Maurice Maschke aggregation

 

1 Maurice Maschke – The Gentleman Boss of Cleveland by Brent Larkin

2 Maurice Maschke from Philip W. Porter

3 Maurice Maschke

4 The Death of Maurice Maschke

5 “Maurice Maschke Memoirs” Plain Dealer Series August, 1934

6 Maurice Maschke, a tribute written by Roelif Loveman, Plain Dealer (11/20/1936)

How metro Cleveland and Akron stack up against Buffalo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh – 9/15/2017 Cleveland.com

How metro Cleveland and Akron stack up against Buffalo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh
9/15/2017  Cleveland.com
by Rich Exner
The link is here

Some of the Best of 2016

Joe Posnanski story on Cleveland Cavs and LeBron James 6.20.16 (NBC)

Some of the Best of 2016: Long Form Essays of Note (plus other content)

Drowning in Dysfunction: How the Cleveland Water Department is Failing its Community, Violating Rights (WEWS-TV5) 12/22/2016

Returning to Ohio How a small, Midwestern town has changed over the decades—and where it aims to go (Atlantic) 12/12/16

Tower Struggle. What Does Sale of Iconic Building Mean for Cleveland? 11.1.16 (Cleveland Magazine)

Silent Sanctuaries: In Pittsburgh, These Houses of God Stand Mute, Often Crumbling 10.31.16 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Can’t You Hear the 1948 Whistle Blowin’ 10.27.16 (New York Times)

Cleveland Indians in 1948: A Story of Integration 10.24.16 (New York Times)

“Heart of Steel” Series from Plain Dealer About Steel Industry in Cleveland 10.16.16 (Plain Dealer)

Confessions of a Rust Belt Orphan (or how I learned to stop worrying and love Akron) by Jason Segedy 10.12.16 (Cleveland Scene)

Collinwood 1908: Bringing a Fire Back into History 10.6.16 (Belt)

“Voter Registration in Ohio” a Short History by Michael Curtin 9.25.16

“Louis Stokes Autobiography “The Gentleman from Ohio” Part 1 is here (Cleveland.com) 8.29.16

“Louis Stokes Autobiography “The Gentleman from Ohio” Part 2 is here (Cleveland.com) 8.30.16

Cleveland Metro Economic Performance is Mixed, According Cleveland Federal Reserve 8.25.16

Great Lakes Exposition: A World’s Fair to Remember Opened 80 Years Ago This summer: photos 7.28.16 (Cleveland.com)

In Cleveland’s Public Square, Rights are Exercised. Loudly 7.26.16 (New York Times)

The Challenge of Keeping Black Families From Leaving the Midwest 7.5.16 (Atlantic)

“Titles and Tears” an essay by Joe Posnanski 6.20.16 (NBC)

Go Hug a Tree. You Just Might Live Longer. Once Upon a Time, Cleveland was the Forest City. -Tim Kovach 4.30.16

Greater Cleveland Employment Trends: 2014 and 2015 -March 2016 (Cleveland State University)

“Viktor Schreckengost-The Exchange of Art with the Everyday” – winner of the 2016 Teaching Cleveland website award at History Day 3.5.16

New Images Reveal True Impact of Freeways on Cleveland’s Neighborhoods by Tim Kovach 2/25/16 FreshWater

Is Waterfront Development Paying Off? Nine Takeaways From LWV Forum: Steven Litt 2.15.16 (Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com)

How Local Media Coverage is Forcing Cleveland to Finally Fix Its Lead Problem 2.9.16 (Columbia Journalism Review)

Correcting For Bias: Mansfield Frazier 1.2.16 (Cool Cleveland)

Regionalism in Northeast Ohio-Material on the Subject from the past 10+ Years

Here’s another list of the “Best of 2016” from the Cleveland Scene

About Us

Welcome to the Teaching Cleveland Digital Library, an open source, totally free searchable knowledge base of Cleveland/Northeast Ohio history and public policy for teachers, students. . .anybody. It consists of material from journalists, academics, historians, students and others.

Links can change, so please let us know if a link, file or page fails to open. Thanks.
Article about teachingcleveland.org and Teaching Cleveland history
Email: michaeldavidbaron@gmail.com

Also thanks to our partners in this effort:
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland Jewish News
Cleveland State University
John Carroll University
Maltz Museum
Ohio Historical Society
Western Reserve Historical Society
And our writers:
Margaret Bernstein
Roldo Bartimole
Michael Curtin
Mansfield Frazier
Joe Frolik
Dr. John J. Grabowski
Brent Larkin
Steven Litt
Bill Lubinger
Randell McShepard
Jay Miller
Dr. Marian Morton
Michael Roberts
Chris Seper
Debbi Snook
Diane Solov
Tom Suddes
Elizabeth Sullivan
Alexander Tebbens
James Toman
John Vacha

Teaching Cleveland Digital is dedicated to Newton D. Baker and his concept of Civitism:
In his four-year tenure from 1912 to 1916 Newton D. Baker fostered Tom L. Johnson’s ideal of a Utopia of Civic Righteousness. He coined a new word to designate his policy; it was “civitism,” once described as a combination of “Home Rule and the Golden Rule for Cleveland.”

Baker believed that the greatness of a city did not depend on its buildings, either public or private, but rather on the intensity with which its citizens loved the city as their home. Such a pervasive feeling would inevitably produce beautiful parks,cleaner streets, honest government, and widespread adherence to justice as the ideal of its social and economic life.

It was his firm intention to make “civitism” mean the same thing for the city that patriotism signified for the nation.
(From CH Cramer’s Biography of Newton D. Baker)

 

Creative Commons License
Teaching Cleveland Digital Media by www.teachingcleveland.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Mayor Michael R. White Interview, Parts One – Five (video)

white-celebrates-gateway  mike-white-1989

Part One Link is Here

Part Two Link is Here

Part Three Link is here

Part Four Link is here

Part Five Link is here

Michael R. White was Mayor of Cleveland from 1990-2002. He was interviewed for Teaching Cleveland Digital on July 24, 2013. Cameras by Jerry Mann and Meagan Lawton, Edited by Jerry Mann, Interviewed by Michael Baron. © 2013 Jerry Mann and Teaching Cleveland Digital.

Part one covers Mayor White’s formative years in the Cleveland neighborhood of Glenville, living in Cleveland during the election of Carl Stokes in 1967 and White’s election as the first African-American Student Union President at The Ohio State University in 1973.

Part two covers his work with Columbus Republican Mayor Tom Moody, his return to Cleveland, working with and learning from Council President George Forbes and his election to Cleveland City Council.

Part three covers the 1980’s in Cleveland when Mayor George Voinovich and Council President George Forbes were in power. White then speaks about being elected Mayor of Cleveland, and his first challenge as Mayor: the baseball team wants a new ballpark, so White spearheads the Gateway development.

From Wikipedia:

White, who grew up in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, began his political career early on during his college years at Ohio State University, when he protested against the discriminatory policies of the Columbus public bus system and was subsequently arrested. White then ran the following year for Student Union President and won, becoming the college’s first black student body leader. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration degree in 1974.

After college, White returned to Cleveland. He served on Cleveland City Council as an administrative assistant from 1976 to 1977 and later served as city councilman from the Glenville area from 1978 to 1984. During his time in city council, White became a prominent protégé of councilman George L. Forbes. White then represented the area’s 21st District in the Ohio Senate, serving as a Democratic assistant minority whip.

In 1989, White entered the heavily-contested race for mayor of Cleveland, along with several other notable candidates including Forbes, Ralph J. Perk Jr. (the son of former Cleveland mayor, Ralph J. Perk), Benny Bonanno (Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court), and Tim Hagan (Cuyahoga County commissioner). Out of all the candidates Forbes and White made it to the general election. It was the first time two Black candidates would emerge as the number one and two contenders in a primary election in Cleveland history.

In Cleveland, incumbent Mike White won re-election against council president George Forbes, who ran as the candidate of black power and the public sector unions. Angering the unions by eliminating some of the city’s exotic work rules, White presented himself as pro-business, pro-police and an effective manager above all, arguing that “jobs were the cure for the ‘addiction to the mailbox,'” referring to welfare checks. [1]

White ended up winning the race receiving 81 percent of the vote in predominantly white wards and 30 percent in the predominantly black wards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._White

 

News Aggregator Archives 2017

News Aggregator Archives 2017

MetroHealth’s new facilities give preview of what’s ahead for huge campus transformation (12/31/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Ohio poised to wrap 2017 with improved finances (12/29/2017) Toledo Blade

East Cleveland Budgets Within Recovery Plan, State Commission Say (12/29/2017) Ideastream

2017 In Review: What Ohio’s Legislature Did This Year (12/27/2017) WOSU

Charter school graduation rates way behind Ohio’s urban districts (12/26/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland reaches tipping point in 2017, planning a greener, healthier public realm (12/25/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio Is At the Center of a National Debate Over Drawing Political lines (12/22/2017) WKSU

Opioid Crisis Exploding Numbers And Costs Of Foster Care In Ohio (12/21/2017) Ideastream

Census: Ohio gained more people in 2017 than other Midwest states (12/20/2017) Crain’s Detroit Business

Testing would have a smaller role in Ohio teacher evaluations under new bill (12/20/2017) Plain Dealer

Report: Ohio cities facing fiscal stress despite improving economy (12/19/2017) Dayton Daily News

75 Public Square in downtown Cleveland wins tax credits for revamp; Terminal Tower misses out (12/19/2017) Plain Dealer

Why Ohio health care startups saw a 206% funding increase in 2017 (12/18/2017) Venture Beat

Concerns raised over 2020 census accuracy, funding At stake: Ohio’s federally funded programs, clout in Washington (12/17/2017) Dayton Daily News

Who Uses the Great Lakes’ Water? (12/15/2017) Ideastream

Northeast Ohio house prices up 12.3 percent in November; sales jump (12/14/2017) Plain Dealer

Sales tax or property tax increase may be required to keep RTA viable, report says (12/13/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s test score graduation requirements could be eased for classes of 2019 and 2020 (12/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Graduation rates rise again; Ohio ranks low for black students (12/12/2017) Dayton Daily News

Ohio DREAMers Face Uncertain Futures As DACA Permits Set To Expire (12/12/2017) WOSU

Nearly three months after Hurricane Maria, hundreds of Puerto Rican families continue to pour into Northeast Ohio, looking to escape the wreckage they left behind. (12/11/2017) Ideastream

Ohio schools dish out suspensions, other discipline at wildly different rates (12/10/2017) Plain Dealer

Public transit sputters as state funding falls short (12/9/2017) Crain’s Cleveland business

Projects to create protected bike lanes in Cleveland received a major boost Friday (12/8/2017) Plain Dealer

Education Advocacy Groups Want To Simplify Ohio School Report Cards (12/7/2017) WOSU

New supermarket coalition aims to improve access to healthy food in Cuyahoga County (12/6/2017) Plain Dealer

Gender wage gap in Ohio: ‘We have to do better’ (12/4/2017) Dayton Daily News

With driver’s license suspensions soaring, Ohio lawmakers seek solutions (12/2/2017) Dayton Daily News

County Council Considering Fixes For Cleveland Public Transit (12/1/2017) Ideastream

Cuyahoga County could owe millions of dollars to employees whose work week was increased under new charter government (11/30/2017) Cleveland.com

Plan to expand tuition vouchers for private schools gaining new life in Ohio House (11/30/2017) Plain Dealer

Puerto Rican Enrollment Up In Ohio Schools Following Hurricane Maria (11/29/2017) WOSU

Cleveland-area house prices up 5.4 percent, Case-Shiller reports (11/28/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio might not have enough money to pay unemployed workers by 2021 even without a recession (11/27/2017) Cincinnati Enquirer

As downtown Cleveland grows, condos are in short supply (11/26/2017) Plain Dealer

Critics: Ohio’s plan to cut Lake Erie algae lacks direction (11/25/2017) AP

State Report Shows Increased Crashes, Fatalities on Ohio Highways With 70 MPH Speed Limits (11/24/2017) Cleveland Scene

The Right To Not Vote: Larry Harmon’s Supreme Court Case Against Ohio (11/24/2017) WOSU

Route Reductions And A Fare Increase Looming For Cleveland’s Public Transit (11/23/2017) Ideastream

What hospital consolidation means for Ohio communities (11/23/2017) Plain Dealer

Federal judge to hear why Cleveland fails to properly handle citizen complaints against police (11/21/2017) Cleveland.com

Report Highlights Trends Both Encouraging—And Concerning—For NEO Economy (11/20/2017) Ideastream

Poverty, health care, housing in Cleveland’s wards remain key issues, report shows (11/20/2017) Cleveland.com

Joyce, Kaptur sponsoring bill for algal bloom research (11/20/2017) News-Herald

Will Say Yes to Education scholarship program boost Cleveland’s economy? (11/19/2017) Plain Dealer

