James A. Rhodes, 1909-2001

It was 1986 and James A. Rhodes was trying to make a political comeback -- again. He had won the Republican nomination and had launched a hard-hitting general election campaign against Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste, who was seeking a second term.
Rhodes brought that campaign to the Mahoning Valley, a Democratic stronghold that had given Celeste a major boost four years earlier. But Ohio's elder statesman was undaunted. His message was simple: Celeste has ignored the region. Looking at abandoned steel mills along the Mahoning Valley and the boarded up storefronts in downtown Youngstown, Rhodes offered a suggestion:
"Here's what your city needs to do," he told a reporter. "Borrow $10 million from the state of Ohio, tear down everything and rebuild -- and don't repay the money. Do you think the state is going to come in and repossess your city?"
Such was his approach to politics: Simple straight talk with none of the hifalutin language that has afflicted so many candidates for office.
Endearing: His homespun philosophy, dry humor and his endless one-liners endeared him to the people of Ohio and enabled him during his unprecedented 16 years as governor -- 1963 through 1970 and 1975 through 1982 -- to easily cross over political lines in pushing his agenda.
Rhodes, who died Sunday at the age of 91, will be remembered as the governor who developed Ohio's highway system, created the state's two-year community colleges, placed an airport in just about every county in the state and championed the cause of business and industry. His mantra of "jobs and progress" struck a responsive chord, especially in Ohio's industrial belt.
The Mahoning Valley benefited greatly from his vision. General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown assembly plant is Rhodes' legacy, as is Youngstown State University's expansion -- including the development of Stambaugh Stadium -- and the creation of the CASTLO industrial park.
Last November, Rhodes was honored for his leadership role in making CASTLO possible, and although slowed by age and poor health, he regaled the luncheon gathering with political war stories. In the room were such local political notables as Harry Meshel, who served as the president of the Ohio Senate when Rhodes was governor, and former state legislators George Tablack and Thomas Carney. These Democrats heaped praise on the man who has left an indelible mark on Ohio politics.
Kent State: But just as roads and bridges and universities and airports are part of his legacy, so is his decision in 1970 to send National Guard troops into Kent State University to quell anti-Vietnam War protests. Four students were killed, including Sandra Scheuer of Boardman. Rhodes, however, never accepted responsibility for the deaths.
Indeed, he rarely publicly discussed the Kent State incident, even though it had become a national and international story. In recent years, however, the former governor did insist that it was necessary to send in the troops.