses for both the public offender and the mentally retarded not only in the community, but also within her own neighborhood. All this was done at the risk of her own political career and neighborhood acceptance.

Virginia Varga Virginia Varga Montgomery Education 1998 Get Biography

Virginia Varga is an internationally known Montessori educator and expert. In 1962, Varga and her husband founded the Gloria Dei Montessori school in Dayton. Varga later established a Montessori toddler program, the first offered in the United States. Varga's vision for children did not stop in Dayton. She has established or influenced hundreds of Montessori schools and day care centers in cities, town and villages around the world and continues to train hundreds of Montessori teachers on a regular basis.

Varga's dedication to the poor, the hungry, and the homeless has led her to respond to the needs of children in migrant camps and in third-world, war-torn countries that include Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. She has trained teachers from Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Canada and Japan.

Varga continues to successfully pass along a unique method of learning that originated in Dr. Maria Montessori's own school named Casa Dei Bambini (House of Children) in Italy. In 1980, Varga instituted a teacher training program for infant and toddler specialists for the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, and remains its coordinator. In 1988, she created the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education. Varga's passion has shaped generations of children as she has dedicated her life to the education of strong, independent children through the Montessori teaching method.

Varga was inducted into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979. She received the University of Dayton Alumni Special Achievement Award in 1987. In 1993, Varga received the American Montessori Society Living Legacy Award.

Charlene Ventura Charlene Ventura Hamilton Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1989 Get Biography

Charlene Ventura is the President and CEO of the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. In 1977 her leadership led to the establishment and funding of the first shelter for battered women in the Greater Cincinnati area (the YWCA Alice Paul House is the first of seven founded nationally). She founded AMEND, a unique program to counsel male abusers, and has served as a consultant on domestic violence issues to the National Levi Strauss Foundation.

Ventura's publications include, "This Ad Insults Women," "How to Handle Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," and "Women at Work." She also co-produced two PBS documentaries: 'mall Rooms" and "Pink Collar Ghetto."

Ventura directed a $2.1 million fund-raising effort to save Cincinnati's historic YWCA building, converting part of it into housing for the elderly. She recently provided the staff leadership for a $7 million campaign to purchase a new and expanded battered women's shelter and renovate the downtown YWCA Headquarters to include a licensed daycare center for mothers on public assistance. As a result of her initiative, Former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the dedication of this new 'tate of the art" shelter which opened on July 27, 1998.

Ventura serves on the Advisory Committee of the Junior League and the First Step Home. Her awards and honors are numerous and include: selected by Redbook Magazine as one of Ohio's Ten Outstanding Young Women (1978); Charles B. Taft Civic Gumption Award (1991); Progress Award, Business and Professional Women (1996) and Cincinnati Bell Building Bridges Award (1999).

Nancy VetroneBieniek Nancy VetroneBieniek Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1991 Get Biography

For businesswoman Nancy Vetrone Bieniek, the bottom line has always included people as well as profits. In 1975, she founded the Original Copy Centers, the nation's largest quick copy business. It was her concern for individual employees, combined with a strong commitment to give back to the community, that set her apart from other corporate executives.

In addition to making financial contributions to many organizations and individuals, Bieniek has donated one million copies each year to small, nonprofit organizations that otherwise could not afford to produce newsletters and brochures. She has also donated much of her time to counseling women starting their own businesses and encouraging employees to become involved with philanthropic activities.

Her company opened a state-of-the-art corporate complex in 1990 that provides staff with amenities unheard of at most companies including an extensive exercise room, computer lab, and laundry facility. Bieniek and Original Copy Centers have been recognized by Inc. Magazine, Venture Magazine, and the Institute of American Entrepreneurs. Nancy has also been honored as Woman Business Owner of the Year for two years; recognized on Inc. 500 list of fastest growing privately-held companies, for four consecutive years and was named on the list of Top 100 Quick Printers for six consecutive years. She also received the Creative Philanthropy Award.

Bieniek resides in Grosse Point Park, Michigan and is still involved in entrepreneurial ventures.

Janet Voinovich Janet Voinovich Cuyahoga Government and Military Service 1999 Get Biography

As Ohio's First Lady, Janet Voinovich directed her energies toward initiatives focused on the health, education, and well-being of Ohio' women and children.

Voinovich was active in the Ohio Adopt-A-School Program, which promotes student achievement through mentor programs, the Help Me Grow Program for new moms and their babies, and her Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign that stressed the importance of early detection. This year she will chair her ninth annual Ohio Mammography Day where she will present the third annual Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition', "Janet Voinovich Service Award ."

Voinovich is active in the International Neighbors Club, an organization that brings diplomatic and congressional women together for the purpose of promoting goodwill throughout the world.

As First Lady of Ohio, she participated in the Ohio Trade Missions, which established international school partnerships, matching schools in countries worldwide with their counterparts in Ohio to facilitate the exchange of letters and artwork between students. She now accompanies her husband, Senator George V. Voinovich, on congressional delegation trips, including meetings for the U.S.-Canadian Interparliamentary Group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Lillian Wald Lillian D Wald Hamilton Math, Science and Health Services 1994 Get Biography

Born in Cincinnati to immigrant parents, Lillian D. Wald went on to become an internationally recognized leader in the development of public health nursing. In 1893, she founded both the Visiting Nurse Service of New York and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City.

Committed to social reform, she lobbied extensively for legislation to provide better housing, health care, protective labor laws and other measures to combat the social problems associated with turn-of-the-century immigration, urbanization and industrialization.

Wald also was active in the feminist movement, devoting four decades to securing the vote and equal rights for women. She was instrumental in establishing the Federal Children' Bureau to promote the health and welfare of women and children in the United States and worked with the American Red Cross to provide rural nursing services.

