Women’s monument planned for Ohio Statehouse grounds receives anonymous $1 million donation

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The organization spearheading installation of a monument to women’s suffrage at the Ohio Statehouse has received a $1 million contribution toward the project from an anonymous donor, the group announced Monday.

Charles Moses, who chairs the Capitol Square Foundation, called the donation to support construction of the Ohio Women’s Monument “transformational.” It was given in tribute to the late Jo Ann Davidson, the trailblazing first female speaker of the Ohio House, who died in October.

Moses said in a statement that the gift “ensures that Speaker Davidson’s remarkable legacy is etched into Ohio’s history forever.”

The project, years in the planning, was approved by the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board last month. It benefited from a recent fundraiser featuring Pulitzer-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, who chairs the Ohio Women’s Suffrage Monument Commission, said the gift will inspire those working to complete the project, scheduled to be unveiled in 2026. She said the sculpture, designed by Brenda Councill, will celebrate the collective spirit and lasting achievements of women throughout Ohio history.