The Clark Freeway Fight Offered A Lesson On What It Takes To Protect A Neighborhood (11/17/2017) Ideastream

With status of federal historic tax credit unclear, Ohio advocates fear “devastating” blow (11/17/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio unemployment rate 5.1% in October; state gained 4,300 jobs (11/17/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s political future in 2018: Experts weigh in on governor, U.S. Senate races (11/16/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland Plan for schools gets mixed review from State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria (11/17/2017) Plain Dealer

Algae flourishes despite vast sums spent to prevent it (11/16/2017) Detroit News

Ohio behind national average for educated workers (11/15/2017) Dayton Daily News

Ohio Senate passes Down syndrome abortion ban (11/15/2017) Cleveland.com

Teacher education in Ohio to include instruction on preventing opioid abuse (11/15/2017) Cleveland.com

Art museum, sewer district launching $5M Doan Brook project that blends art, environment (11/14/2017) Plain Dealer

Controversial license-plate scanners to go up in Cleveland, 18 suburbs (11/14/2017) Cleveland.com

Candidates Agree Campaign Financing Reform Is Needed In Ohio But Disagree On The Solution (11/14/2017) Statehouse News

Ohio School Board Members Skeptical Of Kasich’s Message (11/14/2017) WOSU

Health, wealth, housing disparities evident in Cuyahoga County Council districts, report shows (11/13/2017) Cleveland.com

36,000 suspensions for Ohio third graders and younger could prompt ban on harsh punishments (11/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Euclid close to building lakefront trail that could set a precedent in Great Lakes (11/12/2017) Plain Dealer

State Medicaid cuts could run deep in Northeast Ohio (11/12/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

What to expect from Frank Jackson’s fourth term (11/12/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

12 Ohio counties vote to raise taxes in fight against opioid crisis (11/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Unofficial Election Results from 11/7/17 Election Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Wins Fourth Term (11/8/2017) Ideastream

3 long-serving incumbent mayors — in Beachwood, Brook Park, University Heights — ousted in Cuyahoga County (11/8/2017) Cleveland.com

Lake Erie algal bloom of 2017 severe; third largest ever (11/7/2017) Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga County Council will review budget for demolition, opioid crisis, public defender (11/7/2017) Cleveland.com

Tuesday is Election Day: Here’s what you need to know (11/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Initiated statutes like Issue 2 don’t have a great success rate at the polls (11/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Port authority, NOACA seek $11.5 million federal grant for Irishtown Bend (11/6/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Ohio legislators say gerrymandering needs to be fixed, but will they act? (11/2/2017) Cleveland.com

November 2017 General Election Guide (11/2/2017) Ideastream

New strategic plan for Cleveland Museum of Art sets big goals: $1 billion in art, $1.25 billion endowment (11/1/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland-area house-price gains accelerate, Case-Shiller report shows (10/31/2017) Plain Dealer

Despite Complaints Medicaid Expansion Funding Approved By Ohio Panel (10/31/2017) WOSU

Amazon Fulfillment Centers May Bring the Reverse Mass Transit Commute to Northeast Ohio (10/31/2017) WKSU

Amazon lands estimated $3.9 million Ohio tax credit tied to Euclid fulfillment center jobs (10/30/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio’s Public Transit Systems Continue to Look for a $238 Million Solution (10/30/2017) WKSU

Cleveland ‘lead safe’ advocates recommend 3 next steps (10/29/2017) Plain Dealer

Dredged sediment from Lake Erie ports has value, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is discovering (10/29/2017) Plain Dealer

Citizens tell Ohio lawmakers to fix gerrymandering (10/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland to test online system it says will make it easier to get public records (10/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland failing to meet its goal of demolishing hundreds of vacant homes near schools this year (10/26/2017) Channel 5 News

Pretrial Justice Institute highlights need and willingness to reform bail practices in Cuyahoga County (10/25/2017) Cleveland.com

Cheap, efficient bike lane additions to Detroit-Superior Bridge show sea change in city policy (10/24/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland Clinic CEO sees ‘total restructuring’ ahead for health care business (10/24/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Ohio’s Shale-Drilling Shows Signs of a Re-Boom Though Not to Everyone’s Delight (10/24/2017) WKSU

He Didn’t Vote in a Few Elections. In the Next One, Ohio Said He Couldn’t. (10/23/2017) New York Times

Cleveland lead poisoning 2 year progress report (10/22/2017)

Global innovation firm Plug and Play to partner with Cleveland Clinic, JumpStart on health innovation (10/22/2017) Plain Dealer

First Look: Newly installed Towpath Mounds bring landscape art to trail (10/21/2017) Plain Dealer

Mayor Frank Jackson, challenger Zack Reed spar in contentious Cleveland mayoral debate at the City Club (10/19/2017) Cleveland,com

Cleveland Mayoral debate between Mayor Frank Jackson and Councilman Zach Reed (10/19/2017) City Club of Cleveland Video

Red, blue political split widens between Ohio’s urban, rural areas (10/18/2017) Cleveland.com

A Highway Runs Through It. The demolition of the FirstEnergy plant presents Cleveland a unique opportunity to return neglected Gordon Park to its glory days, but a few obstacles stand in the way (10/18/2017) Cleveland Scene

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture To Cut Grant Funding 20 Percent (10/17/2017) Ideastream

Will Ohio Voters Enshrine Crime Victims’ Rights in State Constitution? (10/17/2017) Governing

Ohio’s high school graduation “crisis” has eased – some (10/17/2017) Plain Dealer

State’s largest pension system considers benefit cuts (10/16/2017) Dayton Daily News

BioEnterprise to oversee struggling Global Center for Health Innovation (10/16/2017) Cleveland.com

High-school partnerships help Ohio’s community colleges grow enrollment (10/15/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland hospitals gauging effect of Trump ending insurance subsidies (10/13/2017) Plain Dealer

Mayor Jackson’s bid to block low-scoring charter schools from city is denied by state (10/14/2017) Cleveland.com

Putting a renewed focus on mental health in Cleveland (10/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Budget prognosticators stymied over Ohio drug issue #2 (10/11/2017) Toledo Blade

Cleveland’s One University Circle apartment tower already is landing some lofty tenants (10/11/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio’s 100 top high schools ranked for 2017 (10/11/2017) Cleveland.com

How Cuyahoga County is balancing its 2018-2019 budget (10/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Groups urge faster action to reduce algae in Lake Erie (10/10/2017) Toledo Blade

Plastic Bag Fee Proposed in Cuyahoga County (10/9/2017) Cleveland Scene

Numbers indicate that Ohio is actually making money on Medicaid expansion (10/9/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Infant deaths increased in Ohio in 2016 for second consecutive year (10/6/2017) Plain Dealer

CWRU Study Aims to Find New Ways to Tackle Cleveland Food Deserts (10/5/2017) Ideastream

Why is Lake Erie covered in 700 square miles of green slime? (10/4/2017) Dayton Daily News

State control could be coming for East Cleveland, Warrensville Heights schools (10/3/2017) Plain Dealer

Free bus passes for workers: Columbus’s big idea to relieve a congested downtown (10/3/2017) The Guardian

Ohio EPA, Army Corps of Engineers collaborate to prevent future Cuyahoga River dredging face-offs (10/2/2017) Cleveland.com

Greater Cleveland attracted 18 million visitors in 2016, another record (10/2/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland is growing from inside out, with room to add 130,000 on East Side: CSU report (10/2/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio education officials losing faith in report cards for schools, districts (10/1/2017) Plain Dealer

A Shrinking Field: Fewer High Schoolers Playing Football In Ohio (9/29/2017) WOSU

Amazon confirms plans for Euclid fulfillment center, replacing another dead mall (9/28/2017) Plain Dealer

Spread of Lake Erie algae raises alarm across region (9/28/2017) Detroit News

Are Ohio’s Statehouse leaders offering new hope to fix gerrymandering this time? (9/28/2017) Cleveland.com

The prize for winning these down-ticket Ohio races: Seats at the redistricting table (9/27/2017) Cleveland.com

Proposal to boost compensation to counties and transit systems would fall short (9/26/2017) Plain Dealer

As retail changes, jobs opportunities shift in Ohio (9/25/2017) Dayton Daily News

Cleveland police headquarters to stay in Justice Center for at least two years under deal with Cuyahoga County (9/25/2017) Cleveland.com

Why do poor poor black kids continue to do worse on Ohio’s standardized tests? (9/24/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Wind farms sow discord in Ohio (9/24/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland pursues Amazon HQ2: Can the city compete? (9/24/2107) Plain Dealer

20 years after DeRolph decision, some school districts gained, some lost (9/22/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Ohio House Still Considering Medicaid Expansion Freeze (9/21/2017) WOSU

How would the Senate’s latest Obamacare repeal plan affect Ohio? (9/21/2017) Cleveland.com

New Campus International School has opened at Cleveland State University (9/20/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland Seeks To Lower Unsolved Homicide Cases (9/19/2017) Ideastream

Some Ohio legislator(s) are blocking broadcasts of State Board of Education meetings and who they are has not been made public (9/19/2017) Plain Dealer

Issue 2 fact check: Are all of the VA’s prices public record? (9/18/2017) Cleveland.com

See how closely Ohio school report card grades trend with district income (9/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio lawmakers chip away at public records access (9/17/2017) Columbus Dispatch

State Report Cards Released, With Mixed Grades For Traditional Schools And Bad Ones For Charters (9/16/2017) Ideastream

How metro Cleveland and Akron stack up against Buffalo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh (9/15/2017) Cleveland.com

Poverty down in Ohio, but state still struggling, census finds (9/15/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Election results from 9.12.2017 primary from Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

Frank Jackson wins Cleveland mayoral primary, Zack Reed out duels field of challengers to finish second (9/13/2017) Cleveland.com

State report card chaos should ease when grades for your district, school come out Thursday (9/13/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland gains “high quality” preschool seats, still has many fewer seats than kids (9/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Congress may save medical research from Trump cuts, sparing a bright spot in Cleveland’s economy (9/12/2017) Cleveland.com

Digital divide in Cleveland among worst in the country (9/8/2017) WEWS-TV

Possible Mandel-Brown Race Would Be Just Second Senate Rematch In Ohio History (9/8/2017) WOSU

Cleveland Police Plan to Cut Citizen Complaint Backlog in Half by End of the Year (9/7/2017) Ideastream

Cleveland Cavs announce Quicken Loans transformation will go forward (9/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio premiums for Obamacare policies to rise by 34 percent on average, state says (9/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Northeast Ohio woodlands are under attack; from beetles, aphids, viruses and fungi (9/5/2017) Plain Dealer

Outside experts assess Ohio’s ballot issue on prescription-drug prices (9/4/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Conceptual plans for park at Irishtown Bend win city planning approval (9/1/2017) Plain Dealer

The Q Deal is Alive and Well — How GCC Compromised to Resuscitate It (8/31/2017) Cleveland Scene

Deal reached that may save Quicken Loans Arena transformation (8/31/2017) Cleveland.com

At candidate forum, mayoral challengers united in opposition to canceled Q deal (8/30/2017) Cleveland.com

Harmful algal blooms continue to plague Lake Erie, threatening drinking water, fish, pets (8/30/2017) Plain Dealer

Issue 2 backers revise drug-savings estimate; foes challenge data (8/30/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Election has become a referendum on Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s performance, panel says (8/29/2017) Cleveland.com

Bill Would Change Free Speech Policies On Campuses Of Ohio’s State-Owned Universities (8/29/2017) WCPN

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert kills deal to renovate Quicken Loans Arena (8/28/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland State enrolls 2,000 freshmen for first time (8/28/2017) Cleveland.com

Feds OK gas pipeline project from Ohio to Michigan (8/27/2017) Detroit News

Cleveland’s mayoral candidates campaigning: What they’re saying (8/27/2017) Cleveland.com

New Irishtown Bend plan blends active and quiet areas to serve city, region (8/26/2017) Plain Dealer

Mayor Frank Jackson gives fiery close to City Club candidate debate (8/25/2017) Cleveland.com

Toledo’s Water Quality Dashboard moved to ‘watch’ (8/25/2017) Toledo Blade

Amazon commits to North Randall fulfillment center, with 2,000-plus jobs on former mall site (8/25/2017) Plain Dealer

Study: Ohio has most failed charter schools, which close less often (8/24/2017) Akron Beacon Journal

New pro-Issue 2 analysis projects $536 million in prescription drug savings (8/24/2017) Columbus Dispatch

How a bad census count could cost Ohioans (8/24/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s support for public colleges down 15% since 2008, report says (8/23/2017) Cleveland.com

Summary of Cleveland.com Mayoral endorsement interviews (8/22/2017) Cleveland Scene