She was founder and president of the first agency responsible for establishing standards for nursing education in the United States. She was inducted into the United States Hall of Fame, is the author of several literary works and is the subject of numerous biographies. She died in 1940 in New York City.

Ann Walker Ann B Walker Franklin Government and Military Service 1978 Get Biography

As the first woman broadcaster to report on the Ohio legislature and to be appointed to the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services Advisory Council, Ann B. Walker has positively affected the quality of life in our society.

Ann produced community service programs and documentaries as TV-4' Community Services Director. She hosted the provocative audience participation program "Focus on Columbus," which received the DuPont Award honorable mention, and "Probe: Conference with the Mayor." Walker began her media career as an editorial writer in 1949. She moved to broadcasting in 1962 when she joined radio as talent and Assistant News Director. She joined the staff of TV-4 in 1968. She attended Prairie View State College and George Williams College.

Ann' experience in public relations and community extends over various boards and committees including the Columbus Area Leadership Laboratory and Columbus Consumer Affairs Protection Commission. She served on the boards of College Women in Broadcasting and Women in Communications. She is a member of NAACP, Columbus Licensing Board of Appeals, Chairman OSU Minority Advisory Council, and SERVAS, an international, non-government organization promoting peace.

Selma Lois Walker Franklin Religion and Community Services 1986 Get Biography

As founder and director of the Native American Indian Center of Columbus, Ohio, Selma Lois Walker helped to improve the quality of life for many Native American families in the Central Ohio area.

Selma's career was launched once she responded to a job ad seeking a person with knowledge of Native American Indian customs and language to help with job placement and other needs of Native Americans in the community. She accepted the position in 1975, operating out of her car and living room. Selma immediately started a clothing drive to collect the necessary items most Indian families lacked. Selma assisted families in earning G.E.D. diplomas and driver licenses.

In 1977, Selma and several Indian families dug earthworms and nightcrawlers from the ground and sold them to bait stores. This money was used to rent a duplex on South High Street, which is now known as the Native American Indian Center. The Center serves all Native American Indian families in need with food, clothing, furniture and job placement services.

From 1977-1983, Selma funded the Center with her own revenue and monies she raised. In 1983, The North American Indian Cultural Center of Akron paid operational costs and payroll. In the fall of 1983, the funding ceased. Undaunted, Selma continued to volunteer at the Native American Indian Center, and with the help of United Way, Catholic Social Service, The Salvation Army, and Friends of the Center, Selma was able to keep the Center open. She held fund-raisers every May and September and supervised a staff of 20 volunteers.

Selma received numerous awards for her services to the Columbus community including the Columbus Dispatch Community Service Award and the City of Columbus Department of Human Services Clifford Tyree Award.



Julia Walsh Julia Walsh Summit Business and Labor 1986 Get Biography

Julia Curry Montgomery Walsh of Akron is a woman of many "firsts," including first woman Governor of the American Stock Exchange, first woman Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, first woman President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, first female graduate of the Advance Management Program of the Harvard Business School and the first female business graduate from the Kent State University College of Business. She was an early business and finance pioneer promoting that the most important freedom for women is economic freedom.

Walsh became the first woman to gain entry into the American Stock Exchange in 1965. She is one of only three women in the United States to head her own investment firm, turning a small nest egg into a fortune of several million dollars.

Walsh was chairman of the J. M. Walsh and Sons, a subsidiary of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, a very successful brokerage firm in Washington, D.C. which merged into Tucker Anthony. She served as a trustee of the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and as a panelist on the television program, Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser.

Appointed by President George H. Bush , she served on the board of the Czech-Slovak American Enterprise Fund.

In addition to her accomplishments in the financial world, Walsh is a role-model and mother to twelve children and step-children and a grandmother to fifteen.

Her memoir, Risks and Rewards, was published in 1996.

Stella Walsh Stella Walsh Cuyahoga Sports and Athletics 1978 Get Biography

Stanislawa Walasiewicz, who was born in Poland in 1911, moved with her family to Cleveland in 1912, where she became Stella Walsh, one of the greatest Olympians and all-around women athletes of all time.

She began winning track and field medals and ribbons as a child on Cleveland' Southeast Side and competed as a student at South High School. She went on to represent Poland in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won a gold medal in the 100-meter dash, setting a world record of 11.9 seconds. She also represented Poland in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where she won a silver medal in the same event.

Walsh' career spanned more than thirty years. She won a record 41 national AAU championships and held over 65 world and national titles. Before hanging up her spikes, she won over 5,000 trophies, awards, medals, and citations on four continents.

She is enshrined in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Greater Cleveland Hall of Fame. In 1980, on a visit to her native Poland, she was presented with the Silver Cross of Merit of Poland, one of the highest medals bestowed by the Polish government for special achievement.

Farah Walters Farah M Walters Cuyahoga Business and Labor 2001 Get Biography

Farah M. Walters came to America from Iran in 1964 barely speaking English, to become the first woman in America to head an independent academic medical center. Walters has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Health System and University Hospitals of Cleveland since 1992.

Since assuming leadership of the two organizations in 1992, Farah has successfully directed the development of a broad based health care delivery system that includes some dozen hospitals, numerous ambulatory centers and outpatient services, the region' largest network of primary care physicians, home care and behavior health services. Ms. Walters" commitment to University Hospitals of Cleveland, with Case Western Reserve University, has created the largest center for biomedical research in Ohio.

