Former senator George Voinovich cut one final ribbon Saturday, officially dedicating a new space in Alden Library where students and faculty explore the library’s special collections.
Ohio University designated the George V. Voinovich Seminar Room, located on the fifth floor of Alden Library, after former Senator Voinovich donated his senatorial collection the library.
OU’s special collections already house Voinovich’s gubernatorial papers.
The room will serve mainly as a place in the library where classes can meet to use government documents and other special collections, including the Voinovich Collection. A glass cabinet on one side contains various memorabilia from Voinovich’s career.
As a United States Senator, Voinovich had the opportunity to choose where his senatorial collection would reside.
“I decided that I would send it to Ohio University so they’d have a good, solid background of the work that I did both as a governor and as a United States Senator," Voinovich said.
Voinovich graduated from OU in 1958.
“Senator Voinovich is one of only a handful of men or women in America that have been a mayor of a major metropolitan area, a governor and a United States Senator — and an alumnus of Ohio University,” OU President Roderick McDavis said.
OU’s officials said the documentation of Voinovich’s 43 years in public service would serve as a primary research resource for students and faculty from OU and elsewhere.
“(Voinovich's experience) makes this collection very unique within research libraries, because you can trace themes across regional and then national areas,” said Scott Seaman, dean of OU libraries.
About 50 people, including Voinovich’s family, attended the dedication. McDavis also announced during the ceremony that Voinovich would begin serving as a professor at OU.
Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit emphasized the importance of the Voinovich Collection, and other special collections, to OU students.
“These collections are used regularly, by undergraduate students, honors tutorial projects, and faculty,” she said.
Voinovich, who served as East Green senator and Student Council president while studying at OU, said his experiences at the university greatly affected his political career.
“I made a lot of mistakes (at OU), folks,” he said. “Thank God I made them here and not in the real world. I watch politicians every day make mistakes I made at OU because they weren’t lucky enough to be involved in student government like I was here.”
rm279109@ohiou.edu
