STATEHOUSE NEWS

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“The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial” will return to the Ohio Statehouse and will be on view in the Rotunda from Feb. 9 through Feb. 22. The exhibit was first unveiled at the Ohio Statehouse in 2008. The display was created in memory of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from Lima Company, 3^rd Battalion, 25^th Marine Regiment, 4^th Marine Division who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005. The exhibition will be on display fora fortnight in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda and is free and open to the public.

Additions and Changes to the Memorial

The memorial began as a dream of artist Anita Miller of Columbus, Ohio in 2005. With help, her vision became reality when her paintings were unveiled in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse in 2008. Since then, the Lima Company Memorial has been viewed at 130 sites across the nation. To commemorate the 10^th anniversary of Lima Companies deployment to Iraqi in 2005 a special service is planned for the Ohio Statehouse while the memorial is on display.

Although the paintings and the emotional impact have not changed, some new elements have been added. Heavy steel frames have been replaced with aluminum frames. A video accompanying the exhibit highlights the trip the memorial has made the past seven years. An additional painting is on display depicting three support Marines who were also killed in the same 2005 incident: Cpl. David “Bear” Stewart of Bogalusa, Louisiana; LCpl. Kevin Waruinge of Tampa, Florida and Sgt. Bradley Harper of Dresden, Ohio.

Attendants will be on hand daily to interact with visitors. Guests may also interact with the Lima Company Memorial. Cards available with QR codes lead to videos that tell the story of the men depicted in the paintings and comments by the artist.

Guests may add to the memorial, by writing a personal message on the back of a dog tag. Dog tags are available for purchase in the Statehouse Museum Shop on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse, along with other commemorative items. Dog tags may be put into the boots which are part of the Lima Company Memorial. The dog tags will travel with the exhibit and become a part of the memorial.

The display of the Lima Company Memorial will be in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse from Feb. 9 through Feb. 22. It is free and open to the public every day, except for Feb. 16, when the Ohio Statehouse will be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day.

About the Lima Company Memorial

The Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit, once known as “Lucky Lima,” was one of the hardest hit units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, suffering casualties of 22 Marines and their Navy Corpsman. Created by Columbus artist Anita Miller, the memorial contains life-sized paintings of each of the 23 fallen heroes. Names and statistics of each of the fallen men, an ever-living candle, boots and space for visitors to leave mementos will be part of this moving memorial installation.

The Ohio Statehouse Rotunda will serve as a solemn place to honor these American service members from Feb. 9 through Feb. 22.

“The Ohio Statehouse is proud of the service given to the country by Lima Co. and all service men and women of the United States Armed Forces. At the same time, I am humbled to be in the presence of those ‘who gave the last full measure of devotion;’ it is an emotional exhibit; it’s an honor to have it at the Ohio Statehouse.,” said William E. Carleton, executive director of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.

The exhibition at the Ohio Statehouse will offer thousands of individuals the opportunity to learn about the sacrifices that these fallen servicemen have given our state and nation.

The Fallen heroes include:
Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon
Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons
Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood (Navy Corpsman)
Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman
Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II
Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem
Corporal Andre L. Williams
Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser
Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed
Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II
Lance Corporal William B. Wightman
Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.
Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz
Corporal Dustin A. Derga
Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy
Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids
Sergeant David N. Wimberg
Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes
Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer
Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant
Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter
Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez

For more images and more information about the Lima Company Memorial: The Eyes on Freedom exhibit, visit www.limacompanymemorial.org.
To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) was saddened yesterday by news of Ron Keller’s passing. Mr. Keller served as executive director of CSRAB from 1993 until 2005 and had worked on the Ohio Statehouse restoration project since 1990. Mr. Keller, working with longtime CSRAB Chairman Senator Richard Finan, managed the $121 million Ohio Capitol restoration that was completed in 1996.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kathy, the children and the entire Keller family during this difficult time. Working with Ron during the restoration, I learned firsthand of his passion for Ohio history and his love for this magnificent building. Ron believed, as I do that the Ohio Statehouse is here for all Ohioans to visit and enjoy, this truly is the ‘People’s House,’” said William Carleton CSRAB executive director.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Tidd Funeral Home, 5265 Norwich St., in Hilliard, Ohio. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made in Mr. Keller's name to the Capitol Square Foundation Suite 016, Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio 43215-4275.