Active in community and civic affairs, Farah was appointed by Governor George V. Voinovich to serve on the 15-member Commission to Study the Ohio Economy and Tax Structure. She was inducted into the 2000 Business Hall of Fame by Inside Business Magazine and is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Florence Wang Florence Wang Mahoning Religion and Community Services 2007 Get Biography

Florence Wang's community involvement spans thirty years of service in the Youngstown area. Her dedication to the arts, education and community needs is reflected in Ms. Wang's years of work and participation on executive boards of numerous civic and cultural organizations. Her leadership roles in the Mahoning Valley are numerous and include: President of the American Red Cross, Leadership Mahoning Valley, Mahoning County Medial Society Alliance, YWCA, and Friends of the Ballet. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Butler Institute of American Art, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, and the International Institute Foundation.

Ms. Wang is proud to be an American, but she has not forgotten her Chinese heritage. She has actively in promoted international cultural humanitarian exchanges in the arts, education, and business through the mission of the American and International Red Cross.

As one of the founders of the Chinese Association of the Greater Youngstown Area, Ms. Wang has dedicated herself to promoting cross-cultural understanding between American and Chinese cultures. She was the principal of the Youngstown Chinese School and has been the organizer and Master of Ceremony for the regional annual Chinese New Year celebration for several years. She has worked tirelessly to bring Taiwanese students to Youngstown State University, and due to her efforts, YSU and Longhua University in Taiwan began an unprecedented sister university relationship and exchange program. At the invitation of the Chinese Red Cross National Society, Ms. Wang has given seminars and workshops in Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao since 2000.

She is a Chinese gourmet chef and has demonstrated her gourmet cooking skills by appearing on television, offering classes and lecturing throughout the area.

Ms. Wang has given generously of her time and efforts to the Northeastern Ohio College of Medicine, was actively involved in the Campaign for Medical Research, and organized a medical coalition in Youngstown that provided free screening for elderly people.

Florence Wang is an outstanding example of community leadership, involvement and dedication that has enriched the community through her years of service in Youngstown, Mahoning Valley and communities in Taiwan and China.

Anita Smith Ward Anita Smith Ward Franklin Education 1988 Get Biography

A quiet trailblazer for women in the field of education, Anita Smith Ward was the first woman to be elected Chair of a state university Board of Trustees in Ohio. Her appointment and re-appointment to the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees resulted in fifteen years of active involvement in all aspects of campus life and administration.

Anita began her participation in educational activities with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), where she served as president of the Columbus branch and the Ohio division. She was appointed to the national board of directors of the AAUW and was elected as secretary. She chaired the By-Laws Committee and a member of the Education Foundation Committee which provides scholarships for women in higher education.

During her tenure at Bowling Green State University, she served or chaired several Trustee committees, including Finance and the Inter-University Council. She chaired the trustee' search committee for a new University President. Anita provided the quiet, diplomatic leadership that began to open the Board of Trustee' decision-making to include the concerns and needs of the students.

Ward provided leadership to The Ohio State University Council, a group that produced a non-credit course program for women, Continuing Education of Women Committee, created a position that provided counseling for adult women and a headquarters for the non-traditional adult as she returned to school for either credit or non-credit work. Anita served on the Alumni Board of Directors and the OSU Advisory Council, as the representative to the College of Humanities. She served on Friends of OSU, a support group for the WOSU stations.

Anita was appointed to the Ohio Board of Regents as a member and vice chairman. She served on the Governor' Commission on the Status of Women and as chair of the previous Women' Committee of Ohio for Public Welfare, Health and Education. Anita received OSU' Alumni Centennial Award and the OSU Alumni Achievement Award for "distinguished service to humanity." She was named "Woman of the Year" by the Columbus Branch of AAUW.

Georgeta Blebea Washington Georgeta Blebea Washington Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2001 Get Biography

Georgeta B. Washington is President of the Union and League of Romanian Societies of America, the largest and oldest fraternal organization of American-Romanians. The first woman president, she has reinvigorated activities the United States and Romania. Under her leadership, membership has grown dramatically. She streamlined the activities of the central headquarters and decreased costs while increasing services.

In Ohio, she successfully campaigned for the establishment of December 1 as Romanian National Day recognizing Romania' overthrow of the communist dictatorship and re-establishment of democracy on December 1, 1989. Under her leadership, Romania' case for entry into NATO and the European Union has been actively supported. She has been nominated as a candidate to become the U. S. Ambassador to Romania and participated in U.S. trade delegations to Romania.

At a national level, Georgeta has been the editor of the monthly "America" newspaper, the oldest continuously published Romanian newspaper outside of Romania. Washington has authored two books chronicling the activities of Romanians in the United States and has been inducted into the Romanian Cultural Foundation Hall of Fame in Bucharest.

Glenna Watson Glenna L. Watson Franklin Government and Military Service 2009 Get Biography

Glenna Watson's professional career has been characterized by achievement, innovation and service to others. Watson has served as Chief of Personnel for the Ohio Department of Development and Personnel Director for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Watson spent 22 years at the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the regional public transit system serving Columbus and central Ohio. In 1994, she was appointed as General Manager and Chief Executive Officer. She was the first African American female to lead the Authority and one of the first African American women to manage a transit property.

The organizations that have benefitted from Watson's involvement and counsel include Medical Mutual Insurance of Ohio Board of Directors; Women's Service Board of Grant Medical Center; Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Board of Trustees; Columbus Urban League; Capital University Alumni Board; YWCA Board of Directors, Capital Campaign Committee and Endowment Committee; Mount Carmel College of Nursing and many others.

