A public memorial for former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson will take place this Thursday at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Visitation is scheduled in the rotunda from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a service in the atrium.
Governor Mike DeWine has ordered flags on public grounds statewide to be flown at half-staff until Davidson’s funeral.
Davidson, who passed away at the age of 97 on Friday, was a lifelong Republican and the only woman in Ohio’s history to hold any of the state’s top three political leadership positions—governor, Senate president, or House speaker—for an extended period. She served as House speaker from 1995 to 2000.
In addition to her political achievements, Davidson was dedicated to empowering women in public service. In 2000, she established the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, which has since graduated over 400 women from across the state.
Laura Bischoff, a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, contributed to this coverage, which includes the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal, and 18 other affiliated news organizations throughout Ohio.
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