Ohio Senate overrides six of Gov. John Kasich’s budget vetoes (8/22/2017) Cleveland.com

Would Ohio’s public retirees be affected by Issue 2? It’s an open question (8/21/2017) Cleveland.com

In Northeast Ohio air pollution finds its way to the lungs (8/21/2017) WOSU

Drug-price ballot failure in California could mean bad prognosis in Ohio (8/20/2017) Toledo Blade

MetroHealth turns to community for growth of health system, plans to open 2 suburban hospitals (8/20/2017) Plain Dealer

Fishing said to be great in Lake Erie, despite opposite perception (8/19/2017) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Robots are affecting jobs in Ohio — and maybe politics, too (8/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio Hopes Facebook Data Center, And Tax Breaks, Will Lure More Tech Companies (8/17/2017) WOSU

Schools districts – now including Parma – start school earlier and earlier (8/16/2017) Cleveland.com

Facebook to build new $750 million data center in Columbus suburb (8/15/2017) Cleveland.com

How Ohio is trying to keep Asian Carp out of Lake Erie (8/15/2017) Cleveland.com

The 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial Lineup: 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans join the race (8/15/2017) Columbus Underground

How is climate change affecting the Great Lakes? (8/14/2017) Cleveland.com

Detroit’s revival supported by immigrant entrepreneurs (8/14/2017) Detroit News

Ohio cities continue to fight with state over tax collections (8/13/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

ODOT’s new Towpath Trail segment below Inner Belt bridges heals urban scar (8/13/2107) Plain Dealer

Failed drug tests keep Ohio jobs unfilled (8/13/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Small wind turbines in Ohio are the next big thing, says Department of Energy (8/11/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio Supreme Court rules Cleveland must accept referendum petitions on upgrades at The Q (8/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Check out the Cuyahoga County schools, cities asking for new money this November (8/9/17) Plain Dealer

NuCLEus project draws a few questions, little debate from Cleveland school board (8/9/2017) Plain Dealer

Army Corps study on keeping Asian Carp from Great Lakes suggests noise system, stunning barrier (8/7/2017) Cleveland.com

New Ohio Bill Prevents Schools from Suspending or Expelling Truant Students (8/7/2017) Cleveland Scene

Ohio tax revenues in July meet new lowered targets (8/4/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio Is Building The Country’s Longest Driverless Car Ready Highway (8/4/2017) Jalopnik Mag.

Obamacare premiums will rise steeply in Ohio in 2018, filings show (8/2/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland Metropolitan School District Considering Funding New Skyscraper Development (8/1/2017) Ideastream

Insurers will make sure nearly every Ohio county has an Obamacare carrier (7/31/2017) Cleveland.com

A rare Ohio home-rule victory in high court ruling on traffic cameras: Thomas Suddes (7/29/2017) Cleveland.com

Lake Erie an “outstanding” drinking water source, but toxins remain, report finds (7/29/2017) Cleveland.com

6 things you might not know about NASA Glenn (7/28/2017) Cleveland.com

University Hospitals joins Medical Mutual of Ohio’s SuperMed network; first time in more than 20 years (7/27/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio’s restrictions on red-light, speed cameras unconstitutional, Ohio Supreme Court rules (7/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Here’s What You Missed at Last Night’s Packed Forum on Shaker Square’s Future (7/26/2017) Cleveland Scene

4 years in, Global Center for Health Innovation is 20% vacant and has no leader (7/25/2017) Cleveland.com

Opposing Sides Lay Out Q Deal Arguments Before Ohio Supreme Court (7/24/2017) Cleveland Scene

What’s the future of Shaker Square? Free forum Tuesday at Shaker Library will tackle the question (7/23/2017) Plain Dealer

Softening vehicle sales, rising automation halt growth in Ohio’s auto jobs (7/23/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Property tax deal proposed for NuCLEus project (7/22/2017) Fox8

10-year committee to streamline Ohio constitution ends work 4 years early; critics say there’s little to show (7/21/2017) Cleveland.com

Vacant Randall Park Mall to be transformed into Amazon Fulfillment Center (7/20/2017) Fox8

Northeast Ohio home sales post slim June gains; prices keep on climbing (7/20/2017) Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga County to hire consultant to help determine future of Justice Center (7/19/2017) Cleveland.com

Why are so many running for Cleveland City Council and can any challengers win? (7/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Easing of Ohio high school graduation rules is now law – but questions remain (7/18/2017) Plain Dealer

How urban agriculture swept through Greater Cleveland (7/17/2017) Cleveland.com

How Cleveland is digging deep to block billions of gallons of sewage from Lake Erie (7/16/2017) Plain Dealer

Lake Erie water quality has improved, but much more can be done, experts say (7/15/2017) Lorain Morning Journal

Cleveland school board will consider unusual property-tax deal for nuCLEus project (7/14/2017) Cleveland.com

Third-largest harmful algal bloom could potentially grow in Lake Erie this summer, forecasters say (7/13/2017) Cleveland.com

What you need to know about Ohio’s new graduation changes (7/12/2017) Dayton Daily News

Groups opposed to Quicken Loans Arena deal allowed into court challenge, Ohio Supreme Court says (7/12/2017) Cleveland.com

House budgeters defy Trump by allotting $300 million for Great Lakes cleanup (7/11/2017) Cleveland.com

South Euclid talking with other cities about forming regional building department (7/11/2017) Cleveland.com

ODOT says Opportunity Corridor boulevard construction is delayed beyond 2020 by lawsuit fallout (7/10/2017) Plain Dealer

Where Ohio ranks for taxes, and other trends identified in new study (7/10/2017) Cleveland.com

How Trump, Russia and purging voters is shaping the race for Ohio’s next elections chief (7/9/2017) Akron Beacon Journal

Kasich ok’s consolidating Lake Erie algae efforts (7/8/2017) AP/WBNS-10TV

Faith organizations breaking away from Quicken Loans Arena deal opponents (7/7/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Governor at odds with lawmakers over Ohio teacher certification program (7/7/2017) News5

Gov. John Kasich’s Medicaid freeze veto survives House session, 11 other vetoes overturned (7/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio bill gives state EPA more teeth in regulating landfills, Lake Erie dredging (7/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio House passes bill to decriminalize concealed handguns in schools, other gun-free zones (7/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Toxic algae season arrives in Lake Erie; first bloom of 2017 reported (7/5/2017) Buffalo News

A Look at How Ohio’s 2018 Statewide Elections Are Shaping Up (7/4/2017) US News & World Report

Cleveland to roll out Opportunity Corridor plans showing how neighborhoods could benefit (7/2/2017) Plain Dealer

How can cities keep sewage out of Great Lakes? Dig. (7/2/2017) WRVO

The General Assembly flubs Ohio budget tests on Medicaid, wind energy: Thomas Suddes (7/1/2017) Cleveland.com

How the new Ohio state budget will impact you (7/1/2017) Dayton Daily News

 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoes Medicaid freeze, signs state budget bill (6/30/2017) Cleveland.com

Eight Cleveland Mayoral Challengers Filed Nominating Petitions by Yesterday’s Deadline (6/29/2017) Cleveland Scene

Every Cleveland City Council member could face a challenge for re-election (6/29/2017) Cleveland.com

Westlake Finance Director claims victory in Cleveland Water Department lawsuit (6/29/2017) Cleveland.com

Natural Gas Jobs Could Continue Climbing in Ohio, West Virginia Report Says Nearly 2 Million Jobs Expected by 2040 (6/28/2017) Wheeling News-Register

Invasive Asian carp (the kind that jump) found beyond barrier to Great Lakes (6/23/2017) Cleveland.com

K&D Group closes financing package for Halle Building’s redo (6/23/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Senate GOP health care plan guts Ohio Medicaid expansion (6/22/2017) Canton Repository

Energy Transfer Partners Ltd is struggling with its $4.2 billion pipeline in Ohio (6/22/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Great Lakes aren’t doing so great, says new government study (6/20/2017) Cleveland.com

High school graduation requirements would be eased under Senate proposal (6/20/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland State University President Ronald Berkman to retire in 2018 (6/20/2017) Cleveland.com

All Cleveland City Council elections shaping up as contested races, with several primary contests possible (6/19/2017) Cleveland.com

Northeast Ohio air getting better, but don’t breathe easy just yet (6/19/2017) Plain Dealer

How do you retrofit an old industrial waterfront? Cleveland is finding out (6/16/2017) KUAR

Small Business Tax Cut Getting Much Attention As Shortfall Approaches A Billion Dollars (6/16/2017) Ohio Statehouse News

Cleveland Indians & MLB fail in efforts to dismiss lawsuit in Canada involving use of Chief Wahoo logo “as racist” (6/15/2017) Cincinnati.com

Cleveland banks raise prime lending rates to 4% to 4.25% range following Fed’s interest rate hike (6/15/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Cleveland Clinic joint venture to offer individual insurance in five Northeast Ohio counties (6/15/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland police reform struggles to keep pace after two years (6/13/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland places 50% more kids in strong preschools, but falls short of goals (6/12/2017) Plain Dealer

State superintendent proposes cuts in Ohio’s state tests (6/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland and other cities have too many stores, and they’re still building (6/12/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

How NW Ohio farmers are trying to shrink Lake Erie toxic algal blooms  (6/11/2017) Plain Dealer

Playhouse Square plans 34-story apartment tower in downtown Cleveland’s theater district (6/9/2017) Plain Dealer

General Electric planning to sell GE Lighting, no immediate plans for Nela Park known (6/8/2017) Plain Dealer

Lots of legal arguments over Q arena deal, but no slam-dunk answers (6/7/2017) Cleveland.com

What you need to know about the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County jail agreement (6/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Major insurer Anthem to withdraw from Ohio health care exchange (6/6/2017) Cincinnati.com

Cleveland to take Q referendum issue to Ohio Supreme Court (6/5/2017) Cleveland.com

How Cleveland’s vacant homes, violent crimes and lead poisoning are linked: CWRU report (6/5/2017) Plain Dealer

Congressional Redistricting Reform On The Way In Ohio? (6/4/2017) WVXU

Campaign over Ohio ballot issue to cap drug prices heats up (6/3/2017) Associated Press

Effort to change how Ohio draws districts for Congress underway (6/1/2017) Dayton Daily News

Quicken Loans Arena transformation bonds delayed by petition fight (6/1/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio sues five drug companies over opioid crisis (5/31/2017) Reuters

Lorain City Schools eye chronic absenteeism at 24.2 percent (5/31/2017) Lorain Morning Journal

Oberlin adopts ‘Sanctuary City’ policies, just not the name (5/31/2017) Cleveland.com

Supreme Court to hear Ohio voter purge case (5/30/2017) The Hill

ECOT trying to delay vote on repaying $60 million to state, says it would be “death spiral”  for online school (5/30/2017) Columbus Dispatch

State oversight of Youngstown schools still a battle, far from the partnership Lorain seeks (5/30/2017) Plain Dealer

Big Algae Bloom Predicted this Summer in Lake Erie (5/29/2017) Ideastream

Lead poisoning lawsuit highlights Cleveland family’s plight to find safe, affordable housing (5/28/2017) Plain Dealer

Overdose deaths continue to soar in Ohio (5/28/2017) Columbus Dispatch

State control of Lorain schools aims to be partnership, not a “hijack” (5/27/2017) Plain Dealer

Groups opposed to Q deal threaten to sue if petitions aren’t accepted (5/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland Metroparks to buy Astorhurst Country Club for $3.1 million (5/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Will Cleveland City Council be cut to 15 members after the 2020 census? (5/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio wind law crippling wind development, $4.2 billion boost to Ohio economy (5/24/2017) Plain Dealer

Traditional retailers’ woes are starting to hit local governments hard (5/24/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Ohio schools may regain paper option for standardized tests (5/24/2017) Columbus Dispatch

U.S. won’t force Ohio to label Lake Erie ‘impaired’ (5/23/2017) Toledo Blade

Ohio’s small business tax break costs nearly $1 billion a year (5/22/2017) Cleveland.com

City refuses to accept petitions on Quicken Loans Arena referendum (5/22/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio attorney general certifies congressional redistricting reform amendment (5/22/2017) Cleveland.com

Big cities struggling to connect with Great Lakes (5/22/2017) Great Lakes Today

Ohio drug-price ballot issue likely to be costly, contentious (5/22/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland port’s dredging solution uses innovative, environmentally friendly interceptor (5/21/2017) Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga County heroin, fentanyl overdose deaths on pace to far exceed last year’s total (5/19/2017) Cleveland.com

Legal Aid Society sues Cleveland on behalf of toddler, asks court to make city follow lead poisoning laws (5/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Cuyahoga County’s bond rating downgraded because of rising debt as it plans to issue bonds for Q transformation (5/17/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland schools, Say Yes to Education ramp up planning to offer free college to all (5/17/2017) Cleveland.com