Watson was named "Outstanding Black Professional Woman" by the Oho House of Representatives; "Ms. Executive of the Week" by the Columbus Citizen-Journal, and was featured in Ebony Magazine's "Outstanding Recognition of Women in Non-Traditional Roles." In 1990, Watson received the "YWCA's Women of Achievement Award in Business and Industry" and in 1997, the "Ohio Transit Manager of the Year" award from the Ohio Public Transit Association who established the Glenna L. Watson Award in her honor, which is presented annually to an outstanding woman in the field of transportation.

Watson graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Capital University in Columbus. She received a Management of Human Resources certification from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In 1995, Watson received an Honorary Doctorate of the Humanities from Capital University.

Faye Wattleton Faye Wattleton Montgomery Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1986 Get Biography

Faye Wattleton is an articulate educator, administrator and leader in the field of women's health and reproductive rights serving for more than two decades. She has served as President of the Center for Gender Equality, a not-for-profit research and policy development institute, created in 1995 to advance women's equality and full participation in society.

From 1978 - 1992, Ms. Wattleton served as president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's oldest and largest voluntary reproductive health organization. She was the first woman; first African-American and youngest person to serve in that capacity. During her tenure there, she restructured the national office, tripled the operating budget, developed a national advocacy program and developed Planned Parenthood's international program.

Ms. Wattleton was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994. She has been featured in a variety of national publications and voted amongst "America's 100 Most Fascinating African-American Women of the 20th Century" by Ebony Magazine. She was named Humanist of the Year in 1986.

Ms. Wattleton presently serves on the boards of directors of the Est?? Lauder Companies, Quidel Corporation, Bio-Technology General Corporation, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Eisenhower Fellowships, the Institute for International Education, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the United Nations Association of the United States of America.

Doris Weber Doris M Weber Cuyahoga Arts, Music and Journalism 1980 Get Biography

Doris M. Weber, a nationally acclaimed artist and industrial photographer, spent her career as an art teacher in the Cleveland area. She graduated from the Cleveland School of Art in 1922. Between 1922 and 1936, she was the head of the art department at Audubon Junior High School. In 1937, she assumed a similar position at Rawlings Junior High School where she remained until retiring in 1960.

Although Weber logged 37 years in education, she is best known for her industrial photography, some of which now hangs in the National Museum of History and Technology in Washington, D.C. Taken in the 1950s, they are black and white photographs of the Flats along the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland with its smoke, railroad tracks and steel mills.

Her watercolors, sculptures, batik and photographs appeared often in the Cleveland Museum of Art May Show. Weber was a member of the Cleveland Photographic Society, the Photographic Society of America and the Western Reserve Pictorialists. The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain honored her in 1952 with the Stuyvrsant Peabody Award.

In 1977, Weber was awarded an honorary membership in Delta Kappa Gamma, an international society of great educators for her teaching and lectures on famous photographers.

Clara Weisenborn Clara E Weisenborn Montgomery Government and Military Service 1979 Get Biography

Clara Weisenborn served for twenty-two years as a member of the Ohio Legislature. Fourteen years were spent in the House and eight in the Senate. Within these years, she was able to accomplish many firsts for women in Ohio. She was the first to Chair the Senate Education and Health committee, the first women on the Legislative Service Commission.

It was through her concerns for others that influenced her introduction of major legislation which dealt with Drug Control. This led to Ohio being the first state to outlaw the use of amphetamines and she sponsored a bill for state wide measles inoculation within Ohio. She also sponsored bills to make wearing of eye safety shields mandatory in shops and chemical laboratories, licensing for fitting hearing aids for Ohio' citizens and the first major stip mining bill. She sponsored legislation to license Practical Nurses, voter education, equal pay for women and legislation to preserve Dayton, Ohio historical landmarks.

After her career with the government, Weisenborn launched her journalism career with the Journal Herald. She also contributed her time and talents to the Board of Directors for the Children' Medical Center, serving as a 4-H leader, serving on the Board of Directors for the Campfire Girls and the Girl Scouts and taught Sunday School for 53 years.

Marion Wells Marion S Wells Licking Math, Science and Health Services 1978 Get Biography

Marion Swern Wells lived in Licking County her entire life. She taught in the Newark Public Schools and organized one of the first classes for physically handicapped children in Ohio at Roosevelt School. She also organized the first class for sight-impaired children in Newark, which she directed.

She traveled to every county in Ohio as secretary of pubic relations for the Ohio Society for Crippled Children, Inc., organizing county societies, speaking to Service Clubs, PTA;s and groups interested in children' welfare and promoting better treatment and education for all handicapped citizens. In the Ohio Legislature, she lobbied for improved medical and educational services for handicapped children and adults and secured the support of fraternal and service organizations in providing facilities.

For 26 years she devoted her pioneering efforts to inspiring greater concern for the plight of the mentally ill and retarded, as Executive Director of the Ohio Mental Health Association, Inc. For her work as a lobbyist on behalf of the mentally ill and retarded, the Ohio Legislature and the Governor passed resolutions and proclamations in recognition of her achievement.

Mrs. Wells served as Executive Secretary of the Ohio Symposium on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, a first in the nation, which resulted in a state-supported program. Mrs. Wells has served as a delegate to White House Conferences on Children and Youth and also on Aging. In 1976, Gov. James A. Rhodes appointed Mrs. Wells to the Ohio Committee on Handicapped Individuals and as a delegate to the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals.

Michele Wheatly Michele G. Wheatly Greene Education 2008 Get Biography

The Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Wright State University, Michele Wheatly is continuously opening the door for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields.

She has developed many programs to maintain the future recruitment and success of women in the STEM academy including building the LEADER (Launching Equity Across the Dayton Entrepreneurial Region) consortium and founding the Women in Science Giving Circle at Wright State University. She earned her BS from Birmingham University (U.K.), where she also received her Ph.D., and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Calgary.

