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Media contacts: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
For Immediate Release: Apr. 13, 2010
Ohio Historical Center To Host "Who Should Stand For Ohio?" Day
Public Can Learn More About State’s 10 Nominees to National Statuary Hall at Free Event
(COLUMBUS, OHIO) - Through June 12, Ohioans of all ages can vote for who they think should stand for Ohio in National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. The Ohio Historical Center in Columbus will be hosting "Who Should Stand For Ohio?" Day, a free informational event Saturday, May 1 to encourage voters to learn more about the 10 nominees for the honor.
"We hope that people will take this opportunity to learn more about the contributions that these great Ohioans made to our nation," said Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of the Ohio Historical Society. "While some of these candidates are well known, others are not as recognizable. We organized this event to increase awareness so voters can make an informed decision."
The nominated individuals include: abolitionist and former member of Congress James Ashley; inventor Thomas Edison; 18th President of the United States and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant; former congressman who led the fight to enact historic civil rights legislation William McCulloch; Olympic athlete Jesse Owens; astronaut Judith Resnik, who was killed while serving on the Challenger mission; Doctor Albert Sabin, who developed the oral polio vaccine; Harriet Beecher Stowe, who authored “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”; suffragist Harriet Taylor Upton, and the Wright Brothers, who are credited with inventing, building and successfully flying the first airplane. From these 10 finalists, the public is being asked to choose the one whom they believe best represents the state.
Advocates for the 10 nominees will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to talk to visitors and provide educational displays and information. Attendees also will be able to vote for the candidate of their choice as the Ohio Historical Center is one of 36 voting locations at historic sites and museums statewide.
In addition, visitors will get free admission to the museum and other activities for the day. The popular exhibits Ohio: Centuries of Change and Nature of Ohio tell about Ohio’s past from the ice age to the space age. At noon and 2 p.m., the Uncommon Ohio tour of the month, “It’s About Time,” will show participants how to tell time using fossils, trees, and rocks. At 1 and 3 p.m., Echoes in Time Theatre will present a story of a housewife surviving the Depression in “Pull Up a Step and Have a Cup o’ Joe: An Afternoon with Mildred.” Cake will be offered to visitors starting at 1:30 p.m. on the Plaza Level.
For more information about "Who Should Stand For Ohio?" Day, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/calendar.
About Who Should Stand for Ohio?
In 1864, a federal law granted each state in the union the opportunity to provide two statues in either marble or bronze to recognize a deceased resident for their “historic renown or for distinguished civic or military service” in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Ohio has long been represented by President James Garfield and former Ohio Governor William Allen, but there has been a movement to replace Allen in light of his views on slavery, which are inconsistent with Ohio’s heritage as a free state.
The National Statuary Collection Study Committee from the Ohio General Assembly has been charged with determining what individual from Ohio’s proud history would best stand for Ohio in Statuary Hall. After numerous hearings and public testimony, the committee narrowed the choice to 10 finalists and is actively seeking the input of all Ohioans through June 12 in order to make a final decision. For more information about the National Statuary Collection Study Committee, nominees and the voting process, visit www.legacyforohio.org.
About the Ohio Historical Center
The Ohio Historical Center is located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus. Its museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays. The center is one of 58 sites and museums administered by the Ohio Historical Society, a nonprofit organization that serves as the state's partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio's history, natural history, archaeology and historic places.
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