, OH
On December 30, 1847, six educators met at the Summit County Courthouse to organize the first convention of the Ohio State Teachers’ Association, now known as the Ohio Education Association (OEA). The organizers Josiah Hurty (Richland County), Thomas W. Harvey (Geauga County), M.D. Leggett (Summit County), Lorin Andrews (Ashland County), William Bowen (Stark County), and Marcellus F. Cowdery (Lake County) hoped “to elevate the profession of teaching” and “to promote the interests of schools in Ohio.” In 1853, the General Assembly enacted the new association’s entire slate of proposals into law, thus ensuring free, universal, public education in Ohio. For 176 years, the Ohio Education Association has advocated for fair terms and conditions of employment for Ohio educators and for the betterment and improvement of public education for all students.
, OH
Frederick Douglass, the formerly enslaved man celebrated as one of America’s most powerful abolitionist voices, delivered a historic commencement address at Western Reserve College on July 12, 1854. Invited by the graduating students of the Philozetian and Phi Delta literary societies, Douglass passionately delivered his two-hour speech, “The Claims of the Negro: Ethnologically Considered,” to a gathering of 3,000. Douglass challenged the rising tide of scientific racism and promoted the shared humanity and equality of all people. At a time when few Black Americans were granted such a platform, the moment embodied the spirit of abolition that defined the Western Reserve region. In an era of deep national division, the students’ bold invitation and Douglass’s powerful message affirmed education’s enduring role in advancing truth and justice.