FORMER OHIO GOVERNOR … Richard Celeste, Ohio Governor from 1983-1991, signed his new book, In the Heart of it All: An Unvarnished Account of My Life In Public Service, at the Bryan Public Library. (PHOTO BY DANIEL COOLEY, STAFF)
By: Daniel Cooley
Richard Celeste, Ohio Democratic Governor from 1983-1991, was at the Bryan Public Library on Wednesday, for an interview and to sign his new book, which came out last year, in 2022.
The book, entitled “In the Heart of it All: An Unvarnished Account of My Life in Public Service,” gives a personal account of Celeste’s years in office, discussing his losses and his great victories.
That includes a close loss in the gubernatorial race to Jim Rhodes in 1978 and then defeating Rhodes in the gubernatorial race in 1983. Celeste served as the Ohio Governor from 1983-1991.
Before the book signing took place, Denver Henderson, the Williams County Public Library director, interviewed Celeste.
Celeste graduated from Lakewood High School, the same city where his father Frank once served as mayor.
During the interview, Celeste recalled that growing up, he was greatly influenced by his two grandmothers. Celeste always remembered one particular saying from his maternal grandmother who told him that to whom much is given, much is required.
The other advice, from his paternal grandmother, “bresta your cards”, went on to mean that Celeste always served others, which Celeste has done throughout his life.
In college, Celeste graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yale University and then became a Rhodes Scholar to Exeter College. There, he met and married his first wife, Dagmar Braun.
Celeste’s first semi political job came in 1963 in India, when he served under Chester Bowles, an ambassador to India, for four years.
At that time, Celeste said that he served as a control officer. He recalled that, although he was a Democrat, Celeste met Republican Richard Nixon, who was then running for president. Nixon encouraged Celeste to get into public service.
When Celeste returned to Ohio, he first served on the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1971-74. He then served as lieutenant governor under Republican Governor Rhodes, from 1975-79.
Celeste ran against Rhodes for governor in 1978 and lost. He then became director of the Peace Corps, from 1979-1981, for 53 countries.
Celeste won a primary against former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer and attorney general William Brown.
“I saw Jerry a number of years later and he thanked me for defeating him, because he said he never would have made as much money in politics as he did as a television host,” Celeste recalled.
Celeste then went on to defeat Rhodes for the governor post, in 1983. He recalled one of the things that enabled him to win.
“I used junior high students to go door to door and that was a big reason why I won,” Celeste said.
Celeste also used what he called guerrilla tactics, which he said, was thinking outside of the box.
He said that one of those was canvassing 12 precincts, in key cities like Toledo, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
“We just used those areas, but it made it look like we were everywhere,” Celeste said. “What also worked was that I thought it was important to visit every county in Ohio and I did that.”
The second time around, Celeste defeated Rhodes in 1983 for governor and served as governor unitil 1991.
Celeste recalled that right after he became governor, he was approached by Honda. Apparently, Rhodes had made a promise to Honda and the organization wanted to know if Celeste was going to keep that promise.
Celeste said that there was a tough decision that he had to make on taxes and there was high unemployment, so the best he could do for Honda was to widen the highway to get into the plant.
As it turned out, Honda was able to hire 2,000 people and then went on to build three more plants and hire 30,000 people.
According to wikipedia.org, Celeste was responsible for hiring more African Americans and women, than any of the governors before him.
He also increased support for human services, mental health and addictive recovery, funding for education and children’s services and onsite day care for state employees.
Celeste said that while in office, he was able to get a collective bargaining agreement passed.
Celeste made sure he talked to Rhodes and recalls one thing Rhodes told him when both of them were at an Ohio State football game. Rhodes told him to watch out for Woody Hayes.
Rhodes told him about how he received a call from Woody at 3 a.m. and wanted him to drive Woody to Pennsylvania.
Once they got there, they were in a courtroom where Bob Ferguson, a former Ohio State football player, was on trial.
Hayes told the judge that he was Ferguson’s college coach and if the judge that if he let Ferguson be turned over to Woody, there was a job available for Ferguson with Governor Rhodes.
The judge asked Rhodes if that was true, and Rhodes, put on the spot, sheepishly said that yes, he had a job for Ferguson. So, Rhodes again told Celeste, watch out for Woody.
One of the ways Celeste said that he was able to succeed in politics because he had a philosophy with those who worked for his campaigns, “are we having fun, yet?”
One of those things Celeste said that they did every year, from 1973-1991, when Celeste was in politics, was to have a Willow Meeting each year, at a state park.
These events included talking about politics on the first day and the second day, and having fun, like playing touch football.
“It’s important to get to know people, go to their back yards, walk the farm with them,” Celeste said.
After getting out of the governorship, Celeste, under President Bill Clinton, was an ambassador to India, from 1997-2001. Then, from 2002-2011, Celeste served as president of Colorado College, in Colorado Springs.
With the interview finished, Celeste then conversed with people further, while signing his book for them.
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