Michele has been awarded the Society for Experimental Biology Presidential Medal (1988) and was a Dayton's Ten Top Women recipient in 2007. At Wright State University she has received the Women's Advancement Award in Leadership (1997), Outstanding Faculty Member Award (2000), Quest for Community Award (2004), and was nominated for the Ohio Academic Leadership Academy (2006-07). She has been profiled in Dayton Business Weekly and selected to be profiled in the Leadership Dayton project by the Dayton Development Coalition.

Michele was born in London, England, and moved to Ohio in 1994. She has been using her expertise to further the involvement of women in science and mathematics in Ohio ever since.

Marjorie Whiteman Marjorie M Whiteman Henry Law 1979 Get Biography

Marjorie Whiteman attended a country school in Liberty Township and went on to receive a BA degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1920. She taught history at Napoleon High School from 1920 through 1926. She then went to Washington D.C.

When Eleanor Roosevelt was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations General Assembly (1945 - 1951), Marjorie Whiteman was her legal advisor. She was also a part of the U.S. Delegation to the Pan-American Conference in Bogota Colombia, when the Organization of American States was formed.

She was Assistant Legal Adviser and Counselor on International Law to ten Secretaries of State for more than forty years. She also served as a Vice President of the American Society of International Law.

Whiteman is the distinguished author of a monumental fifteen-volume Digest of International Law. New areas is this volume were laws of outer space, disarmament, Antarctica and the Continental Shelf, aviation and international organizations. This scholarly work, known as the Whiteman Digest, was done under two presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.

Grayce Williams Grayce E Williams Franklin Religion and Community Services 1990 Get Biography

A member of the Columbus YWCA for over fifty years, Grayce E. Williams was the first Black woman to serve as President. Her volunteer work opened doors for improving the lives of women and their children, especially women of color and low-income individuals. She was a powerful role model and mentor to many who believe that equality is a principle that can be a reality.

Grayce' commitment to empowering women and girls started when she joined the YWCA in 1943, long before there was a feminist or equal opportunity movement. She served as a member of the YWCA Board of Directors and was elected Board President in 1973. Her leadership was nationally recognized when she was appointed to the National YWCA Convention Planning Committee and the National YWCA Nominating Committee.

Grayce has been a visible statewide YWCA leader through her involvement in the Council of Ohio YWCAs. As Vice President and President of the Council, she worked in Ohio to encourage the YWCAs organizational services to implement its national mission for empowerment of women. She was Chairperson of the State Teen Affairs Program that reaches out as a mentoring organization to young women from inner city and disadvantaged environments. She represented the Council of Ohio YWCAs when 30 women attended a briefing at the White House on issues of concern to women. She was honored as a YWCA Woman of Achievement for her volunteer efforts.

In 1972, Williams became a volunteer with A Better Chance, a program that sent gifted urban students to boarding schools around the country. In 1976, she helped found the ACTION OHIO-Coalition for Battered Women, a statewide resource for victims of domestic abuse.

Grayce' volunteer work included the Metropolitan Columbus Schools Committee, the Columbus Public Schools Superintendent' Advisory Committee, the Columbus Public Schools Information Center FACTline and the Columbus Public Schools Communication Center. She worked with Church Women United, Franklin County Extension Services 4-H Program, Ohio Women Inc. and League Against Child Abuse.

Bernett Williams Bernett L. Williams Summit Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

Bernett L. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Akron Community Service Center and Urban League is a native of Toledo, Ohio. She graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Communications. She is currently pursuing an MPA from the University of Akron.

She joined the American Red Cross in 1990 with her final position as Assistant Director of Blood Services for the Northern Ohio Region.

A graduate of Leadership Akron Class XV, Williams serves as an advisory board member for the Minority Business Accelerator and is a Life Member of the NAACP. She is a board member of SUMMA CARE Insurance, a member of the First Merit Bank Advisory Board, an Executive Committee member of the Summit County Social Services Advisory Committee, VP of the National Urban League Association of Executives (Central Region), and Board Member for Summa Health System and JumpStart.

Williams has served as a past board member for Big Brothers & Big Sisters Inc., Summit County Workforce Investment Act, Ohio Community Computer Center Network, Summit County Port Authority, Irma Jones Pre-School, Leadership Akron Alumni Board, and First Tee Akron.

Achievements include Crain's Cleveland Business Magazine 40 under 40 Club, Kaleidoscope Magazine 40/40 recipient; YWCA Women of Achievement Award recipient; 2001 Kent State University Community Service Award recipient; The Ohio Black Women's Leadership Caucus Incredible Women Making a Difference Award; the 2002 Harold K. Stubs Humanitarian Award Recipient; and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials' Outstanding Community Service Award. Williams also received the Rainmaker Award from Northern Ohio Live magazine and the National Urban League's Whitney M. Young Jr. Leadership Award for Advancing Racial Equality.

Yvonne Williams Yvonne C Williams Wayne Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 2003 Get Biography

Yvonne Williams is a leading authority in Black Studies. She designed and founded the Black Studies Program at The College of Wooster, chaired the Program for 22 years, served on elected faculty committees and was appointed Academic Dean of the Faculty from 1989-1993.

As Dean, she mentored a new generation of faculty and guided colleagues in designing curricular programs to promote student access to higher education.

Dr. William's expertise as a designer of interdisciplinary curricula has brought her national recognition. She has been a long-time consultant/evaluator for the Commission on Higher Education.

