Portrait Unveiled for Hollister -- September 20, 2001

She's hanging on the walls with the big boys now. That's the way Nancy Hollister describes her new portrait at the Ohio Statehouse. The portrait was unveiled during a ceremony Wednesday for Hollister, the state's 65th governor.

The honor was given to Hollister - now a state representative - even though she had a short tenure of less that two weeks. Still, that was enough to put Hollister in the history books as Ohio's first - and only, so far - female governor. Hollister says she first objected to having a portrait made because of the time and cost.

Hollister says, "I felt very very strongly that we could not use tax-payers dollars to pay for this portrait, I didn't feel it was appropriate."

Hollister later agreed to the project on the condition it be paid for with privately raised money. Former Ohio House Speaker Joanne Davidson and Attorney General Betty Montgomery, among others, helped get that done. Hollister says she is very pleased with the portrait.

Hollister says, "There's some interesting funny historical footnotes in those things, that when somebody come through the stateshouse, and they will 100 years from now and say, my goodness that was interesting.

Hollister was lieutenant governor under George Voinovich when he resigned to become senator, and she was in charge until Bob Taft was sworn in 11 days later.