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Jo Ann Davidson, the first woman speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, died on Friday. She was 97 years venerable.
She served in the Ohio House from 1980 to 2001 and was speaker from 1995 to 2000.
“Jo Ann dedicated her life to public service and the people of Ohio, serving as an exemplary public servant full of wit, intelligence, class and skill,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “She was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word.”
Davidson was born on September 28, 1927. Her family moved to Findlay after her father’s death, where she graduated from high school in 1945 and entered high school. according to the profile w. office job at the Findlay Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Women in Ohio Politics Series at Bowling Green State University.
She married her husband John in 1949 and they eventually moved to Reynoldsburg. She worked at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce as a research associate and later became director of legislative services and vice president of special programs.
Davidson he first ran for a seat on the Reynoldsburg City Council in 1965 and lost, but ran again in 1967 and won. She ran for re-election four times. Despite losing the 1972 race for Franklin County Recorder, she became chairwoman of the Franklin County Republican Party in 1973.
A vacancy in Ohio’s 27th House District in 1980 made it easier for Davidson to get into the Ohio Statehouse. She she became minority whip in 1985 and was elected minority leader in 1993. She became speaker of the House in 1995, when Republicans took control of the chamber.
Davidson made history when she was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. She was the first woman to become Speaker of the House in the nation and remains the only woman to serve as Speaker of the House in Ohio.
“As a true pioneer, Speaker Davidson’s legacy is one of strength, grace and servant leadership,” Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, said in a statement. “She promoted a culture of mentorship that changed many lives for the better.”
Republican Senate President Matt Huffman said Davidson was an inspiration.
“Her legacy will forever pave the way for women who are interested in serving their country,” Huffman said in a statement. “She was a role model for women, but more broadly she was a role model for future leaders.”
Ohio House Democratic Speaker Allison Russo said Davidson was a force of nature who shattered glass ceilings for countless women, including herself.
“As Ohio’s first and only House Speaker, she was an incredibly strong and talented leader who knew never to back down from a fight when it mattered most to the people of Ohio,” Russo said. “She will always be a role model for many women in public service on both sides of the aisle. “My thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and former colleagues as they mourn her loss.”
In 2000 she founded Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institutewhich over 500 Ohio women have completed. As part of the eight-month program, women were prepared to hold leadership positions in government, especially in the Republican Party.
“For decades, Jo Ann was committed to changing people’s lives and was especially passionate about inspiring other women to do the same,” DeWine said in a statement.
Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester, passed through the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute in 2018.
“It was truly an honor to learn from a pioneer like her.” Reynolds said in a statement. “Jo Ann isn’t just a history maker; she is an instigator of change who has inspired countless women”
Davidson was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame in 1991. She he served as vice chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission and as a member of the Franklin County Mental Health Board. Davidson was also elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee in 2005.
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