The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.

National Statuary Hall is located in the United States Capitol.  The large semi-circular chamber served as the meeting place for the House of Representatives from 1811 to 1857 when a new House wing was built.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

In 1864, Congress voted to create a National Statuary Hall out of the old House Chamber inviting “each and all the States to provide and furnish statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services such as each State may deem to be worthy of this national commemoration.”

By 1933, Statuary Hall had become so crowded and the weight of the statues so heavy, that Congress passed a bill allowing the statues to be distributed around The Capitol.  The statues in Statuary Hall were considered part of a permanent collection until 2000 when legislation was enacted that allows states to change out the statues. Since 2000, five state legislatures have voted to change their statues; Ohio is slated to be state number six.

Harriet Taylor Upton

The two statues currently representing Ohio are President James Garfield and Governor William Allen but Ohio has decided to replace pro-slavery Governor Allen with another Ohioan.  The Ohio Legislature has established a committee headed by Senator Mark Wagoner (SD02@senate.state.oh.us, 614-466-8060) and Representative Tom Letson (district64@ohr.state.oh.us, 614-466-5358) which canvassed the state to find a suitable replacement.

Ninety-three candidates were nominated and after a vote by the committee this list was reduced to ten finalists.
THE TOP PICKS
The nominees in order of their vote tally:
1. Thomas Edison (1847-1931): Prolific inventor born in Milan, Ohio.
2. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-96): Cincinnati-raised author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Credited with stating the civil war by Abraham Lincoln. Energized the anti-slavery forces in the North and provoked widespread anger in the South.
3. Jesse Owens (1913-80): African-American track athlete from Ohio State University who won gold in Hitler-era Olympics in Berlin.
4. Harriet Taylor Upton (1853- 1945): Women’s suffrage activist from Ravenna and the first woman to be vice-chairman of the Republican National Committee.
5. James M. Ashley (1824-96): Toledo congressman who wrote the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery.
6. Wright Brothers, Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867- 1912): Pioneers of flight who developed their designs in Dayton.*
7. (Tie) William McCulloch (1901-80): Politician and civil rights leader from Holmesville.
8.Judith Resnik (1949-86): Akron astronaut killed in Challenger space shuttle disaster.
9. Albert Sabin (1906-92): Cincinnati medical researcher who developed oral polio vaccine. 10. Ulysses S. Grant (1822- 85): Civil War general and 18^th U.S. president born in southwestern Ohio.

Judith Resnik

It is our responsibility to make sure one of the three female finalists (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Taylor Upton, and Judith Resnik) is selected to replace Governor Allen and represent Ohio in National Statuary Hall.  The statues in Statuary Hall are an inaccurate reflection of our nation’s history. Currently only nine of the 100 statues in Statuary Hall are women.

With your help, we can make the new statue from Ohio number ten.  It is imperative that the citizens of Ohio urge the committee to select one of these Ohio women to represent the great state of Ohio in Statuary Hall.  Future generations of women, our daughters and our granddaughters, need to see a reflection of themselves in our nation’s history.  A fair representation of women in statuary hall will not only honor past female leaders but help create the next generation of female leaders.

To help, join our Facebook Page, PUT A WOMAN IN STATUARY HALL and get the latest updates and action items.