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Hundreds gather to honor Jo Ann Davidson, the first and only woman speaker of the Ohio House
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Five of Ohio’s six living governors were among the standing room only crowd of hundreds of mourners at the Statehouse to remember Jo Ann Davidson. She was first and only woman to serve as speaker of the House from 1995-2001, and was a fixture in Republican politics in Ohio.
Nancy Hollister served for nine days as governor after George Voinovich left to take his seat in the US Senate in January 1999. She said Davidson swore her in as a state representative after her short gubernatorial term.
“It’s amazing, the gathering of folks who were so impacted by Jo Ann’s leadership, her personality, her exuberance, her love for public policy and people,” Hollister said. “She was a friend. She was a mentor. And she was my favorite steel magnolia.”
Kasich (2011-2018) called Davidson “incredible” and “a great leader”.
“The Lord gave her a lot of talents and she used them all to the max and did so much good for so many people. And she’s a great friend of mine.”
“Obviously she was a legend, a political legend. But also more than a political legend. She did so much good,” said former governor Ted Strickland, one of the Democrats in attendance. He noted she served on the Franklin County Mental Health Board and added, “The turnout here I think speaks to how much people of both parties appreciated her and what she was able to accomplish for the state of Ohio.”
Republican Govs. Bob Taft (1999-2007) and Mike DeWine were also among the attendees.
House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) was at the memorial, along with former speakers Bob Cupp (2020-2023) and Cliff Rosenberger (2015-2018).
“Jo Ann blazed a trail for a lot of folks, and I say this often – and not just for women, for minorities as well such as myself,” said Rosenberger, the first Asian-American Ohio House Speaker. “I have a lot of respect for Jo Ann – a great woman who has left an absolute huge mark on the state of Ohio. And I don’t think a lot of Ohioans know how big of an imprint she left on their lives.”
Several Senate presidents were also there, including Larry Obhof (2017-2020), Tom Niehaus (2011-2013), Doug White (2003-2005) and Richard Finan (1997-2003).
“She was a very fine speaker. When she told you something, this is how it’s going to be and gave her word, you knew it was going to stick,” Finan said. “She just was a great person to work with.”
Former higher education chancellor and senator Randy Gardner was the House majority leader and speaker pro tem under Davidson.
“It was just an absolute honor to work with someone with the intellect, the energy, the ability to bring people together,” Gardner said.
Among the crowd were dozens of graduates of Davidson’s Leadership Institute for women in politics and business, most wearing red. Since it was founded in 2000, 487 women have gone through the eight-month program, including Ruth Edmunds.
“She just challenged us to go for it – to go for it and there’s never going to be a right time, so you just do it,” Edmunds said, recalling some of Davidson’s advice. “Relationships first. Opportunities sometimes come looking like boots and overalls, which meant you gotta put in the hard work sometimes. And I think my favorite one was, she said to always wear power colors.”
Columbus attorney Frank Reed was working as a page for the Ohio Senate when Davidson became speaker, taking over for longtime Democratic speaker Vern Riffe.
“Everyone guessed that Vern Riffe would never actually give up the gavel to a Republican, let alone a woman. But he did,” Reed said. “He didn’t give her his gavel. He gave her a glass ceremonial gavel. But it was with class and style. Jo Ann earned the respect of Republicans and Democrats aside.”
The eulogy was delivered by Davidson’s longtime friend Betty Montgomery, a former state senator and one of the few people to be elected to two statewide executive offices – in her case, auditor and attorney general.
“Jo Ann is iconic. She was strategic. She was tactical. She was gracious. She was competitive. She was honest. She cared desperately about good public policy and she loved this institution. She’s a wonderful, kind and gentle woman,” Montgomery said. “Democrats and Republicans will tell you that she would sit with them and talk with them about what their aspirations were, what their concerns were.”
Other speakers at the service included former US Rep. Deborah Pryce and Emily Enslen, one of her three grandchildren.