MSS 886 Ohio Civil Service Employees Records

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H I S T O R Y
MSS 886
Ohlo Clvll Service
Employees Assoclatlon
( OCSEA) Records
2 cub lc feet
Standard l nventory
Col iection Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohlo Hlstorlcal Society acqu Ired the Ohlo Clvll
Service Employees Assoclatlon ( OCSEA) Records as a glft of OCSEA
through the ausplc'es of the Olrector of Publ lc Relations, Peter
Wray. in January 1986. Rlchard W. Arpl processed the collection
In October 1986.
Property rights: The Ohio Hlstorical Soclety owns the property
rights to thls col lectlon.
Copyr lghts: OCSEA has ded icated such copyrlghts as it possesses
in this collectlon to the publlc. Conslderatlon of all other
copyrlghts Is the responsiblllty of the author and publisher.
Access: Thls cot lection Is open under the rules and regulatlons
of the Ohio Hlstorlcal Soclety.
Citatlon: Researchers are requested to clte col lectlon name,
collectlon number, and the Oh10 Hlstorlcal Society In all footnote
and b lbl lographlc references.
Transfer: Eighteen scattered Issues of . 1981- 1985, and several pamphlets were transferred to the Llbrary
in April 1986. Photographs and a cassette tape of the 1978
convention were transferred to P 263 and Audlo VFM Cassette 44,
respectlvely~ In October 1986.
Hlstor IcaI sketch: The Ohio Clvl l Servlce Employees Assoclatlon
held its first publlc meeting on Aprll 1 5 ~ 1 9 3 8 ~ a t the Nell House
in Columbus, Prlor to thls timer the Ohlo Employees Benef iclal
Assoclatlon, malnly a soclal group with an Interest In
strengthenlng the retlrement system* was the only organization
that represented the over 17,000 state employees. James 0 .
Bowman, an employee with the Department of Llquor Controit and
Dwight Swlsher, a Columbus attorney who helped Bowman regain hls
Job after an unJust dlsmlssal~ were the key lndlvlduals behlnd the
organlzatlon of thls new publlc employees unlon. The flfty people
at the meeting adopted a constltutlon and at a second meeting a
month later, members elected a Board of Trustees whlch In turn
named Bowman presldent, Harold S. Johnson vlce presldent~ and
Jesse H. Haln secretary- treasurer.
After Bowman* s death In 1940, OCSEA actlvlty centered around
Swisher and Hain. Membership reached It200 in October 1939 but
decllned over the next several years. In 1944, however, Nelson
Watklns headed a statewide membership campaign whlch enrolled over
10,000 new members. Thls allowed OCSEA to open Its flrst
permanent office in January 1945 In the old MaJestlc Theatre
bulldlng across from the state capltol.
OHIO HISTORICAL SOClETU
1982 Veima Avenue. Columbus, Ohio 43213- 2197 ph: 614.297.2300 in: 614.237.2411 ......... " x" b<"," 7.. ","