What’s wrong with Ohio’s economy, in five charts (5/16/2017) Cincinnati Enquirer

A “new normal” for home construction ricochets through Michigan (5/16/2017) Detroit Free Press

More than 2,000 Cuyahoga children in foster care, highest since 2011, thanks to opioid crisis (5/152017) Cleveland.com

Federal Immigration Policies Taking Toll on Cleveland Families, Neighborhoods (5/15/2017) Cleveland Scene

FirstEnergy Solutions facing risky future (5/15/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

So Why Is Everybody Running For Ohio Governor And Not The Other Four Offices? (5/13/2017) WKSU

Despite redlining and foreclosure, Cleveland’s East Side could grow with smart investment: panel (5/11/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson outlines $65 million neighborhood revitalization program (5/10/2017) Cleveland.com

MetroHealth prices bonds at $946 million for campus transformation (5/10/2017) Plain Dealer

Nuclear subsidies distort markets, hurt business, say FirstEnergy opponents (5/10/2017) Plain Dealer

Max Hayes surprise: 1950s shortcut buried some Cleveland history under school (5/8/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland’s western rim embarks on development boom (5/6/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Network Bonds for Quicken Loans Arena delayed until referendum issue resolved (5/5/2017) Cleveland.com

UH Bikes expanding as Clevelanders embrace bike sharing, even in winter (5/4/2017) Cleveland.com

Fight over Ohio Drug Price Relief Act ballot issue could set spending record (5/3/2017) Cleveland.com

$63.7 billion state budget bill clears Ohio House (5/2/2107) Cleveland.com

Environmental Groups sue federal agencies over possible fracking in Wayne National Forest, Ohio’s only national forest (5/2/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove announces plans to step down (5/1/2017) Cleveland.com

Budget deal funds Great Lakes cleanup through September (May 1, 2017) Columbus Dispatch

 

Coal-rich, but job-hungry, Appalachia waits for Donald Trump to deliver (4/30/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland ignores state law requiring warning signs on homes with unaddressed lead hazards (4/29/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s largest 100 employers in 2017; Walmart tops the list (4/27/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio School Funding Unequal 20 Years After Supreme Court Case (4/27/2017) WYSO

Opponents of The Q renovation deal launch referendum effort (4/26/2017) Cleveland.com

Designers “blown away” by potential of Irishtown Bend park as planning begins (4/25/2017) Plain Dealer

No high school graduation fix comes from Ohio House (4/25/2017) Cleveland.com

About 2 million gallons of drilling fluid spilled into two separate wetlands earlier this month, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency says (4/24/2017) Detroit Free Press/Associated Press

Stage 3 of the Towpath Trail in Cleveland will mix nature, industry and great views (4/23/2017)

March for Science in Cleveland packs Public Square (4/22/2017) Cleveland.com

Project 29 Joining Westside’s High-End Apartment Boom, Stoking Neighborhood ‘Growing Pains’ (4/21/2017) Cleveland Scene

Study On Public Sector Retirement Funds Brings Mixed News For Ohio (4/21/2017) WOSU

Retired Ohio teachers to lose cost of living increase (4/20/2017) Dayton Daily News

As middle class shrinks, Columbus must find ways to share prosperity urbanist warns (4/20/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Armond Budish Delivers State of the County, Defends Quicken Loans Arena Deal (4/19/2017) Cleveland Scene

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish announces new initiatives in State of the County address (4/19/2017) Cleveland.com

New urban trail: 1.9 miles breaks ground in Tremont (4/19/2017) FreshWater

Cleveland council’s vote delay suggests lobbying for The Q continues (4/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s state income tax bill is a bargain, regionally speaking (4/18/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio elementary schools struggle to get students vaccinated (4/16/2017) NBC/Associated Press

Ohio looks to change teacher evaluation system; may move away from test focus (4/13/2017) Dayton Daily News

Lawmakers Scrutinize Kasich’s Proposed Tax Cuts As Ohio’s Revenue Miss Mark Again (4/11/2017) WOSU

Akron prepares to launch city-wide residential tax abatement this summer (4/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Cuyahoga County infant mortality data reveals big hurdles (4/9/2017) Cleveland.com

Some Ohio Republicans still seethe over Kasich’s Medicaid expansion (4/9/2017) Columbus Dispatch

FirstEnergy Corp. gets introduction of the nuclear bailout bill it sought (4/7/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

GE could be getting out of the lighting business; Nela Park’s future not clear (4/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s economic recovery lags nation, experts testify (4/5/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio tax revenues fell 33 percent short of estimates in March (4/5/2017) Cleveland.com

Kasich discusses economy, technology, opioids in State of State (4/4/2017) Toledo Blade

Text of Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s State of the State address (4/4/2017) Associated Press

Pittsburgh’s growth hampered by death rate, ’empty generation’ (4/3/2017) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Researchers ponder whether low ice coverage is the Great Lakes’ new normal (4/2/2017) Chicago Tribune

Before Kasich’s speech, what is Ohio’s true ‘state of the state’? (4/2/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Turnpike travelers will see semi-autonomous trucks on the road this spring (4/1/2107) Plain Dealer

Ohio Teacher Evaluation System May Change Again (3/31/2017) Ideastream

FirstEnergy lakefront site could host parks, housing, gardens and more, planner says (3/29/2017) Plain Dealer

Doctor shortage could hurt Ohio rural areas (3/29/2017) Dayton Daily News

Pension cuts looming for Ohio teachers and retirees (3/28/2017) Dayton Daily News

Cleveland City Council OKs spending plan that bolsters safety forces, enhances city services (3/28/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio considers joining call for constitutional convention (3/26/2017) Toledo Blade

Has the Flats deflated? Not quite (3/25/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

The fight is on to preserve federal funds for the Great Lakes (3/24/2017) USA Today Network

Ten things that happened this week at Ohio Statehouse (3/24/2017) Capital Bureau News

Some Ohio educators question fairness of computer-required testing (3/24/2017) Massillon Independent

2016 Census Data for Northeast Ohio (3/23/2017)

14 of 17 Cleveland City Council Races to be contested (3/22/2017) Cleveland.com

Public forum on state budget cuts highlights local government frustration (3/22/2017) Cleveland.com

EPA cuts would threaten Lake Erie and our drinking water 3/22/2017) Michigan NPR

Cleveland City Council introduces legislation to commit $88M to Quicken Loans Arena improvements (3/21/2017) Cleveland.com

Changes to Ohio concealed carry law take effect today (3/21/2017) Cincinnati Enquirer

Cleveland Metroparks will offer fireworks & music spectacular at Edgewater Park Sat July 22 marking “eve” of 100th anniversary (3/20/2017) Fox 8

Ohio nursing homes among the nation’s lowest rated in quality of care (3/19/2017) Cleveland.com

Income Inequality: Despite thriving economy, many in central Ohio struggle in low-wage jobs (3/19/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Gov. John Kasich among 4 GOP governors who propose Medicaid fix for GOP health care reform (3/17/2017) Cleveland.com

More Cleveland school graduates ready for college but fewer enrolling, according to annual report (3/16/2017) Cleveland.com

Lake Erie programs suffer millions of dollars in losses from Trump budget proposals (3/16/2017) Cleveland.com

Job growth stagnant in Ohio, but many positions still unfilled. Ohio lost about 2,100 jobs last year (3/16/2017) WKBN-TV

Complaints to get Ohio to review amount of testing in schools (3/14/2017) Columbus Dispatch

NE Ohio Retail vacancy rises, but so does the rent. 2016 v 2015 Comparisons (3/13/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Almost all of Ohio’s voucher cash goes to religious schools (3/12/2017) Cleveland.com

Cuyahoga County will back MetroHealth System’s transformation bonds, saving Metro up to $160 million (3/11/2017) Cleveland.com

Greater Cleveland RTA ridership dips to record low; annual ridership, 1976-2016 (3/9/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland teachers pass new contract killing most of merit pay plan (3/9/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s proposed transportation budget doesn’t do enough for transit, some lawmakers say (3/8/2017) Cleveland.com

How gerrymandered Ohio congressional districts limit the influence of Ohio voters (3/7/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio lags in providing need-based grants for college students (3/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio’s payday problem. Critics say the short-term lending industry preys on the poor, but lawmakers aren’t scrambling for a fix (3/4/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Kasich K-12 Budget Means a Loss for Many Districts (3/3/2017) Ideastream

Ohio job growth worst last year since 2009 (3/3/2017) Dayton Daily News

Report: Pittsburgh’s economy ‘prosperous’ but leaving some behind (3/2/2017) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Congressional redistricting plan would leave Ohio lawmakers in charge (3/1/2017) Cleveland.com

What Privacy Do Students Have? Ohio Supreme Court Hears Backpack Seizure Case (3/1/2017) WOSU

Record number of concealed carry gun permits issued in Ohio in 2016 (3/1/2017) Cleveland.com

Cuyahoga County Council questions financing plan for Quicken Loans Arena renovations (2/28/2017)  Cleveland.com

Ohio reviews since 2011 find 126 non-citizens have voted  Voter fraud is rare, state secretary says (2/27/2017) Associated Press/Cincinnati.com

Pittsburgh’s black middle class has learned to navigate a city that is still segregated in many respects (2/26/2017) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cleveland, state, JobsOhio reach deal that clears way for Opportunity Corridor (2/24/2017) Cleveland.com

In One Glenville Neighborhood, Residents See Looming Gentrification (2/24/2017) Ideastream

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is favorite to win a 4th term – for now: Brent Larkin (2/23/17) Cleveland.com

Seven projects that will change the face of Cleveland (2/23/2017) Freshwater

FirstEnergy talks bankruptcy and need for bailout of its nuclear plants (2/22/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Cleveland to “phase out,” but not close, eight schools after turnaround efforts flounder (2/21/2017) Cleveland.com

Northeast Ohio ranks fourth in Midwest biomedical investments (2/20/2017) Cleveland.com

Who’s running for mayor in Cleveland? Frank Jackson faces a crowded field for re-election (2/20/17) Cleveland.com

Cities reap benefits of downtown bus hubs (2/19/2017) Toledo Blade

Ohio’s tuition vouchers could soon give more money to more middle class, suburban students (2/17/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland would lose $2 million under Kasich’s proposal for local aid; 51 other Ohio cities would also lose out (2/16/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio City park plan, at Irishtown Bend, gets Clean Ohio grant to buy, clear land (2/16/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove reports rough financial year for hospital in 2016 (2/15/2017) Plain Dealer

Who’s running for Cleveland City Council? Here’s a look at potential candidates who have pulled petitions (2/15/2017) Cleveland.com

Opponents, some supporters, of Q renovation plan pack Cuyahoga County Council meeting (2/14/2017) Cleveland.com

How young is too young? 36,000 elementary school suspensions in Ohio (2/14/2017) WKYC

Detroit’s big city lifestyle attracts young suburbanites (2/12/2017) Detroit Free Press

Cuyahoga County demolition fund puts dent in housing-market distress (2/12/2017) Plain Dealer

Ohio EPA releases plan for curbing nutrient pollution in Lake Erie (2/9/2017) Sandusky Register

Ohio 45th of 50 states in college affordability: study (2/9/2017) Dayton Daily News

Port hires design team to envision transformation of Irishtown Bend (2/9/2017) Cleveland.com

Push underway for automatic voter registration in Ohio (2/9/17) Dayton Daily News

Ohio hopes to “streamline” student testing, says State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria (2/8/2017) Cleveland.com

Akron wants to grow from 198,000 residents to 250,000 by 2050: Here’s how (2/6/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland’s Public Square debate enters the national spotlight (2/4/2017) Plain Dealer

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s three terms in office (analysis) (2/4/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland, other local governments could get less state money under Gov. John Kasich’s budget (2/2/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to seek unprecedented fourth 4-year term (2/1/2017) Cleveland.com

2018 Ohio U.S. Senate candidates gearing up for another expensive race (2/1/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio could ban schools from expelling youngest students (1/31/2017) Dayton Daily News

Gov. John Kasich Releases Budget; Includes Sales Tax Increase (1/30/2017) Cleveland.com

Ohio may change the way congressional lines are drawn (1/29/2017) Springfield News Sun

Ohio tax cuts have starved schools, libraries, drug treatment, critics say (1/29/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Nursing in Northeast Ohio is in critical condition (1/28/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Small Ohio cities continue to struggle (1/27/2017) Zanesville Times Recorder

Ohio hospitals, Medicaid providers concerned about Trump administration’s block grant plans (1/26/2017) Cleveland.com

U.S., Canada slow to tackle Great Lakes chemical pollution, says report (1/26/17) Michigan Live

The future of school funding (1/25/2017) Columbus Underground

Jobs doubled along Euclid Avenue after completion of HealthLine: CSU study (1/24/2017) Plain Dealer