Following retirement from The College of Wooster, DePauw University recruited her as the inaugural recipient of The Hampton and Esther Boswell Distinguished University Professorship to develop its Black Studies curriculum. She organizes the annual Boswell Symposium, bringing national scholars and leaders to DePauw's campus.

A community activist, Williams has served on numerous boards and received many honors including the Black Achievement Award (Black Opinion Magazine, 1989).

Celia Williamson Celia Williamson Lucas Religion and Community Services 2009 Get Biography

Dr. Williamson received her BA in Social Work from the University of Toledo, her Masters in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University and her Ph.D. from Indiana University. After learning about the abuses suffered by those who were victims of human trafficking, Dr. Williamson devoted the next 15 years toward learning, researching, and developing responses to appropriately address it.

Dr. Williamson has published over 14 research articles on the subject of prostitution and human trafficking in Toledo. Dr. Williamson founded the Second Chance program in Lucas County in 1993, which works with prostituted and trafficked girls and women. She now Chairs the Second Chance Advisory Board and continues to write grants to help fund the program.

As an activist and community organizer, Dr. Williamson developed both the Lucas County Prostitution Roundtable in 2006 and the 2009 Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition. She was an active force in securing an FBI task force in Lucas County to address the issue of rescuing children from the sex trade in Toledo.

Dr. Williamson organized and co-chaired five National and International Conferences on Prostitution, Sex Work and Human Trafficking with proceeds benefiting the Second Chance program. She currently participates on the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Study Commission.

Dr. Williamson has appeared in several news articles and broadcast news segments speaking on the topic of human trafficking including an hour special on ABC Primetime. She has worked with the FBI and been invited to a national roundtable hosted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She has also given testimony to the U.S. Review on Commercially Exploited Children in America in preparation for the Third World Congress.

Nancy Wilson Nancy Wilson Ross Arts, Music and Journalism 1981 Get Biography

A native of Ross County, Nancy Wilson is a well-known signer and entertainer. At fifteen, she won a talent show in Columbus. The prize was her own twice-a-week television show, Skyline Melodies. A member of Rusty Bryant's band at the Carolyn Club, she also sat in with any band that would let her at other local clubs. One night, Cannonball Adderley, was so impressed, he told her to look him up if she ever came to New York. She did just that. In 1959, Wilson went to New York where she met her long-time manager, John Levy, who got her signed to Capitol Records.

Wilson is best known for such hit songs as Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Son of a Preacher Man and Hurts So Bad. She has also appeared on several television shows including The Flip Wilson show, The Bob Hope Show, Police Story and The Carol Burnett Show, eventually leading to her own network series, The Nancy Wilson Show, for which she won an Emmy for the 1967-1968 season. Over the years, either as herself or in the occasional acting role she has appeared on TV series like I Spy, Room 222, The Cosby Show and lately, Moesha and The Parkers.

When the NPR radio network was looking for an articulate voice with both name value and jazz credibility to host their series, Jazz Profiles, Nancy was the obvious choice. Not only does she know the music, but she knows the artists personally.




Freda Winning Sandusky Government and Military Service 1983 Get Biography

As an educator, Marine officer, government official and international diplomat, Freda Gerwin Winning, Ph.D., worked tirelessly to improve the status of women, both in the United States and abroad. Her thesis focused on the historical changes in women's occupations.

During the 1920's and 1930's, Winning taught home economics. After establishing the Home Ec Department at New York University, she spent fourteen years as head of the department.

In 1943, Winning enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserves. After Officers Candidate School, she served three years active duty as a commissioned officer working in administration, recruiting, public relations and as an executive officer. She retired with the rank of major in 1946. She worked with home economics groups and teacher's institutes in Germany after joining her husband, an international relations officer. She lectured extensively on American home life and education receiving citations from the Mayor of Mainz and the U.S. commending general.

In 1968 Winning visited Soviet Russia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia as part of a U.S. women's delegation to promote better understanding among women internationally. She became a charter member of the Women's Equity Action League. Throughout the 1970s, she helped organize the Cleveland Coalition for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She also helped organize the Greater Cleveland celebration of International Women's Year which spawned the WomenSpace coalition of organizations and individuals committed to helping women.

Freda Gerwin Winning died in her home in Lakewood in 1978.

Mary Ellen Withrow Mary Ellen Withrow Marion Government and Military Service 1986 Get Biography

Mary Ellen Withrow began her public career in 1969 as the first woman elected to the Elgin Local School Board in Marion County. She served consecutive terms as Marion County Treasurer in 1976 and 1980. Withrow went on become 42nd Treasurer of the State of Ohio in 1982 and was re-elected in 1986 and 1990. From 1994 through 2001, she was the U. S. Treasurer. She was the first person in the nation's history to hold the position of Treasurer at each level of government - local, state and national.

In 1991, she was elected president of the National Association of State Treasurers, having already been president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers and a member of the Anthony Commission on Public Finance.

Treasurer Withrow's community involvement has not been limited to the political arena. She has served on the United Way Board and on the Marion Area Community Improvement Corporation Board. She is a member of the Business and Professional Women in Ohio, the National Women's Political Caucus, the National Association of Accountants and Women Executives in State Government.

Withrow is currently serving on the Roberts Wood Johnson (RWJ) National Advisory Committee for The Executive Nurse Fellows Board, National Council on Fireworks Safety Board, Treasury Historical Association Board, I-Safe America Board, Hopewell Ventures Advisory Board and the International Global Newmismatics Limited Board. In August 1990, City & State newspaper named her the nation's most valuable State Public Official.

Withrow joined Capital Enterprise Consulting, Inc. a Columbus-based government relations and marketing firm that specializes in the financial industry, after serving as U.S. Treasurer.