To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will host the 2014 CFP National Championship Trophy at the Ohio Statehouse Friday, Feb. 6 until Sunday, Feb. 8. This is the perfect way to celebrate the Buckeyes’ historic win and share the victory with all of Ohio.

“This trophy represents an extraordinary football team and an amazing season, and sharing it with Ohioans presents an opportunity to affirm the qualities that exemplify what it means to be a Buckeye,” said Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. “Ohio State has long been defined by excellence, and the dedication of Buckeye Nation is an important part of the university’s success. As we continue to celebrate our football team’s accomplishments, our objective as an educational institution and economic engine for the state remains the same – to be champions, on and off the field.”

“CSRAB would like to thank President Michael V. Drake of The Ohio State University for sharing the Buckeyes monumental achievement with the Ohio Statehouse for all Ohioans to enjoy,” said William Carleton, CSRAB executive director. “This is a win all Ohioans can celebrate.” The exhibit is free and open to the public.

2014 CFP National Championship Trophy exhibit schedule:

• Friday, Feb. 6; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Statehouse Map Room


• Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday, Feb. 8; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Statehouse Rotunda

To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

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The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a special display, free historical performance each Tuesday at noon and special tours of the George Washington Williams Room.

The 2015 Rosa Parks Children’s Art Exhibit, “The Power of One,” is a K-third grade student art exhibit sponsored by COTA. The exhibit is the students’ artistic expression of how they would change things for the better. Rosa Parks is honored because through her act of courage, she helped make America a better place for all people. Students were asked what would you do if you had a chance… To do a brave thing? A courageous thing? A kind thing? If nothing stood in your way, what would you do to change America and make it a better place for all people?

Living history programs will be presented each Tuesday at noon throughout February in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. Visitors will meet first-person interpreters who portray prominent African Americans in U.S. history. Each 45-minute vignette will focus on African-American history as part of Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse. Each performance is rich with history, drama and adventure. The programs are presented by “We’ve Known Rivers,” which is a partnership of dynamic storytellers with a passion for history and education. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information about We’ve Known Rivers, visit www.facebook.com/weveknownrivers. The programs will be streamed live at www.ohiochannel.org.

Scheduled living history performances include:

February 3: Tuskegee Airmen: Courage in the Skies, portrayed by Anthony Gibbs.
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse


February 10: Henry “Box” Brown, presented by Rory Rennick.
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

February 17: Bessie Stringfield, presented by Sandra Quick.
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

February 24: Coretta Scott King, presented by Annette Jefferson.
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

A special soul food menu will be offered in the Capitol Cafe each Tuesday in February. The Capitol Cafe, operated by Milo’s Catering and Banquet Services, will offer a variety of reasonably priced soul food options each Thursday.

Tours will visit the George Washington Williams Memorial Room throughout February. The George Washington Williams Memorial Room is a tribute to Ohio’s first African-American legislator. George Washington Williams was the first African American elected to the Ohio General Assembly. Williams was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican legislator from Hamilton County in 1879 at the age of 30. Williams was a Civil War soldier, pastor, journalist, lawyer, politician, freewill ambassador, author and historian. This room exhibits furnishings representing styles popular in the United States in the late 1800’s. The furniture includes period antiques, reproduction pieces and art work that help visitors experience history.
High resolution images are available at: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/media/black-history-month-the-freedom-riders-2.


Watch a living history presentation at:http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/media/black-history-month-living-history-presentation-george-washington-williams.


To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.



