MS-143 Clara Weisenborn Papers

Access and Provenance

Series Listing

Brief Biographical Sketch

Clara Weisenborn (Republican) was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1952. She was most active in the areas of health, education, and the environment. She served as Chairman of the Health Committee and as a member of the Education Committee until 1966. She was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1966 and served as Chairman of the Education and Health Committee, the first woman to do 50. She was a member of the Finance Committee and the Agriculture, Conservation and Environment Committee. She was also an active member of the State and National Legislative Service Commissions. She served as Chairman of the Education Review Committee, which held hearings across the state to gather information concerning education in Ohio.

Mrs. Weisenborn co-sponsored a bill that established Wright State University and was instrumental in the establishment of the Wright State University School of Medicine.

Clara Weisenborn lost her Senate seat to Democrat Neal F. Zimmers in 1974. She was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1979. Among her other achievements, she was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Wright State University that same year.

She taught Sunday School for 53 years, sang with the Dayton Mother Singers, and wrote a garden column for the Journal Herald for 42 years. Clara Weisenborn died of cancer at the age of 77 on January 26, 1985.

Scope and Content

Series I, General, contains biographical information, a small amount of personal correspondence, and newspaper clippings concerning women in politics.

Series II, Legislative Service Commission, contains numerous senate bills, meeting minutes, reports, and newspaper clippings detailing her work as a member of this commission and related committees. Environmental issues and the rights of non-smokers are two main issues covered in this series. Also included in this series is a file folder of newspaper clippings describing Edward Orlett's bid for Clara Weisenborn's senate seat.

Series III, Education, consists of reports and minutes from the Education Review Committee and the Citizen's Task Force on Higher Education. Clara Weisenborn served as chairman of the Education Review Committee which traveled around the state holding hearings to gain information and insight into the needs and problems of higher education in Ohio. Hearing reports, related senate bills, and newspaper clippings concerning Ohio education are also included.

Series IV, Health and Medical, contains meeting minutes and reports from the Governor's Task Force on Health Care, senate bills resulting from Clara Weisenborn's work against drugs and for tb testing in the schools. Other issues covered in this series include treatment of venereal disease, Vietnam Veteran's benefits, and handicapped and crippled children's services.

A major portion of this series and the most relevant to Wright State University is material relating to Senator Weisenborn's work for the establishment of the Wright State University School of Medicine. These materials include correspondence, editorials, petitions and letters of support, newspaper clippings, a WSU promotional brochure for the School of Medicine, and the Senate bill sponsored by Clara Weisenborn to create the School of Medicine.

Container Listing

Report A,