Mayor Andrew J. Ginther Announces 2020 Inductees into the Columbus Hall of Fame
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced today that he will induct
the late Golda M. Edmonston, Reverend Leon Troy Sr., Ann B. Walker, Catherine
Willis and Sanborn "Sandy" Wood into the Columbus Hall of Fame. The
Columbus Hall of Fame honors outstanding individuals who, through exemplary
accomplishments, have gained recognition for themselves and have brought credit
to this city.
Golda M. Edmonston
was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for five terms in the 1940s
and 1950s. She was an outspoken advocate of women in the workplace,
particularly in government, and proposed legislation that would ensure women
equal pay for equal work multiple times throughout her tenure. Edmonston also
served on Columbus City Council from 1959 to 1967, becoming the first female
president of the Columbus City Council in November 1962 at the age of 74.
Reverend Leon Troy
Sr. serves as pastor emeritus of Second Baptist Church, the oldest Black
Baptist church in Columbus, Ohio. In 1996, he became pastor of Second Baptist
Church, where he served for the next 20 years until he retired. In 1983, he was
appointed by Mayor Rinehart to be a Special Assistant to the Mayor on Community
Affairs. He served as the first Black Fire Chaplain for the City of Columbus
and received the Governor’s Award in 1974 for Community Actions by former Ohio
Governor John L. Gilligan. With his passion for people, social justice, civic
engagement, and parental involvement in education, Troy has dedicated more than
50 years to public service.
Ann B. Walker was
the first female and African-American journalist to cover Columbus City Hall
and the State of Ohio. Ann B. Walker worked as a radio host, journalist,
editor and columnist in Columbus for decades. She is a woman of many firsts:
the first woman in broadcast management at WLWC-TV in Columbus, the very first
female broadcaster to report on the Ohio Legislature, and the first black woman
from Franklin County given a White House appointment.
Catherine Willis
dedicated her career to instilling knowledge and developing students to become
lifelong learners. Nearly 50 years ago, she co-founded Friends of Art for
Community Enrichment (F.A.C.E.) to introduce children to the art and culture of
Africa and African Americans. In 2007, she founded Urban Strings, an
organization dedicated to supporting underserved minority youth in playing
string instruments. Willis also co-founded the Lunch Bunch, sponsors of Helen
Jenkins Davis Scholarship Fund.
Sanborn Wood,
affectionately known as Sandy, is the godfather of Columbus' Short North Arts
District. Sandy had a remarkable vision for the area between downtown and Ohio
State in the early 1980s. He believed it possible to transform it into a
premiere district that would celebrate entrepreneurship and the arts. Sandy's
early investments in commercial and residential real estate along with his
vision have created a vibrant corridor that is unmatched.
“We are delighted to induct these five Columbus champions
into the Columbus Hall of Fame,” said Mayor Ginther. “Each of them has
contributed to the well-being, growth, and diversity of our city. I cannot
thank them enough for lifting up the City of Columbus and its residents.”