Joyce Wollenberg Perry Business and Labor 1984 Get Biography

Joyce Wollenberg has dedicated her life to the cause of equal rights and dignity for workers. As a member of the United Auto Workers (UAW), she pioneered the development of leadership roles for women in the organized labor movement, serving as of Chair of the Southeastern Ohio Community Action Program Council.

Wollenberg has served on the Private Industry Council in Perry County and was named chair of the New Lexington Human Resource Board, which provides employment and financial aid to citizens in need.

She has received the Professional Women's Award of Perry County, Women of the Year, Southeastern Ohio Woman of the Year, Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year and Keeping the Flame award from the Secretary of State.

Wollenberg has stayed involved with Labor Management issues trying to create a better climate for industry to settle in Perry County.

Margaret Wong Margaret W Wong Cuyahoga Law 2000 Get Biography

In the late 1960s, Margaret W. Wong fled China and came to the United States on a student visa. She had little money and very big dreams. She worked as a waitress while attending college and law school. Over the last twenty years, she has built Margaret W. Wong & Associates Co., L.P.A, a law firm that is nationally and internationally renowned for its expertise in Immigration and Nationality law.

In light of a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Wong became one of the first non-U.S. citizens to practice law in New York and Ohio. Since 1991 she has been named among the "Best Lawyers in America", and she has received the top AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the leading attorney rating organization.

Committed to giving something back to the community and to mentoring young professionals, Wong has volunteered her time and expertise on boards of diverse organizations including educational institutions, legal associations, civic organizations, businesses, medical institutions and philanthropic groups.

Throughout her legal career, she has received many awards including: the Margaret Ireland Award, Women' City Club; Creative Philanthropy Award, Women' Community Foundation; Volunteer of the Year Award, Leadership Cleveland Alumni; and the Belle Sherwin Democracy in Action Award, League of Women Voters.

Jacqueline Woods Jacqueline F Woods Cuyahoga Business and Labor 1998 Get Biography

Jacqueline F. Woods retired as president of Ameritech Ohio, an SBC Company.

A native of Ohio and a graduate of Muskingum College, Woods joined the former Ohio Bell in 1970 and has held several positions in the customer service, public relations, public affairs and marketing departments.

In 1984, she helped form Ohio Bell Communications, the company's telecommunication equipment marketing subsidiary, and later was named its president.

After working in Chicago as vice president of finance and administration and later vice president of business marketing at the Ameritech Services unit, she was named president of Ameritech Ohio in 1993,just in time to oversee the transformation of the company from Ohio Bell to Ameritech. Ameritech became a subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc. following their merger in October 1999.

Woods is active on several corporate, cultural and civic boards across Ohio. She is a member of the board of the Cleveland Foundation, Anderson's Inc, The Timken Company, OfficeMax and the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross. She serves as the chair of the board of trustees of Ohio Business Roundtable and is a trustee of the Playhouse Square Foundation and the Musical Arts Association. She is also a trustee of Muskingum College, and in 2002, she was appointed by the Franklin County Commissioner as a trustee of the Columbus Metro Library.

Wood's interest in education has caused her to become involved in several college boards and educational organizations. She is a member of the Visiting Committee of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and also serves on the Ohio State University Foundation.

Former Governor George Voinovich inducted Woods into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in October, 1998. She has also received the 1997 League of Women Voters Belle Sherwin Award and in June, 1997 received a Doctor of Business Administration Honorary Degree from Cleveland State University. She received the 1996 National Conference Humanitarian Award and has also participated in the Ohio University Corporate Leadership Program. She is the recipient of the 1995 YWCA Career Women of Achievement Award and the John W. Hill Memorial Award presented by the Public Relations Society of America, and she was inducted into the Shaker Heights High School Hall of Fame, her alma mater.

She lives in New Albany, Ohio with her husband Jack and two daughters Nicole and Stephanie.


Mary E Young Franklin Religion and Community Services 1983 Get Biography

As Ohio's leader in the struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment, Mary E. Miller Young worked continuously and effectively for the rights of all human beings.

Young was one of the founders of the Ohio Commission on the Status of Women in 1970. She served as President and assembled a Congress of State organization for the ratification of the ERA. She organized a rally of Ohio women and distributed the Ohio Coalition of Ratification of the ERA Action Manual. She helped found the Ohio Coalition for Implementation of the ERA to assist in revisions, repeal, or additions to Ohio laws to comply with the ERA.

Young directed Women's Ohio Volunteer Employment Network (WOVEN), a research project developed to increase the number of women in policy-making positions in state government and to translate the volunteer skills of women into job qualifications. It was a first of its kind in the United States and developed a network of 1,300 women. Young directed the research and publication of a Directory of Boards, Commissions and Advisory Bodies of the State of Ohio.

As Director of Public Affairs for the YWCA, Young was responsible for the formation of several organizations which have statewide impact including the Hunger Task Force. Young founded and served as President of the Ohio Women, Inc., an organization to "encourage, affirm, support and safeguard the women of Ohio as they move to achieve their full potential in every aspect of their lives."

Young has provided service on the YWCA Board of Directors, the Center for New Directions, the League Against Child Abuse, Volunteers of America and the March of Dimes. She is a member of the United Way Single Year Allocation Committee and the League of Women Voters.

Betty Zane Betty Zane Belmont Government and Military Service 2000 Get Biography

Although Betty Zane's girlhood act of bravery occurred in what is now West Virginia, it had a significant impact on the Ohio Valley and a young United States as a whole. Her story epitomizes the hardships that pioneer women suffered, and often took for granted. She selflessly volunteered for a dangerous mission for the sake of others. Here' how it happened:

After attending school in Philadelphia, Betty Zane moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, where her brothers lived. Wheeling was the largest settlement between Fort Pitt and Kentucky. During the Revolutionary War, the settlers were organized as part of the Virginia Militia under Colonel Ebenezer Zane.

