Milan, Ohio-born inventor Thomas Edison was the top vote-getter among the nominees considered to replace Gov. William Allen in ‘Statuary Hall’ of the U.S. Capitol.

Thomas Alva Edison

Since the 1880s, statues of James Garfield and William Allen have served as Ohio’s two representatives in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. In the wake of ‘political correctness,’ legislation was enacted in 2006 creating the National Statuary Collection Study Committee and to set up a process to replace Allen’s statue for his anti-slavery views. Four years later, in February, the committee narrowed a list of more than 90 nominees to 10 finalists and asked the Ohio Historical Society, Cincinnati Museum Center and Western Reserve Historical Society to conduct a public vote at 36 historic sites and museums statewide. 

After more than 37,000 votes from Ohio residents of all ages were counted the top vote-getter was world-famous inventor Thomas Edison, a native of Milan, Ohio. The Wright Brothers from Dayton finished second with 10,895 votes. The final results are tallied below:

The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville

Although The National Statuary Collection Study Committee is not bound by this popular vote, it has said that the public vote will loom large in its final recommendation to the full Ohio General Assembly who will ultimately decide. Perhaps the General Assembly will take note of the fact that Edison left Ohio when he was nineteen (some say sixteen) to become the “Wizard of Menlo Park” in his adopted state of New Jersey where he lived and worked for most of his life; whereas the Wright brothers lived, sweat, and died right here in their Dayton bicycle shop. 

Now, don’t for a second think that I am in any way depreciating Mr. Edison’s accomplishments. On the contrary. I am saying that his fame as a result of those astounding achievements may have colored the voting process and over shadowed the real reason for the referendum. What, if any connection, do any of Mr. Edison’s inventions actually have to Ohio? In contrast, consider the connection of the Wright Brothers to Dayton, where they have left their mark squarely and indelibly on Ohio, and whose idea(s) started an unbroken chain of events to put another Ohioan on the moon some 60 years later.  We were not polling to find out who the most famous inventor may have been, but who more appropriately and fittingly represents the interests and ideals of Ohio, as a true son of Ohio.

It’s interesting that the students got it right in my opinion. Over 60 percent of the student vote was cast for the Wrights; whereas only about a third of the adults voted for them. The kids obviously see Mr. Edison in a different light, without the glitz. Could it be that most of Mr. Edison’s inventions are antediluvian to Generation Y. Light bulbs are just all too common, phonographs (if they ever saw one) have morphed into ipods, and who watches home movies on a movie projector any more? But, even the most sophisticated jet fighter is still steered with a stick between the pilot’s legs.  So is Nintendo. The kids get it! Maybe, our law givers will give this decision the thought it deserves.

Private funds will have to be raised to fund the creation of the new statue, who ever it is, and the artist will have to be chosen. Eventually, the new statute will join that of President James Garfield as Ohio representatives in Statuary Hall. Governor Allen’s statue will be brought back home to Ohio. 

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