Gary C. Ness to Retire as Executive Director of the Ohio Historical Society.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 23, 2002

Dr. Gary C. Ness, Executive Director of the Ohio Historical Society since 1980, informed the Society's Board of Trustees yesterday that he will retire from his position in the latter part of 2003. This will enable the Board to conduct a search for a successor who would be able to assume the position during Ohio's bicentennial year.

"I have had the pleasure and privilege of leading one of the nation's finest historical organizations," Dr. Ness said. "I take pride in the variety, quality, and number of accomplishments by the Society across the years. I believe it is fitting that OHS seek a new Executive Director during Ohio's bicentennial year to lead this extraordinary organization as our state enters a new century of history."

In commenting, Richard Sisson, President of the Ohio Historical Society's Board of Trustees said that, "Dr. Ness will have served as our Executive Director for nearly a quarter of a century, a span most uncommon in leadership positions of major arts, educational, and historical organizations. He has done so with extraordinary spirit and dedication, with a long and enviable list of accomplishments and more to come in our Bicentennial year. We are all extremely grateful for his exemplary service and continuing leadership, and for the strong OHS team that he has been able to attract and maintain. The momentum generated under the leadership of Dr. Ness will continue through Gary's tenure and into the future."

Dr. Ness, 62, became the ninth OHS executive director in September 1980. He has served as director longer than any other individual in the Society's 117-year history. During his tenure, the Society has enhanced its reputation as an exceptional historical organization. Early in Ness's tenure, the Society added new national-model programs, including TIMELINE, the Society's award-winning popular history magazine, and its outreach program assisting the hundreds of local and county historical organizations in conjunction with the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums. In recent years, the Society has become a nationally recognized leader in providing online historical information and distance learning programs.

Elaine Hairston, Vice President of the Society and Chancellor Emerita of the Ohio Board of Regents, observed that the Board of Trustees "has continually and deeply appreciated the commitment and the attention to excellence that Dr. Ness has brought to the outstanding historical and educational programs of the Society and that he has done so with such intellectual integrity." Lucy McKewen Porter, past-President of the Society, echoed these views and said, "Gary has contributed outstanding leadership to the Ohio Historical Society in both good times and lean. He has accomplished much and has been central to OHS being regarded as one of America's finest state historical organizations."

During Dr. Ness's years as director, the Society expanded and enhanced the state's historic site system, which is the largest of its kind in the country. Major additions include the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, the Youngstown Center of Industry and Labor, and - within the past year - the U.S. Grant Boyhood Home in Georgetown. The Society also initiated a massive renovation and modernization of its site system, including a new education facility at Fort Ancient in Warren County and soon-to-be-completed education centers at Fort Meigs in Perrysburg and Adena in Chillicothe. Adena, the home of Thomas Worthington, who is often called Ohio's "founding father," is the physical centerpiece of the state's bicentennial activities.

Dr. Ness received his BA in Industrial Administration from Iowa State University in 1963. After employment with Cummins Engine Company and active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army, he entered graduate study at Duke University where he received an M.A. and Ph.D. in history. Prior to becoming OHS director, he was a member of the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Cincinnati where he subsequently served as Assistant University Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.

He has held leadership positions in numerous professional associations, including the American Association for State and Local History and its joint project with the Smithsonian Institution on A Common Agenda for History Museums. He is a senior accreditation examiner for the American Association of Museums and is a Founding Trustee of the National Afro-American Museum Foundation. Since 1988 he has served as a member of the faculty of the Winedale Museum Seminar of the Texas Historical Commission. His many community activities have included service as a member of the board of Dresden Sister City, Inc., the Governor's Advisory Council on Travel and Tourism, the Capitol Square Restoration Foundation, as well as numerous civic organizations.

Dr. Sisson indicated that he would soon establish a committee to conduct a national search for a new Executive Director.

Established in 1885, the Ohio Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the state's partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio's heritage. It operates a major historical museum and library in Columbus, manages the State Archives and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, publishes books and periodicals, administers the largest system of state-managed historic sites in the country, provides educational programs for students in kindergarten through graduate school, and assists the efforts of other organizations working to preserve and interpret the history of Ohio. A membership organization, OHS draws support from every county in Ohio.

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