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Calendar Listing:

Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse

Time
February 1 - February 28

Location
The Ohio Statehouse 1 Capitol Square Columbus, OH 43215



The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a special display and free historical performances each Tuesday at noon. Visitors can also enjoy a special soul food menu at the Capitol Cafe each Thursday in February.

We’ve Known Rivers!
Each Tuesday 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.; February 3, 10, 17, 24, 2015
Ohio Statehouse Museum Gallery, 1 Capitol Square; downtown Columbus
614/752-9777
Free!

• February 3 - Tuskegee Airmen: Courage in the Skies, presented by Anthony Gibbs


• February 10: Henry “Box” Brown, presented by Rory Rennick


• February 17: Bessie Stringfield, presented by Sandra Quick


• February 24 Coretta Scott King, presented by Annette Jefferson

Living history programs featuring interpreters portraying prominent historical African Americans each Tuesday in February.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation today announce the 2015 Great Ohioans. The 2015 honorees were presented by the Capitol Square Foundation and unanimously approved by the twelve-member CSRAB. The two honorees were selected from nominations submitted by individuals and organizations throughout Ohio.

The 2015 Great Ohioans are: Agnes Meyer Driscoll, groundbreaking cryptographer and leader in the field of intelligence and national security, and Rufus Putnam, American Revolutionary War General, surveyor and co-founder of the Ohio Company.

For detailed information about each honoree, see the biographies below.

High resolution images of each of the winners are available at: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/great-ohioans.

“This year we honor two individuals who were pioneers. Rufus Putnam was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and one of the founders of the Ohio Company. Agnes Meyer Driscoll was a trailblazer in the field of cryptology during World War II and helped unite the national cryptologic agencies into the National Security Agency in 1952. Both honorees were public servants who worked for the greater good and have earned the title of Great Ohioan,” said William Carleton CSRAB executive director.

The Great Ohioan Award commemorates Ohioans who have played a significant role in an event or series of events of lasting significance in World, American or Ohio history. To be selected for the Great Ohioan Award, the nominee must have resided in Ohio for a minimum of five years. In addition, at least 25 years must have passed since the event in which the nominee participated is being commemorated.

BIOGRAPHIES OF THE 2015 GREAT OHIOAN AWARD WINNERS
Agnes Meyer Driscoll
Agnes Meyer Driscoll's work as a navy cryptanalyst who broke a multitude of Japanese naval systems, as well as a developer of early machine systems, marks her as one of the true "originals" in American cryptology. She was born in 1889, and, in 1911, she received an A.B. degree from Ohio State University and also attended Otterbein University, majoring in mathematics, physics, foreign languages, and music. From her earliest days as a college student, Agnes Meyer pursued technical and scientific studies atypical for a woman of the times.
In June 1918, about one year after America entered World War I, Agnes Meyer enlisted in the United States Navy. Except for a two-year hiatus, when she worked for a private firm, Agnes Meyer Driscoll (she married in 1924) would remain a leading cryptanalyst for the U.S. Navy until 1949.
She was involved in the emerging machine technology of the time, which was being applied both to making and breaking ciphers. In her first days in the Code and Signal section, she co-developed one of the U.S. Navy's cipher machines, the "CM."
In her thirty-year career, Mrs. Driscoll broke Japanese Navy manual codes—the Red Book Code in the 1920s, the Blue Book Code in 1930, and, in 1940, she made critical inroads into JN-25, the Japanese fleet's operational code, which the U.S. Navy exploited after the attack on Pearl Harbor for the rest of the Pacific War. In early 1935, Mrs. Driscoll led the attack on the Japanese M-1 cipher machine (also known to the U.S. as the ORANGE machine), used to encrypt the messages of Japanese naval attaches around the world. At the same time, Agnes sponsored the introduction of early machine support for cryptanalysis against Japanese naval code systems.

