Ohio House Passes Legislation to Designate James A. Garfield Day

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed House Bill 61, declaring November 19th as James A. Garfield Day, announced joint sponsors Representative Jamie Callender (R- Concord) and Representative Dan Troy (D- Willowick). This vote came after unanimous passage by the House State and Local Government Committee back in March. 

James A. Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States. President Garfield had a wide and varied career, serving as the President of the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, now known as Hiram College, an ordained minister, attorney, officer in the Union Army, nine-term Congressman, and United States Senator during his journey to the presidency. President Garfield’s widow, Lucretia Garfield, is credited with creating the first presidential library when she built an extension onto the family home in Mentor, Ohio and filled it shelves with the president’s writings from both before and during his time in office. Garfield’s house currently stands as a National Historic Site under the stewardship of the National Park Service. 

“I want to thank my colleagues for their support in declaring November 19th James A. Garfield Day,” said Callender. “President Garfield was a great American, great Ohioan, and is truly worthy of this honor as his impact can still be felt across the United States. From universal public education, a professional civil service, and presidential libraries, the influence of President Garfield’s legacy can be seen in his hometown of Mentor, Ohio and throughout the United States”.

“At the request of National Park Service officials at the James A. Garfield Home and National Historical Site in my district in Mentor (Lake County, Ohio), I was asked to introduce this legislation,” said Troy. “James A. Garfield was a true son of Northeast Ohio who rose to the highest office in our nation. He had such promise, as someone who knew how to compromise and reach common ground on the important issues of his day. He was passionate in his efforts to end the spoils system, and its blatant political patronage practices. Unfortunately, President Garfield became our 2nd President to expire from an assassin’s bullet. He was shot on July 2nd and suffered from his wounds until his death on September 19th, and, sadly, that great promise was not realized. I think it’s fitting that we formally declare November 19th as James A. Garfield Day in Ohio.”

HB 61 now goes to the Senate for additional consideration.