On a September afternoon in 1782, a force estimated at 40 British rangers and 260 Indians was sighted on its way to Wheeling. The alarm was given just in time for Colonel Zane to send a messenger requesting help and to barricade himself and a few others in his blockhouse. Meanwhile, the nearest settlers, including Betty Zane, made for the fort, under the command of another brother, Silas Zane.

This battle, considered the last battle of the American Revolution, was no mere raid. Firing continued through the night and attacks were launched the next morning. The settlers were not prepared for a long siege, and the powder ran low. When Silas Zane called for a volunteer to dash to his brother' blockhouse Betty stepped forward. She argued that she could be better spared than a man who could handle a gun, so Silas consented. Betty slipped through the gate and ran. Although the Indians saw her, they opted not to waste powder on a woman. Once in Ebenezer' house, a keg of powder was emptied into a tablecloth and the corners were tied around her waist. Cradling the weight in her arms, she raced for the fort.

Now the Indians realized her errand and began to fire. They missed. She was pulled through the gate with her gunpowder. Eventually, the Indians and the British retreated.

Author Zane Grey, great grandson of Ebenezer Zane and native of Zanesville, Ohio, chronicled her brave deed in his book Betty Zane. In 1928 a statue memorializing Betty Zane was erected at the entrance to Walnut Grove Cemetery. She was featured in a 1975 National Geographic in "Women of the Revolution: Patriots in Petticoats."

Stella Marie Zannoni Stella Marie Zannoni Cuyahoga Womens' Suffrage and Cultural Activism 1991 Get Biography

As a teacher of English, German, French and Italian, Stella Marie Scarano Zannoni has supported cultural exchange and committed herself to public service at many levels.

Throughout her life, leaders of civic, religious, and community groups have called upon her to initiate drives for those in need. After World War II, Stella helped thousands of Italians resettle in the United States by helping them locate homes, furniture and clothing.

In addition to volunteer work, Zannoni has served as a member on a multitude of civic and community organizations that reflect her dedication to cultural exchange, including the Italian American Heritage Center at the Catholic University of America, the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee at Cuyahoga Community College, the National Organization of Italian American Women, the Nationalities Services Center and the Order Sons of Italy. Former Governor Celeste appointed Stella as co-chair of the Ohio commission commemorating the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to North America.

Zannoni has received numerous international, national, state, local and educational and religious commendations, including: Honorary Consul of Italy for the State of Ohio; appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the Sixth Circuit Judicial Selection Committee; Ambassador of Goodwill Award, Italian Americans of Youngstown; Margaret A. Ireland Award, Women's City Club of Cleveland; Italian, French, and German Medals given for outstanding work in all three languages; and Dame Commandress of the Holy Sepulchre, Pope John Paul II.

Helen Zelkowitz Helen E Zelkowitz Knox Arts, Music and Journalism 1982 Get Biography

A broadcaster nearly fifty years, Helen E. Zelkowitz participated in the founding of radio station WMVO-FM and WMVO-AM. Over the years, she served WMVO as Community Director,
Sales Manager, General Manager and President. She also was Chairman of the Board of the Mount Vernon Broadcasting Company and Mount Vernon Cablevision, Inc.

Zelkowitz has been active in her community. She was a Trustee-at-Large with the Ohio Mental Health Federation and served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National American Women in Radio and Television Educational Foundation. She was a charter trustee of the Bert W. Martin Memorial Hospital in Mount Vernon, was the first woman to serve as Chairman of the United Way of Knox County and a Past President of the Soroptomist Club.

Zelkowitz has accepted numerous awards on behalf of WMVO-AM and WMVO-FM, many of these awards were in recognition of her personal service on behalf of Mount Vernon Broadcasting to these organizations. She was chosen Woman of the Year by the Mount Vernon Area Chamber of Commerce and named "Foremost Woman in Communication"in 1970.

Known for her "Over the Coffee Cup" morning show which began in 1952, Helen aired 11,440 programs before retiring in 1996.

Nancy Lusk Zimpher Nancy Lusk Zimpher Franklin Education 1998 Get Biography

Nancy L. Zimpher, Ph.D. was appointed chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in August 1998. Her university career began in 1991 at The Ohio State University. She quickly moved into more prominent positions. She was associate dean for Academic Affairs, College of Education; professor, School of Educational Policy and Leadership; acting dean, College of Education; dean, College of Education; and executive dean of the Professional Colleges.

Zimpher was the first woman to serve as dean of the College of Education. When Zimpher was named executive dean of the Professional Colleges in 1994, a position created to enhance communication on a large and complex university campus, it placed her as the highest ranking female academic in The Ohio State University system.

Zimpher has co-authored and co-edited books on teaching education (including K. Howey and N. Zimpher, Profiles of Preservice Teacher Education: Inquiry into the Nature of Programs, SUNY Press, 1989). She has received the Distinguished Research Award, from the Association of Teachers.

Special achievements include: President of the Homes Partnership (a national consortium reform, to educational practice); chair of the Holmes Partnership Board of Directors; key investigator in the eight-year study Research About Teacher Education (RATE); former board member of Ohio' BEST: Building Excellent Schools for Tomorrow and the 21st Century; Reading Recovery Inc. (an intensive, one-on-one reading program engaging more than 160,000 troubled primary grade readers; and Chair of United Way of Franklin County.

Zimpher has received the YWCA Women of Achievement Award and the OSU Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award.