The organization leading the effort to install a monument honoring women’s suffrage at the Ohio Statehouse has received a $1 million contribution from an anonymous donor, the group announced Monday.
Charles Moses, chair of the Capitol Square Foundation, described the donation as “transformational” in supporting the construction of the Ohio Women’s Monument. The gift honors the late Jo Ann Davidson, the trailblazing first female speaker of the Ohio House, who died in October.
“This ensures that Speaker Davidson’s remarkable legacy is etched into Ohio’s history forever,” Moses said in a statement.
The monument project, years in the making, received approval last month from the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. It also benefited from a recent fundraiser featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, chair of the Ohio Women’s Suffrage Monument Commission, said the donation will inspire those working to complete the project, which is slated to be unveiled in 2026. She said the sculpture, designed by artist Brenda Councill, will celebrate the collective spirit and lasting contributions of Ohio’s women throughout history.