Rufus Putnam
Rufus Putnam was born April 9, 1738, in Sutton, Massachusetts. His father died when Putnam was seven and his mother apprenticed him to a millwright. In 1757, he fought for the British in the French and Indian War. When the war was over, Putnam returned home where he became a farmer and a miller.

At the start of the American Revolution, Putnam enlisted in the Continental Army. Early in the conflict, he helped prepare earthworks and other defensive features for the Americans surrounding English soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts. He also assisted George Washington in preparing New York's defenses. He spent the remainder of the war in upstate New York and fought in the Battle of Saratoga. He began the war as a lieutenant colonel and by its conclusion had risen to the rank of brigadier-general.

Following the American Revolution, Putnam engaged in real estate investment. He served as a surveyor for the Confederation Congress and used the knowledge he received while surveying to make land purchases. In 1786, a group of men from Massachusetts, including Putnam and Benjamin Tupper, founded the Ohio Company of Associates. Winthrop Sargent became the secretary of the venture. The company planned to purchase land in the Northwest Territory west of the Seven Ranges. Both Putnam and Tupper had participated in survey expeditions led by Thomas Hutchins and believed that the region had great potential.

Putnam established the first Ohio Company settlement on the banks of the Ohio River. Known originally as Adelphia, the community soon became known as Marietta. To protect the settlement from Native American attacks, the settlers built a fortification known as the Campus Martius. Many of the early settlers of Ohio Company lands came from New England. They tried to establish similar institutions and communities to those they had left in the East. In 1808, the company established Ohio University on the land set aside for that purpose. In its early years the university only offered the equivalent of a high school education and enrollment remained low for a number of years. The population continued to grow in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Putnam emerged as an important political leader in the Northwest Territory. President Washington appointed Putnam to a judgeship in 1790. He also served as a brigadier-general in the United States Army during this same time period. In 1796, Putnam became the surveyor-general of the United States. President Thomas Jefferson removed him from the position. Putnam continued to play an important role in territorial government and participated in the constitutional convention of 1802. Putnam favored the Federalist Party and did succeed in preventing slavery from becoming legal in Ohio. Putnam died on May 4, 1824, in Marietta.

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO LINK:
http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/great-ohioans

Since 2003, 30 other Great Ohioans have been recognized with the award for the special roles they played in history. The Great Ohioans include:

2003 Class: Orville and Wilbur Wright, inventors of powered flight; John Glenn, first American to orbit the earth; and Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon;

2008 Class: Jesse Owens, Olympic track and field star; Thomas Edison, inventor; Harriet Beecher Stowe, author; James Thurber, journalist and author; Colonel Charles Young, military leader; Dr. George Crile, founder of the Cleveland Clinic;

2009 Class: Catherine Nelson Black, health care humanitarian; Salmon P. Chase, Ohio Governor, Secretary of the Treasury and Supreme Court Chief Justice; Paul Laurence Dunbar, poet and author; Charles F. Kettering, inventor; Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I fighter ace; Denton T. “Cy” Young, baseball legend;

2010 Class: James M. Cox, journalist, member of the United States House of Representatives, Ohio Governor; Florence Ellinwood Allen, first woman Ohio Supreme Court Justice; Bob Feller, baseball legend; and Bill Willis, National Football League hall of famer;

2011 Class: Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War General and U.S. President; William Moore McCulloch, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman and civil rights advocate; William Howard Taft, U.S. President and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice; and Harriet Taylor Upton, women’s rights advocate and author;

2012 Class: Gordon Battelle, philanthropist and researcher; Dominic Salavtore “Don” Gentile, World War II fighter pilot; Washington Gladden, clergyman and social reformer; Albert Belmont Graham, founder of the 4-H program; Albert Sabin, medical researcher best known for the oral polio vaccine; and William T. Sherman, Civil War general;

2013 Class: Paul Brown, legendary football player and coach; James Garfield, U.S. President and Governor of Ohio; and Granville T. Woods, inventor.

