Notable people · Politician · Governor · Mayor
Jim Rhodes
James Allen Rhodes was born in Coalton, Jackson County. He was mayor of Columbus, state auditor, and governor of Ohio for four terms, serving from 1963 to 1971 and from 1975 to 1983.
At a glance
- Born
- 1909-09-13
- Died
- 2001-03-04
- Education
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, one quarter
- Known as
- Politician, Governor, Mayor
Life story
James Allen Rhodes was born in 1909 in Coalton, Jackson County. He attended Ohio State but left after his first quarter.
He was elected to the Columbus school board in 1937, city auditor in 1939, and mayor in 1943 at age 34, serving from 1944 to 1952. He was Ohio state auditor from 1953 to 1963.
He won the governor's race in 1962 with 59 percent of the vote and served two four-year stretches, 1963-1971 and 1975-1983. He lost a 1986 comeback bid.
In May 1970 he sent the Ohio National Guard to Kent State University, where guardsmen shot and killed four students and wounded nine. The decision remains controversial. He died in 2001 and is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus.
Timeline
- 1909-09-13: Born (Coalton, OH) source
- 1937: Elected to Columbus Board of Education (Columbus, OH) source
- 1943: Elected mayor of Columbus (Columbus, OH) source
- 1953: Becomes Ohio state auditor (Columbus, OH) source
- 1963: Becomes governor (Columbus, OH) source
- 1970-05: Sends the National Guard to Kent State (Kent, OH) source
- 1975: Returns as governor (Columbus, OH) source
- 1986: Loses governor's race source
- 2001-03-04: Dies (Columbus, OH) source
What Jim is known for
- Mayor of Columbus, 1944-1952
- Governor of Ohio, 1963-1971 and 1975-1983
- Ordered the Ohio National Guard to Kent State in 1970
Honors and things named for them
- Rhodes State Office Tower, Columbus
- James A. Rhodes Airport (named for him)
Family
- wife: Helen Rawlins
Ohio places
Where Jim Rhodes was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Coalton, Jackson County ZIP 45621 · Coalton · Jackson County
- Buried: Columbus, Franklin County (Green Lawn Cemetery) ZIP 43203 · Columbus · Franklin County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: His order to send the National Guard to Kent State in 1970 is still argued over; four students were killed and nine wounded.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Jim Rhodes birth, education, offices, honors, Kent State, burial