Children Services Agencies Say Kids, Social Workers Are Suffering In Opioid Epidemic (1/23/2017) WOSU

Women’s March on Cleveland draws large, passionate crowd (1/21/2017) Cleveland.com

What local changes will a Trump administration bring? (1/21/17) Channel 19 News

Ohio economy ends ’16 on upswing (1/20/2017) Toledo Blade

Why aren’t more non-Browns events held at FirstEnergy Stadium?(1/19/2017) Cleveland.com

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture aims to improve equity in access to the arts  (1/19/2017) Plain Dealer

Lake Erie quality deteriorating, needs Canadian and American mandatory standards, report says (1/18/2017) London Ont Free Press

Ohio schools ranked exactly average nationally (1/17/2017) Dayton Daily News

Cleveland’s major hospitals warn of harm from Obamacare repeal (1/15/2017) Cleveland.com

How Ohio is adjusting the Common Core for Ohio classrooms (1/13/2017) Cleveland.com

Cleveland’s among a group of cities outperforming their outlying suburban areas in attracting ‘educated millennials’ (1/13/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

In a changing Pittsburgh, some fear the hidden costs of progress (1/12/2017) Penn Live

‘Appalling’ state of Cleveland police complaint investigators must be fixed, monitor says (1/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Breakthrough charter school network splits up over speed of expansion plans (1/10/2017) Cleveland.com

Columbus semi-finalist for futuristic, high-speed transportation system (1/10/2017) Columbus Dispatch

Donald Trump gets revenge by dismantling Gov. John Kasich’s Ohio Republican Party machine: Analysis (1/7/2017) Cleveland.com

Gov. John Kasich to include congressional redistricting reform in budget (1/5/2017) Cleveland.com

20% of Global Center for Health Innovation remains vacant (1/3/2017) Cleveland.com

Dozens of new laws take effect in Ohio — here are some that may impact you (1/2/2017) Fox8

Federal agency demands RTA repay $12 million for Public Square closure, threatens to withhold federal funding (1/1/2017) Plain Dealer

Investors ‘putting down roots’ on Lorain (1/1/2017) Crain’s Cleveland Business

Cleveland in 1912: Civitas Triumphant by Dr. John Grabowski

The pdf is here

Cleveland 1912: Civitas Triumphant
By Dr. John Grabowski

During Cleveland’s long history a number of periods and a number of specific years stand out as special.   For sports aficionados the years immediately after World War II, and particularly 1948 were “the” championship years. For economic historians, 1832, the year the Ohio and Erie Canal was completed, stands out as the beginning of Cleveland’s evolution into a prosperous community with enormous potential for future development.   But, what if one were to ask what year, or what period marked the point at which Cleveland became a modern city, one deserving of national emulation or the question as to when did democracy truly triumph in Cleveland? The answer would have to be the Progressive Era of the early 1900s and, perhaps, specifically the year 1912.   The choice of 1912 is a bit subjective given the rich history of progressive-era Cleveland and the panoply of reformers, from Tom L. Johnson to Frederick Howe, and Belle Sherwin who played important roles in the period.   But 1912 is significant in large part because it was a one of the most propitious times for reform and change in the history of the city, state, and nation, and also the the year in which an altruistic and legally savvy reformer assumed the office of mayor. That person was Newton D. Baker.

Newton D. Baker took the oath of office as major of Cleveland on January 1, 1912.  He would serve as mayor for two terms, until 1916, a period in which the city would see a remarkable burst of governmental reform and a spate of what can only be termed “progressive” civic actions on the part of private individuals, organizations and corporations. While it is difficult to separate one year from the others in Baker’s tenure as mayor, 1912 is perhaps the best candidate both because it was his inaugural year as chief executive, and also the period in which the ideals and ideas he espoused also were on the center stage of state and national politics.

Baker was no newcomer to the local political scene. A lawyer, educated at Johns Hopkins and Washington and Lee, he came to the city in 1899 to work in the law office of former Congressman Martin Foran. Two years later he would become assistant law director in the administration of Tom L. Johnson. A year later, at the age of 32 he would become the city solicitor. Like Johnson, Baker was one of a growing number of individuals who sought to find solutions to a number of problems and issues that confronted the nation in the years after the Civil War. Industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and growing economic disparities severely challenged many of the nation’s foundational ideals, particularly concepts of democracy and equality.

The Progressive Movement or Era, in which Johnson and Baker played nationally prominent roles began in the late 1890s. It was largely urban in origin and its adherents and leaders tended to be well-educated middle class men and women.   Their motivations as reformers have been debated by historians for decades with some seeing the progressives working for their own self interests as the native-born middle class was seeing its power and status challenged by immigrant-based political machines in American cities and a wealthy plutocracy whose monopolistic business practices limited opportunities for small scale entrepreneurship. Other historians view the progressive agenda as more altruistic and genuine with roots in the evolving Social Gospel of the late nineteenth century while another interpretation sees the movement as a move to bring order and rationality to all aspects of American life, ranging from the creation of efficient industrial processes to the establishment of professions and professional standards in medicine, law and other occupations, as well as to more scientific means of dispensing philanthropy and dealing with social problems. Whatever their motivations the progressives would advocate a variety of measures to change politics and society, including referendum and initiative, pure food and drug laws, child labor laws, building codes, anti-monopoly legislation, and organized charitable solicitation.   They vigorously fought corrupt urban political machines, sought conciliation between labor and capital, and established the social settlement movement within the United States.

All of these motivations can be seen within the reforms undertaken in Cleveland from the 1890s to the 1920s and all are part of the story of the remarkable year of 1912. What happened in 1912 was astounding, but it was not so much revolutionary as evolutionary.   Its roots lay in the last decade of the nineteenth century, a period in which the city confronted a considerable number of major changes and issues.   One catalytic issue was the economy, particularly the Depression of 1893, which raised issues of labor and capital, the means to bring relief to the poor and unemployed, and the manner in which old solutions failed to address the needs of a rapidly modernizing nation. While the diversity of industry in Cleveland provided some buffer from the national economic decline, events such as the march on Washington by Coxey’s Army which originated in Massillon, Ohio, provided a nearby reminder of the labor unrest that had confronted the nation during previous economic downturns in 1877 and again in the mid-1880s and which might possibly worsen if matters weren’t corrected.

Nevertheless the city continued to grow during the decade and although the rate of immigration diminished briefly in 1894 and 1895, its population rose from 261,353 to 381,768 and its ranking among America cities from 10th to 7th between 1890 and 1900.   Although the rise in rank, and the fact that Cleveland had replaced Cincinnati as the state’s largest city was a matter of local pride the rapid growth brought substantial problems in its wake.   The most prominent of these was the squalor of older and severely overcrowded neighborhoods near the city’s center, including the Haymarket area, Lower Woodland, and the section around the “Angle” and Whiskey Island on the near West Side. Compounding the matter was the fact that older areas such as these lacked adequate water and sewers. Equally significant was the fact that neighborhoods like these were largely inhabited by the foreign-born and their children, a matter which begged the questions as to how or if an increasingly diverse population could or should be brought into the traditions of American democracy.   Ward bosses, such as “Czar” Harry Bernstein on lower Woodland tried to make the newcomers part of his version of urban democracy, a version that was anathematic to many of the long-settled middle class in the city. These situations initiated the first surge of activities in the city which were a combination of personal altruism and idealism and a corporatized search for order and solutions to the problems. The personalized approach was best represented by the rise of the settlement house movement in Cleveland. Hiram House, the city’s first settlement was established in 1896. Its founder, George Bellamy, a student at Hiram College, recalled coming to Cleveland on a survey mission (inspired by a visit to the college by Graham Taylor, the founder of Chicago Commons Settlement) and returning to Hiram to tell his classmates that Cleveland needed a settlement “very badly.”   Within four years another four settlements, Council Educational Alliance, Friendly Inn, Alta House, and Goodrich House had been established. Considered “Spearheads of Reform” by historian Allen Davis, the settlements represented grass roots progressive activity often driven by Social Gospel ideals and often fueled by youthful idealism. Their leaders sought to educate and help newcomers adjust to the city at the same time as they confronted political corruption, squalor, and poverty.

There was, however, a more pragmatic and, perhaps, less idealistic side to the rise of progressive reform in the city in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and it was led by the city’s Chamber of Commerce.   Its agenda fit neatly into the side of the Progressive Movement that sought order, rationality, and efficiency.   The businessmen who constituted its membership were familiar with these concepts having often applied them to their own enterprises and in doing so following the teachings of Frederick W. Taylor who pioneered scientific management in the 1880s. The work of various Chamber committees led to the creation of a series of bathhouses in areas that lacked household plumbing; a rational housing code for the city; and a system of charitable giving which would eventually lead to the Community Chest and today’s United Way. The Chamber was also key to the creation of the “Group Plan Commission” which led to the building of the Mall with its orderly arrangement of major civic buildings in the Beaux Arts style.   The Mall was, perhaps, the city’s first major urban renewal process as it replaced a declining neighborhood reflected unfavorably on the city. One can debate the motivations of the members of the Chamber of Commerce. Certainly, there was a touch of reform and altruism to their actions, but they also knew that others, including members of the Socialist Party and single taxers were suggesting alternative solutions to the problems that plagued growing urban industrial centers such as Cleveland.

It was, however, a businessman turned politician who eventually came to symbolize progressive reform in Cleveland.   Tom L. Johnson built a personal fortune by operating street railways which were, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, hugely lucrative private enterprises franchised by the cities in which they operated.   He began his career in Louisville, then operated lines in Indianapolis and lastly in Cleveland in 1879. He moved to the city ca. 1883. Wealthy, with a home on Euclid Avenue, Cleveland’s Millionaire’s Row, Johnson, Like Saul on the road to Damascus, underwent a conversion experience.   He read Henry George’s works and became an advocate of the single land tax and free trade — proposals that were frightening to his economic and social peers.   Johnson would then spend the remainder of his life, and the better part of his fortune trying to reform society through political action, first as a US Representative from the city’s 21st district (1890-1894) and then as a four-term (1901-1908) mayor of the city, the office in which he received national and international notice for his reforms. He was characterized by journalist Lincoln Steffens as follows” “Johnson is the best mayor of the best governed city in America.”

Johnson was one of several US mayors, including Hazen Pingree of Detroit and Samuel “Golden Rule” Jones and Brand Whitlock of Toledo who came to epitomize the rise of progressivism on the municipal level. Today their names and achievements are common to many historical texts on the era.   The hallmarks of Johnson’s mayoralty in Cleveland were an expansion of popular democracy, the professionalization of governmental functions and an advocacy of the public ownership of services, including utilities and urban transit. He succeeded in the first two – his tent meetings and very “populist” mayoral campaigns were unlike any seen in the city before and the people he chose for his cabinet to manage legal issues, public safety, water services, and the penal system were professionals with the best credentials, rather than campaign supporters and political hacks.   However, his plans and hopes for municipal ownership of utilities and urban transport never fully succeeded. Indeed, his campaign for control of the street railways and especially the imposition of a standard three-cent fare engendered strong opposition, and eventually led to his defeat in 1908 by a public grown weary of the issue.  

Johnson also struggled with the matter of restructuring the system of government for Cleveland.   While he was able to hire the best managers, the statehouse, using the then current 1851 state constitution, dictated the manner in which cities could design their systems of offices and responsibilities as well as their overall structure of representation and governance.   The state system was antiquated and could not match the needs of growing urban areas – the problem was not unique to Cleveland nor to Ohio and it represented part of a growing gap between rural-dominated statehouses and polyglot industrial cities.   The solution was “home rule,” that is the ability of the citizens of a particular municipality to select the system that best suited their needs. Johnson campaigned on a platform of home rule but here too, was unable to achieve it before his defeat by Republican Hermann Baehr in 1908.

Yet his defeat in 1908 did not signal an end to progressive reform in the city. By the time Johnson had left office the movement was firmly embedded not only in the city but in the nation.   The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, which also ended in 1908, had given a progressive hue to national politics. Most important for Cleveland, however, was that Johnson’s acolytes, particularly Newton D. Baker, remained in the city and remained committed to concepts of democratic and social reform.   Likewise, but from another perspective, the business-based focus on rationality and order accelerated, and, for whatever its drawbacks, would continue to effect significant changes to the manner in which the city, and most particularly, its benevolent institutions operated.

