Steel museum celebrates 15 years, seeks support

YOUNGSTOWN — Former State Sen. Harry Meshel celebrated the 15th anniversary of the downtown steel museum with a challenge.

It’s time for a community group to be formed to advocate for the center among state officials and build public support in the Mahoning Valley, Meshel said.

“We’ll call a meeting, and we’d like to see your participation,” Meshel said Thursday to about 40 invited guests, including Youngstown State University President David Sweet and Bruce Zoldan, president of B.J. Alan Co. in Youngstown.

Meshel, 83, of Youngstown, clearly still has a passion for the museum that he first proposed in 1977, shortly after Youngstown Sheet & Tube announced it was closing its Campbell Works.

Meshel fought for years to get funding for the museum, which is officially called the Youngstown Historical Center. The state legislature approved $3 million to build the museum in 1983, but it took until 1992 for the museum to open with its permanent collection.

To honor Meshel’s efforts, the museum staff celebrated the anniversary by unveiling a portrait of him, which will hang in a classroom that was named after him when the museum opened.

For more, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com