2014 Class: Annie Oakley, superstar sharpshooter and educator; Jerri Mock, first woman to fly around the world.

“Through their accomplishments, each Great Ohioan has changed the trajectory of the State of Ohio, the United State and the world. We hope that every Statehouse visitor is inspired by the narrative of each one of the men and women who have been recognized with this honor,” said Capitol Square Foundation Chairman Charles Moses.

Great Ohioan honorees and their achievements are archived in a permanent Great Ohioan exhibit, which is part of the Ohio Statehouse Museum. While countless Ohioans have performed great actions for their community and beyond, only a select few have been named a “Great Ohioan.” This exhibit allows visitors to have a greater understanding of the recipients of the Great Ohioan award and discover how they affected local, national and world history. The exhibit uses videos, photos, facts and web based technology to explore the life and legacy of each Great Ohioan.

Opened in 2009, the Ohio Statehouse Museum features high-tech, interactive exhibits that make learning about all three branches of state government immersive. The museum is packed with historical artifacts and images that detail how government works and who has come to serve their fellow citizens.

The Museum includes 5,000 square feet of exhibit space on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse that enriches the experience of school children and visitors. The Museum offers exhibits that encourage visitors to participate in the government process by making choices, expressing their opinions, comparing viewpoints and even becoming a part of an exhibit by giving a State of the State address. The museum’s “deep dive” approach to education enables visitors to better relate to the governing process.

To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

About the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center coordinates tours of Capitol Square and provides information about the buildings, their history and Ohio's government.
The Ohio Statehouse shines a light on the history of this great edifice, its symbolic meaning and its vital historic and ongoing connections to the daily lives of all Ohioans.

About the Capitol Square Foundation
The Capitol Square Foundation was established in 1987 to increase public awareness of and to involve citizens in the history of the Ohio Statehouse. Its purpose is to raise funds to obtain, restore and maintain artifacts and other items related to the history and enhancement of the grand monument and its adjoining grounds, so that the seat of Ohio's government may reflect the dignity of the state and its citizens.

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Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) Space Committee will meet Thursday, January 22, 2015 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The committee meeting will be held in the office of CSRAB Executive Director William Carleton and will begin at 9:15 a.m. The meeting is open to the public.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is pleased to announce that the Ohio Statehouse specialty license plate is now on sale. House Bill 206 enacted by the Ohio General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Kasich in April of 2014 confirmed the Ohio Statehouse license plate. With the petition requirement completed and the license plate design approved, Ohio drivers can now show their support for the Ohio Statehouse. The new Ohio Statehouse license plate can be purchased at your local BMV Deputy Registrar License Agency or online at: http://bmv.ohio.gov/sp_ohio_statehouse.stm.

“The Ohio Statehouse has housed state government for the past 158 years, and since 1857, this magnificent Ohio Capitol has been revered and loved by the citizens of Ohio. The Ohio Statehouse license plate will give citizens the ability to preserve and protect the historical heritage of this great state through education and inspire future leaders of Ohio,” said William Carleton, CSRAB executive director. The legislation establishing the Ohio Statehouse license plate stipulates that $25 from every plate purchased will go to the capitol square renovation gift fund. This fund is used for purchasing art, museum collections, and funding the educational programs that over 60,000 Ohio school children enjoy every year here at the Ohio Statehouse.

As outlined in the agency’s founding legislation, CSRAB educates the tens of thousands of citizens that tour the Statehouse annually, facilitates the function of the Ohio General Assembly (OGA) and state government and protects the historical integrity of the Ohio Statehouse while at the same time, ensuring the safety of those who work in and visit Capitol Square.

Listed by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark, the Greek Revival grandeur of the Ohio Statehouse symbolizes the history, heritage, and future of this great State. Please, help support the educational programs offered at the Ohio Statehouse and through that support, help inspire the next generation of Ohio leaders.
To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

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Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will meet Thursday, January 22, 2015 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The business meeting will be held in House Conference Room 216 and will begin at 10 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda is available upon request.

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