The major thread of local continuity was Newton D. Baker. Baker continued to serve as City Solicitor during the Baehr administration and, upon Johnson’s death in 1911, he assumed leadership of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.   While Baker shared the same idealistic zeal of his mentor, Johnson, he more truly fit the mold of the typical progressive and, by virtue of that, was became a more effective leader in the movement. Unlike Johnson, he had a university education and was professionally trained as a lawyer. Unlike Johnson, he had never garnered wealth, but at that time remained a member of the middle, professional class. Also, Baker was young.   Johnson was 47 when he became mayor in 1901, Baker was 30 when he joined the administration that year, an age more in concert with the group of young social workers and civic advocates with which he socialized. Among these was a college classmate, Frederick Howe, who was active in a variety of local reform organizations including Goodrich Settlement House.   Certainly, his tenure with Johnson was one akin to apprentice and master in regard to politics, but Baker learned quickly and his ability as an articulate, informed public speaker made him an asset to the administration and eventually would, along with his deep understanding of the law, form the basis for a political career which would eclipse that of his mentor.   Baker ran for mayor in 1911 against Republican businessman, Frank G. Hogan, and won handily.

Baker’s assumption of the office of mayor in 1912 was one of three seminal political events that year, each heavily colored by the urge for progressive reform. The most visible was the impending US Presidential campaign which would find three candidates seeking the office: Democratic Woodrow Wilson; Republican William Howard Taft the incumbent; and the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party candidate, former President Theodore Roosevelt.   The other event was a state constitutional convention in Ohio which was charged with redrafting or amending the state’s 1851 Constitution. Baker, as mayor of Cleveland would play important roles in both of these events and in doing so gain stature for himself and his city in the state and nation.

When Baker assumed the office of mayor, Cleveland was the nation’s sixth largest city and its population was over 600,000. Baker’s campaign had promised more reforms including the municipal ownership urban utilities including gas, electric, street railways, and even the telephone system.   He also strongly advocated home rule.   His primary goal, however, was something he called “civitism,” a word which he coined and which referred to the creation of a sense of pride in all citizens for their city. It was a pride to be built upon a broad participatory democracy and which would bring in its wake the buildings, cultural institutions, parks and other physical amenities that make a city great.   Baker’s margin of victory in 1912, over 17,000 votes, was the largest in the city’s history up to that time. Short in stature (he was only 5’ 6” tall) Baker was not physically imposing, as had been his mentor, Johnson, but he made up for the lack of stature with superb oratorical skills and well-honed abilities as a debater.

Like Johnson he appealed to a broad democracy, holding tent meetings around the city during election periods and speaking at numerous venues for dedications, neighborhood gatherings and other “technically” non-political events. That, along with his substantial plurality allowed him to achieve things that had eluded Johnson. By 1914 Cleveland had is municipal electric provider (today’s Cleveland Public Power).   Although street railways were not fully municipalized until 1942, his administration, notably through the efforts of Peter Witt, (Baker’s Commissioner of Street Railways),was able to use municipal oversight to get fares dropped to 3 cents. Baker then went on a “three-cent binge” creating municipal dance halls that offered dances at that price and selling fish from Lake Erie at three cents, the fish being trawled for by city boats.  The municipal electric plant also offered 3 cent lighting!

Baker’s first year in office set a tone for other events that enhanced the progressive nature of the community.   The West Side Market, the site of which had been purchased by the city under the Johnson administration in 1902, dedicated its new modern facility in 1912.   Designed by the noted architectural firm of Hubbell and Benes, the building was the epitome of a modern market, sanitary, attractive, and hugely efficient. In October 1912, the emphasis on democracy and open civic debate favored by progressives such as Johnson and Baker came into its own with the founding of the City Club of Cleveland.   On the same day, January 1, that Baker took office, the new County Court House, a landmark of the Group Plan opened.   Baker’s two terms of office would see the construction of its counterpart, the City Hall, which would open in 1916, the year after Baker left office. The site of the old city hall, on Superior Avenue, then became that for the new building of the Cleveland Public Library. Citizens approved a bond issue to pay for the new building in 1912. It would open in 1925.

Paralleling these civic reforms was a continued growth of industry and entrepreneurship in the city, something attributable, in part, to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce to stabilize the chaos of urbanization in Cleveland.   Although one can pinpoint several major industrial developments in the city during 1912 – including the expansion of the Otis Steel Works into a major new plant in the Flats south of Clark Avenue, statistics for the decade as a whole show an enormous growth in productivity. The values of industrial products made in Cleveland was $271,960,833 in 1910, it rose to $350,000,000 in 1914, and after World War I to $ 1,091,577,490 in 1920. That growth did not, however, come without continued conflict between capital and labor.   In 1911, 4,000 workers in Cleveland’s large, and growing garment industry went on strike.   Their action failed, but in ensuing years manufacturers tried to stave off unionization by offering benefits, lunchrooms, recreation and employee representation in decision making.   This variety of corporate paternalism was considered progressive at the time, but that definition is debated by some contemporary historians.

What made 1912 a seminal year for the city was not simply what took place within its borders, but the influence it wielded on the state and national level during that year, influence largely attributable to its mayor.   In 1910 Ohio voters had called for a new constitutional convention.   The last attempt to modify the State’s primary document had ended in failure in 1873 and the 1851 constitution that remained in place was totally inadequate to the needs of the state, most particularly those of its urban areas. The convention opened in Columbus in January 1912.   The delegates to the conference chose not to change the Constitution itself but rather proposed a series of amendments to be put before the electorate.   The forty-two amendments they offered to voters in a September 3 election encompassed a substantial portion of the progressive agenda.   They called for initiative and referendum as a means to bring the peoples’ voice directly to lawmaking; home rule which would allow communities of over 5,000 people to establish their own systems of governance; labor reforms including the establishment of a minimum wage, workman’s compensation and a provision to allow the legislature to set working hours; an expanded state bill of rights; a line-item veto for the governor; and the right for Ohio Women to hold certain state offices and to vote.

Mayor Newton D. Baker was one of the principal advocates for the progressive agenda of the convention, speaking before the delegates drafting the amendments and then stumping for proposals prior to the election.   He was in excellent company – others who spoke included Brand Whitlock, the progressive mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Hiram Johnson, the governor who had made California a bell weather progressive state and Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, who would go on to become the candidates in one of the nation’s most critical Presidential contests in the fall.

In September voters approved thirty-two of the proposed amendments. Among those rejected was women suffrage, but all of the major amendments relating to labor, direct democracy, and home rule passed.   Subsequent state legislation would make these progressive concepts a reality. Baker’s role as advocate was critical to the enormous liberalization of the state’s constitution and this brought national notice and credit to him and his city.

The Presidential campaign then served to heighten his stature.   Then as now, Ohio was a critical electoral state and then as now, the vote in Cuyahoga County had significant impact on statewide election results. The contest that year was arguably the last in which a third party candidate had legitimate hopes for victory.   That candidate was former President Theodore Roosevelt.   He had sought the nomination of his original party, the Republicans, but was defeated by William Howard Taft, the man whom he had selected as his successor has President in 1908 but whose conservative actions had irritated him and other progressive Republicans.   Interestingly, it was a set of adroit maneuvers by Cleveland Republican Party boss, Maurice Mashke, that loaded the Ohio delegation at the convention with votes destined for Taft thus ensuring Roosevelt’s loss of the nomination. Roosevelt then bolted the party, and became the candidate of the new Progressive (or Bull Moose) Party.   Baker, however, had strong ties to the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson, who would win the three-way contest. He had taken a class taught by Wilson at Johns Hopkins University and had remained close to Wilson ever since. Both were intellectuals who had entered the political arena as reformers; Baker, of course, in Cleveland and Wilson, the President of Princeton University as the reform governor of New Jersey in 1911.   The connection was valuable to both – Baker made a critical speech at the Democratic Convention in Baltimore that helped Wilson win the nomination and Wilson would invite Baker, in several instances to become part of his Presidential administration. Although Baker declined the initial overtures, wishing to continue his service as mayor of Cleveland he would, after he had left office in 1916, accept the invitation to become the Secretary of War.

Baker had many reasons to wish to stay in Cleveland, foremost among them was the chance to use the new Home Rule amendment to create a special city charter for Cleveland.   By doing so he would he would fulfill one of his mentor, Tom Johnson’s major goals – the creation of a modern, rational system of governance specifically suited to the needs of Cleveland.   The process began in 1913 with the election of a special commission to decide on the new governmental structure.   Their proposal went to the voters in 1914 and was approved by a margin of two to one. With the system in place and Baker elected to a second term in office, Cleveland remained one of the nation’s premier examples of progressive government.

The restructuring of government and Baker’s national prominence were not the only factors that brought notice to the city.   It continued to exhibit “civitas” on other fronts, both philanthropic and cultural.   Frederick Goff’s establishment of the Cleveland Foundation in 1914 made the city the pioneer in the creation of community funds.   The establishment of the Federation For Charity and Philanthropy (the successor to the Chamber of Commerce’s Committee on Benevolent Institutions and the predecessor to the Community Fund) in 1913 marked the beginning of federated charitable solicitation and distribution.   The creation of a city Department of Welfare under the auspices of the new Home Rule charter in 1914 added to the evolving modern social service infrastructure.   Two years later a Women’s City Club would come into being, evidence of the gender divide that continued despite the progressive impulse. The same year saw the opening of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the first performance at the Cleveland Playhouse.

Within another year, however, the United States would join the great European war and that experience would both overshadow and, according to some historians, tarnish the rise of progressivism in the United States. One of its most visible consequences for Cleveland was the elevation of Newton Baker to a place of international prominence.   Baker had left the mayor’s office in 1916 to establish his own law firm (it exists today as Baker Hostetler), but within months he was asked by President Wilson to join his cabinet as Secretary of War. He accepted, taking a leave of absence from the law firm.   Within a year he found himself undertaking the Herculean task of creating, training, and equipping an army of two-million and then transferring it to Europe.   The task involved logic, political challenges, and the expenditure of vast amounts of money.   In true progressive style he assembled a team of expert, efficient managers and, by and large, performed a logistical and political miracle.

While the “war to end all wars” ended successfully for the US and its allies, it was followed almost immediately by a period of disillusionment.   The rationale for entering the war was questioned as was the strict regimentation of society for the war effort, a regimentation that often curtailed individual liberties and which was sometimes colored by propaganda-driven biases and prejudices.   In some ways this reflected badly on that aspect of progressivism which focused on order and rationality.   Baker was caught up in this maelstrom of second thoughts after the war. He stumped enthusiastically for President Wilson’s campaign to have the United States become a member of the League of Nations – a concept that very much reflected on the social idealism of progressivism. The campaign failed and the US entered the 1920s seeking “normalcy,” which in many ways seemed to counter the old zeal for reform and change.

Some historians see the war and the decade that followed as the end of the Progressive Era, while others argue that many progressives continued to be influential, noting that a number would rise to prominence, ideals intact, within the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.   Baker’s position during this period seems ambiguous.   He remained active on the political front, serving as the chairman of the county Democratic Party until 1936 and in 1932 he was considered a viable candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for President. But during this time, when the bulk of his time was devoted to his law firm, he arguably became increasingly conservative politically and was, at times, at odds with the Roosevelt Administration.   He objected, in particular, to the expansion of Federal power and programs during the New Deal.

Whether or not Baker remained a “true” progressive until his death in 1937 or whether or not the movement ended in the early 1920s or later, are interesting and important historical questions. However, there is no question as to the impact of the legacy of the Progressive Era in Cleveland and, particularly, that of the events of 1912 on the subsequent history of city.   For example, the surveys conducted by the Cleveland Foundation during its early years helped shape a number of areas of social policy, including public education in the 1920s. The establishment of Home Rule allowed Cleveland to create a city manager form of government in 1921. The city manager system was a true progressive ideal as it attempted to move politics out and professional administration into the running of a city. It functioned from 1923 to 1931, when the Depression and patronage politics undermined it.   Today examples of the progressive legacy abound ranging from Mall, the Metro Parks system pioneered by William Stinchcomb, in 1917 to the set of arts and cultural institutions that set Cleveland apart from other cities.   In regard to organized charity and philanthropy the annual United Way fund drive and institutions such as East End Neighborhood House, Goodrich-Gannett, and Hiram House Camp which had their beginnings in the period continue to serve the community today.   Perhaps most importantly, the principal of direct democracy, made possible by initiative and referendum remains alive and viable, as was demonstrated in the statewide referendum relating to the bargaining rights of public employees on the 2011 ballot.

Certainly, the selection of 1912 as one of “the” years in Cleveland’s history can be debated. However, now, a century thereafter, the degree to which the events that took place during it and in the surrounding era still shape daily lives in the city and state is simply remarkable.   But, perhaps of greater consequence is the fact that the ideals and persistence of those who used their intellect and altruistic ideals to promote change 100 years ago can and should, continue to inspire us.

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Ruth Ratner Miller obit from Plain Dealer 12/26/1996

Ruth Ratner Miller obit from Plain Dealer 12/27/1996 newspaper

Ms. Rater Miller (1 Dec. 1925 – 26 November 1996)
Encyclopedia of Cleveland History listing

 image from PD 6/8/1980

RUTH MILLER, A SERVANT OF THE CITY, DIES AT 70 `SHE NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING FOR HERSELF’ by Lou Mio

Ruth Ratner Miller broke the glass ceiling before anyone thought of the term to describe successful businesswomen.

She was president of Tower City Center, but business was only one aspect of the life of a woman who also dedicated herself to public service.

“She never asked for anything for herself,” said Gov. George V. Voinovich. “She was always asking, `How can I help? How can I help?’ She will be missed.’

Miller, 70, of Lyndhurst, died yesterday at Cleveland Clinic Hospital. She had cancer, a disease she had vowed to beat.

“She always assured me, `I’m going to recover from this and be all right,’ said Rabbi Armond Cohen of Park Synagogue, a lifelong friend. “I think she felt that way to the end.”

Miller, who had been fighting cancer for several years, was the eternal optimist, said Cohen. She had scheduled a party for Dec. 12.

“She was blessed with many gifts, but most remarkably, she shared most generously all the gifts that she had,” Cohen said. “She was a very great Jewish lady, a great citizen of the world and of her community.”

Her renovation of the Terminal Tower’s lower levels into a glamorous shopping center captured the city’s attention, but she also was instrumental in converting the former Halle Bros. Co. department store downtown into an attractive office building.

“She was a tremendous booster of Cleveland and understood the significance of relighting the Terminal Tower,” said Voinovich.

“That may sound insignificant, but Cleveland needed a symbol of its rebirth. On July 13, 1981, Ruth was responsible for relighting the Terminal Tower. It was a symbol the lights were back on in Cleveland and there was hope for a bright future.”

On a personal note, Voinovich added: “I’ll never forget how she responded when we lost Molly [their daughter, in an auto accident]. She was a prime mover in Janet and I receiving the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund, and was responsible for one of the largest recreation centers in Israel being named for Molly Agnes Voinovich. Ruth reached out to us at a time when we needed comfort.”

Miller, who never held elected office, was Cleveland’s community development director for Mayor Ralph J. Perk from 1976 to 1978 and director of Cleveland’s Health Department from 1974 to 1976.

“I have a new idea for saving neighborhoods,” she once said. “You start with people, not with buildings.”

When Miller was appointed community development director, Perk said: “She is more sensitive to people’s needs than any of the other candidates. That is one of the major requirements of being community development director.”

To carry out her goals, she worked 12 to 14 hours a day – spending much of the time out in the neighborhoods – and came to her office Sunday afternoons to catch up on correspondence.

Fridays, the Jewish sabbath eve, were always spent with her family, which had long been active in Park Synagogue.

Mayor Michael R. White said of her contributions to the city: “She was a passionate leader for assuring the health and well-being of Cleveland’s less fortunate and upgrading the quality of life for all of Cleveland’s citizens.”

At the national level, Miller was on the executive committee of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, appointed by President Ronald Reagan and reappointed by President George Bush.

“She had the longest tenure [at the museum], through two parties,” said Albert Ratner, her younger brother and co-chairman of the board of Forest City Enterprises Inc., where her uncle, the late Max Ratner, was board chairman. “She was the individual who was able to bring together the survivors and people in the community who had not been victims.

“Ruth was a tremendous advocate for women, not only in this country, but in Israel,” Ratner said. “She was a mentor and model, and she organized women to take their rightful place in the community.”

The Ratner family has long been active in supporting Israel. Family members have been prominent in raising money for Israel, as well as money for the Holocaust Museum.

Miller was born Dec. 1, 1925, to Leonard and Lillian Ratner, who founded the highly successful Forest City Enterprises Inc. The national real estate giant built and owns shopping centers, office towers, apartment buildings and hotels across the United States, including downtown Cleveland’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Western Reserve University and a doctorate in guidance and counseling after the school had become Case Western Reserve University.

When she was 20, she married Samuel H. Miller, whom she had met at her family’s summer cottage in Wickliffe. Because she was a minor, she needed her parents’ written permission.

The couple had four children. Her marriage to Miller, who later became co-chairman of the board and treasurer of Forest City, ended in divorce in 1982.

Miller’s second marriage in 1985 was to Rabbi Phillip Horowitz, father of three children and rabbi of the former Temple B’rith Emeth. She retained the name Miller.

In 1980, she was the Republican candidate for the seat of retiring 22nd District Rep. Charles A. Vanik, but lost in the primary to Joseph Nahra by 1,500 votes.

She was elected chairwoman of the Greater Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau in December 1985.

She was a news analyst for WBBG-AM radio for two years, from 1978-1980, and was director of Rapid Recovery, a program aimed at cleaning up Regional Transit Authority right-of-ways, in 1979.

She co-chaired the campaign to elect Republican Thomas J. Moyer chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 1986, when he defeated incumbent Frank D. Celebrezze.

Former Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste appointed her a trustee of Cleveland State University in 1987. She was an occasional lecturer in CSU’s College of Urban Studies.

As a trustee, she was chairwoman of the board’s minority affairs committee when CSU President John A. Flower fired Raymond A. Winbush as vice president of minority affairs and human relations.

In 1986, Celeste had appointed Miller to the Ohio High Speed Rail Authority, a group assembled to recommend ways to develop a passenger network linking the state’s major cities. Miller served as fund-raising chairwoman for the Greater Cleveland chapter of Aiding Leukemia Stricken American Children.

In 1985, she was appointed a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya. Maureen Reagan, daughter of then-President Reagan, headed the 34-member delegation.

Although Miller received many honors, she said she was especially proud of having been elected by her alma mater to the Cleveland Heights High School Hall of Fame in 1990.

Miller is survived by her husband, Rabbi Horowitz; sons, Aaron of Washington, D.C., Richard of Boston and Abraham of Cleveland; daughter, Gabrielle of Wellesley, Mass.; a brother; eight grandchildren; and five stepgrandchildren.

The Best Barber in America By John E. Vacha

the pdf is here

 Cleveland Public Library (top) George Myers/WRHS (bottom)
The Best Barber in America 
By John E. Vacha 

When Elbert Hubbard called Cleveland’s George Myers the best barber in America, people listened.

Hubbard’s was a name to be reckoned with in the adolescent years of the Twentieth Century. His Roycroft Shops in New York were filling American parlors with the solid oak and copper bric-a-brac of the arts and crafts movement. His periodicals, The Philistine and The Fra, brought him national recognition as the “Sage of East Aurora.” One of his essays alone, “A Message to Garcia,” ran through forty million copies.

You could say he was the Oprah of his day.

Myers himself was certainly aware of the value of a testimonial from Elbert Hubbard. Across the marble wall above the mirrors in his Hollenden Hotel establishment, he had imprinted in dignified Old English letters over Hubbard’s signature, “The Best Barber Shop in America!”

Though he played on a smaller stage, George A. Myers managed to compile a resume as varied and impressive as Hubbard’s. He was recognized as a national leader and innovator in his profession and became one of the most respected members of Cleveland’s black bourgeoisie. As the confidant and trusted lieutenant of Mark A. Hanna, he became a force in Ohio Republican politics. Behind the scenes, he campaigned effectively to maintain the rights and dignity of his race. In later years he maintained a voluminous correspondence with James Ford Rhodes, providing the historian with his inside knowledge of the political maneuvers of the McKinley era.

It wasn’t a bad record for a barber, even for one who had bucked his father’s wishes for a son with a medical degree. George was the son of Isaac Myers, an influential member of Baltimore’s antebellum free Negro community. Like Frederick Douglass, the senior Myers had learned the trade of caulker in the Baltimore shipyards. When white caulkers and carpenters struck against working with blacks, Isaac took a leading role on the formation of a cooperatively owned black shipyard. He became president of the colored caulkers’ union, and that led to the presidency of the colored wing of the National Labor Union.

Born in Baltimore in 1859, George Myers was ten years old when his mother died in the midst of his father’s organizing activities. Isaac took George along on a trip to organize black workers in the South and then sent him to live with a clergyman in Rhode Island. George returned to Baltimore following his father’s remarriage and finished high school there but found himself excluded from the city college because of his race.

That’s when George decided to call a end to his higher education, despite his father’s desire that he enroll in Cornell Medical School. After a brief stab as a painter’s apprentice in Washington, he returned to Baltimore to master the barber’s trade.

Young Myers came to Cleveland in 1879 and found a job in the barber shop of the city’s leading hotel, the Weddell House. He had come to the right place at the right time. Cleveland was in the midst of its post-Civil War growth, and its barbering trade was dominated by African Americans. Myers soon became foreman of the shop, and among the influential patrons he serviced was the rising Republican politico, Mark Hanna.

His upscale clientele served Myers well when a new hotel, the Hollenden, challenged the supremacy of the Weddell House. The Hollenden’s owner was Liberty E. Holden, publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who advanced Myers four-fifths of the capital required to operate the barber shop in his hostelry. The remaining $400 was provided by a select group which included Hanna’s brother Leonard, his brother-in-law Rhodes, ironmaster William Chisholm, and future Cleveland mayor Tom L. Johnson. “Suffice to say that I paid every one of you gentlemen,” Myers later recalled to Rhodes with pardonable pride. Once again, Myers had made a good career move.

Located in the booming downtown area east of Public Square, the Hollenden quickly became the gathering place for the city’s elite as well as its distinguished visitors. One of its premiere attractions undoubtedly was the longest bar in town. Another was its dining room, which was appropriated by the politicians and reputedly became the incubator of the plebian ambrosia christened “Hanna Hash.”

When not eating or drinking, politicians naturally gravitated to the hotel’s barber shop, which, like politics, remained a strictly male domain in the 1880s. Myers served them so well that in time a total of eight U.S. Presidents, from Hayes to Harding, took their turns in his chair, along with such miscellaneous luminaries as Joseph Jefferson, Mark Twain, Lloyd George, and Marshall Ferdinand Foch. As for the regulars, according to the eminent neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing, it became “a mark of distinction to have one’ s insignia on a private shaving mug in George A. Myers’s personal rack.”

In such a milieu, it was almost inevitable that Myers himself would get involved in “the game,” as he called politics. Mark Hanna had hitched his wagon to a rising star in Ohio politics named William McKinley and invited Myers on board for the ride. As a Cuyahoga County delegate to the Ohio State Republican Convention, Myers helped nominate McKinley for governor in 1891. He supported the Ohioan for President as a delegate to the Republican National Convention the following year. McKinley fell short that time, but Myers cast the deciding vote to place a McKinley man on the Republican National Committee, giving the Hanna forces a strategic foothold for the next campaign.

As the crucial campaign of 1896 approached, Hanna decided that Myers was ready for greater responsibilities. A vital part of Hanna’s strategy to secure the nomination for McKinley involved capturing Republican delegations from the Southern states. Since most white Southerners at the time were Democrats, blacks enjoyed by default a disproportionate influence in the Southern Republican organization.

That’s where Myers came in, as the Cleveland barber undertook to organize black delegates for McKinley not only in Ohio but in Louisiana and Mississippi as well. The convention took place in the segregated city of St. Louis, where Hanna further entrusted Myers with the delicate task of overseeing accommodations and providing for the entertainment of the colored delegates.

McKinley, of course, won not only the nomination but went on to take the election. Hanna then had Myers installed as his personal representative on the Republican State Executive Committee, where Myers worked to integrate the Negro voters of Ohio into the Hanna machine. One of Myers’ guiding principles was the discouragement of segregated political rallies in order “to demonstrate that in party union there is strength.”

Myers had developed a deep personal attachment to Hanna, whom he affectionately dubbed “Uncle Mark.” “His word is his bond and he measures white and black men alike, — by results,” wrote Myers of his political patron. “He is loyal to his friends, a natural born fighter and has the courage of his convictions.

It isn’t surprising, then, that Myers was willing to go to extraordinary measures to help secure Hanna’s election to the U.S. Senate in 1897. State legislatures then held the power of appointment to that office, so when Uncle Mark was still a vote short of election, Myers approached William H. Clifford, a black representative from Cuyahoga County, and bluntly paid for his vote in cold, hard cash. “It was politics as played in those days,” Myers later explained to Rhodes. “When I paid Clifford to vote for M.A. I did not think it a dishonest act. I was simply playing the game.”

Though McKinley had offered to reward him for his support with a political appointment, Myers was reluctant to neglect his thriving business for an active role in “the game.” The barber showed no reluctance to cash in his political capital for the benefit of fellow African Americans, however. He arranged the appointment of John P. Green, the originator of Labor Day in Ohio, as chief clerk in the Post Office Stamp Division in Washington. This earned Myers the enmity of Harry C. Smith, publisher of the black weekly Cleveland Gazette, who saw the barber’s influence as a threat to his own leadership among the city’ s Negro voters. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer called it in 1900, “George A. Myers is without doubt the most widely known colored man in Cleveland and probably the leading politician of his race in Ohio.”

Among the other appointments for which Myers smoothed the way were those of Blanche K. Bruce as register of the U.S. Treasury and Charles A. Cottrell of Toledo as collector of internal revenue at Honolulu. Only when he saw his livelihood threatened through political action did Myers act in his own interest. In 1902 he asked Hanna “to do me the favor to use every influence at your command” to defeat a proposed state law which sought to place Ohio’s barbering business under the control of a state board. Myers feared that this licensing board, like the barber’s schools, would come under the domination of labor unions which excluded blacks. Hanna promised to “take it up with my friends at Columbus and see if something cannot be done.”

Evidently something could be done, and the bill was defeated.

After Hanna’s death in 1904, Myers dropped his active involvement in politics. “I served Mr. Hanna because I loved him,” Myers told Rhodes, “and even though I put my head in the door of the Ohio Penitentiary to make him U.S. Senator, I would do the same thing again, could the opportunity present itself.” With both Hanna and McKinley gone, however, Myers wasn’t about to stick his neck out for anyone else. Instead, Myers tended to business with impressive results.

By 1920 he had more than thirty employees in his shop, including seventeen barbers, three women’s hairdressers (barriers were falling by then), six manicurists, and two pedicurists. Myers claimed that his was the first barber shop in Cleveland to provide the services of manicurists.

In fact, Myers was on the cutting edge (we wanted to avoid the cliche, but couldn’t resist the pun ) of numerous innovations in the trade. He was one of the first barbers to adopt porcelain fixtures and install individual marble wash basins at each chair. He also pioneered in the use of sterilizers and humidors.

The Koken Barbers’ Supply Company of St. Louis incorporated Myers’ suggestions in the development of the modern barber chair and solicited pictures of Myers and his shop for its house newsletter.

From the standpoint of his busy patrons, perhaps the most appreciated innovation of Myers was the telephone service he provided at each chair. “While having his hair cut a patron may talk to his home or transact business,” marvelled a contemporary trade journal.

“A desk phone is plugged in like a stand lamp and removed when not in use.”

One practice that earned Myers some sharp barbs from Harry Smith was the latter’s allegation that blacks were refused service in the Hollenden barber shop. On the basis of contemporary custom, it was probably true. Another black editor writing on discrimination in Cleveland at the turn of the century described how blacks were told by white barbers to “Go to one of your own people,” only to be told by some of their own, “Now men, we would like to work on you but you know we can’t do it. It would kill our business.” In Myers’ exclusive shop, blacks likely were welcome only behind the barber chairs. To Myers, it probably was simply a case of how that game happened to be played. When Booker T. Washington was organizing the National Negro Business League in 1900, he urged Myers to appear on the program at Boston.

“It is very important that the business of barbering be represented, and there is no one in the country who can do it as well as yourself,” wrote Washington. “We cannot afford to not have you present.”

Nevertheless, Myers demurred. Identifying oneself as “a colored business man,” he once wrote, was tantamount to “an admission of inferiority.” A dozen years later, Washington recommended Myers to head a Republican drive to organize the Negro vote in the presidential election.

Though flattered, Myers turned this offer down too, on account of the press of business. His application to his profession rewarded him well enough.

Myers revealed to Rhodes that he had paid an income tax of $1,617 in 1920, on gross receipts of $67,325. That put him in the upper brackets of Cleveland’s black middle class, where he assumed a position of social as well as business leadership.

Out of a city of close to 400,000 at the turn of the century, Cleveland’s African Americans formed a rudimentary minority of around ten thousand. Though not yet completely ghettoized, they tended to form their own churches, social organizations, and neighborhoods. Myers belonged to the city’s oldest black congregation, St. John’s A.M.E., and was a founding member of the segregated Cuyahoga Lodge of Elks. As a member of the Euchre Club, he belonged to the lighter-skinned social elite of the black community. With other black barbers and service workers, he also formed a Caterers’ Club that became famed for the prestige of its annual banquets.

Yet Myers wasn’t entirely circumscribed by the color line. He was a member of the civic-minded City Club and the Early Settlers Association. According to Cleveland safety director Edwin D. Barry, Myers “had more white friends than any colored man in Cleveland.”

The very proper Victorian parlor of the Myers home on Giddings Avenue was once pictured in the Sunday magazine of the Plain Dealer. Following a divorce from his first wife Sarah, Myers had wed Maude Stewart in 1896. A son from the first marriage and a daughter from the second both became teachers in Cleveland’s public schools.

Despite his father’s activities as a labor organizer, George Myers had become as conservative as any Republican businessman. His own shop was a nonunion one, though his employees seemed content with the arrangement. He was genuinely upset over a May Day riot in the streets of Cleveland, consoling himself with the reflection that “Negroes are neither Socialist, Anarchist nor Bolshevist.”

Although keeping a well-stocked wine cellar for himself, Myers was in favor of Prohibition.

“I favored prohibition for the other fellow — some of my employees–and this is the secret of the Prohibition victory,” he admitted frankly to Rhodes.

In personal appearance, Myers was always a good advertisement for his tonsorial skills. Trim throughout his life, he displayed a low, full hairline in youth, to which a well-shaped mustache added dignity. A fall down the elevator shaft in a customer’s home once broke his leg and foot, giving him a limp for years and enabling him to forecast the weather afterwards.

Following World War I, Myers purchased a new home in the predominantly Jewish Glenville neighborhood, appropriating the entire third floor for his sanctum sanctorium. Half of it became a billiard room, the other half his library. There he was said to have assembled one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of books by and about African Americans.

It was books that formed the common bond between Myers and James Ford Rhodes. After Rhodes retired from business to write history, Myers would walk over to his Euclid Avenue mansion to give Rhodes his daily shave and trim. On the way, he would often pick up a bundle of books for Rhodes from the library of the Case School of Applied Sciences, then still located downtown. “Me and my partner Jim are writing a history,” he once explained to a curious friend.

“Jim is doing the light work and I am doing the heavy.”

In time Rhodes moved to Massachusetts, where he continued issuing his magisterial “History of the United States From the Compromise of 1850.” As he approached the McKinley volume, Rhodes discovered that Myers might again be of help to him–this time with some of the light work. The historian was primarily interested in the barber’s knowledge of the inside workings of the Hanna McKinley political machine. When the volume was completed, he acknowledged his indebtedness in print “to George A. Myers of Cleveland for useful suggestions.”

Myers and Rhodes covered a wide range of topics in their letters, however, from old Cleveland acquaintances to World War I. When Herbert Croly published his reverential biography of Mark Hanna, Myers complained to Rhodes that he scarcely recognized the subject. “We knew Mr. Hanna to be a rough brusque character with an indomitable will of his own that respected the rights of no one who stood in the way of his successful accomplishment of the object he had set out to accomplish,” he wrote.

World War I proved to be a watershed in the racial thinking of George Myers. After fighting for freedom on the Western Front, Myers predicted to Rhodes that “the Negro will not submit to the atrocities and indignities of the past and present in silence.” Yet Myers was worried about another phenomenon of the war, the Great Migration of Southern blacks to Northern industrial cities. Cleveland’s small, comfortable black minority had suddenly tripled in size, he informed Rhodes. “Many of the Negroes are of the lowest and most shiftless class,” he wrote.

“Where Cleveland was once free from race prejudice, it is now anything but that….”

Prior to the war, Myers had tended to subordinate group solidarity in favor of individual enterprise. He was slow to join the N.A.A.C.P. and the Urban League. Although he supported Booker T. Washington’s efforts at vocational uplift at Tuskegee and was acknowledged by his secretary as “Mr. Washington’s most intimate, personal friend living in Cleveland,” Myers was consistently critical of any support by Washington of separate but equal welfare agencies. He regretted Washington’s endorsement of “in reality a Jim Crow” Y.M.C.A. branch in Cleveland and similarly objected to the formation of the Phillis Wheatley Home for single African American girls.

“Segregation here of any kind to me is a step backward and will ultimately be a blow to our Mixed Public Schools,” wrote Myers to Washington.

Myers preferred to fight racism by private initiative behind the scenes, as when he wrote the editor of the Plain Dealer to protest the paper’s use of the terms “darkies” and “negress.” The practice was halted, though Myers had to repeat his admonition after the war to the paper’s next editor. With less success, Myers also conducted a letter campaign against the screening in Ohio of the Klan-glorifying movie, “The Birth of a Nation.”

But the tensions raised by the Great Migration ultimately caused Myers to adopt a more contentious approach. The clincher probably occurred in 1923, when the Hollenden management informed Myers that his black employees would be replaced with whites effective with his retirement. European immigrants had been challenging the black supremacy in the barbering business since 1908, when James Benson had lost his lease in The Arcade.

In order to save his staff’s jobs, Myers postponed his retirement despite a heart condition brought out by an attack of influenza. A stronger tone entered into his exchanges with the white establishment.

When racial outbreaks loomed over the use of a swimming pool in Woodland Hills Park by Negroes, Myers prevailed on the safety department to station two black policemen there.

He was outspoken in his responses to a 1926 Cleveland Chamber of Commerce survey on immigration and emigration. He placed the blame for the squalid housing conditions in Cleveland’s “black belt” squarely on the Cleveland real estate interests for refusing to rent or sell desirable habitation to colored. Myers also scored the business community in general for its failure to provide economic opportunities for the Negro youth coming out of the schools. “There is not a bank in Cleveland that employs any of our group as a clerk, teller or bookkeeper,” he wrote, “scarcely an office that use any as clerks or stenographers and no stores, though our business runs up in the millions; that employ any as sales-women, salesmen or clerks.”

To Judge George S. Adams, Myers observed that “while I do not condone crime, (all criminals look alike to me), the negro, morally and otherwise, is what the white man has made him, through the denial of justice, imposition and an equal chance.” While the Negro community of Cleveland was working to assimilate the newly arrived immigrants from the South, he told Congressman Chester C. Bolton, “We who formerly lived here before the influx cannot carry the burden alone, nor should we. The industrial interest of the north forced this problem upon us….”

In the late 1920s Myers joined his old rival, Harry Smith of the Gazette, in a public campaign against the establishment of a Negro hospital in Cleveland. In a letter to the Plain Dealer he refuted, on the basis of his own personal experience, charges that blacks were turned away from or refused private rooms at City Hospital. Cleveland was on its way to becoming “one of the greatest medical centers of the world,” Myers asserted, and his people wanted to enjoy, “in common with all others, the benefit of the greatest medical skill and attention that the world has ever known.”

It wasn’t only equal care that Myers was concerned with, but equal opportunity for African Americans in the medical profession. He and Smith also fought for several years to gain admission of colored interns and nurses at City Hospital. City Manager William Hopkins might accuse Myers of having “gone over to Harry Smith bag and baggage,” but City Council finally rewarded their efforts with passage of a resolution granting the desired hospital privileges.

The following morning, January 17, 1930, as his daughter Dorothy drove Myers to his streetcar stop, he told her he was feeling better than he had in a long time. That was good, for at breakfast he had told the family that he faced the most difficult task of his life that day. Unable to continue working any longer, the seventy- year-old barber had finally sold out to the Hollenden. Now he had to inform his employees that they were effectively out of jobs.

He worked all morning, telling the staff just before noon that there would be an important meeting upon his return from lunch. Myers then walked a couple of blocks to the New York Central office in the Union Trust Building to purchase a ticket for a rest cure in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Reaching for his change, he suddenly reeled, grabbed at the counter, and crumpled to the floor.

Even before they could carry him to the building’s dispensary, Myers was dead of heart failure. Once before, after risking his career and reputation to make Mark Hanna a Senator, George A. Myers had withdrawn from “the game” of politics. Now, faced with what would undoubtedly have been the most painful confrontation of his career, he was released by death.

Eulogies poured in from both sides of the color line.

“His death removes a potent factor that those of the race in Cleveland can ill afford to lose at this time,” wrote his old adversary and recent ally, Harry Smith.

City Manager Hopkins estimated his correspondence with eminent men as “good enough and unusual enough to justify its preservation.” That also turned out to be the judgment of history.

ADDITIONAL READING
Russell H. Davis, Black Americans in Cleveland: From George Peake to Carl B. Stokes, 1796-1969 (Washington, D.C.: The Associated Publishers, 1972).

John A. Garraty (ed.), The Barber and the Historian: The Correspondence of George A. Myers and James Ford Rhodes, 1910-1923 (Columbus: The Ohio Historical Society, 1956).

Felix James, “The Civic and Political Activities of George A. Myers, “The Journal of Negro History”, Vol. LVIII, No. 2 (April, 1973), pp. 166-178.

Kenneth L. Kuzmer, A Ghetto Takes Shape: Black Cleveland, 1870-1930 (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1976).

The George A. Myers Papers (Columbus: Ohio Historical Society Archives)

This article first ran in Timeline Magazine, Jan/Feb 2000.

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