100th Anniversary - Columbus Board of Realtors
100th Anniversary - Columbus Board of Realtors
100th Anniversary - Columbus Board of Realtors
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1908 - 2008<br />
th<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong><br />
1908-2008
th<br />
1908 - 2008<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong><br />
1908-2008<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008
th<br />
1908 - 2008<br />
This book has been compiled and edited by<br />
members and staff in honor <strong>of</strong> the 100 th <strong>Anniversary</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
Special acknowledgement goes to members <strong>of</strong> the 100 th <strong>Anniversary</strong><br />
Ad Hoc Committee, who contributed their time and efforts to the<br />
yearlong 100 th <strong>Anniversary</strong> celebration and to this book.<br />
100 th <strong>Anniversary</strong> Ad Hoc Committee Members:<br />
Charlotte Van Steyn, Chair<br />
Marqué Bressler<br />
Stan Collins<br />
Michael Gautier<br />
Phil Geissler<br />
Lynn Hackworth<br />
Greg Hrabcak<br />
Myrna Kobre<br />
Lynda Long<br />
William McMenamy<br />
Robert U. Miller<br />
Gary Parsons<br />
Mary Raysa<br />
Chris Reese<br />
George Smith<br />
Kelley Youman Truxall<br />
Dr. Robert Weiler, Sr.<br />
Larry Metzger, CEO<br />
Greg Hrabcak, 2008 President<br />
Trademarks: REALTOR® and REALTORS® are<br />
registered trademarks that mean member or members <strong>of</strong><br />
the National Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® and should not be<br />
used as a reference to real estate practitioners in general.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
2700 Airport Drive<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong>, OH 43219<br />
(614) 475-4000<br />
www.<strong>Columbus</strong><strong>Realtors</strong>.com<br />
<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
th<br />
1908 - 2008<br />
The first 100 years <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® are highlighted in the following<br />
pages <strong>of</strong> this book, which features a timeline <strong>of</strong><br />
significant events and memorable photos from<br />
the last century.<br />
Throughout its first 100 years, the CBR has<br />
called at least three buildings “home,” most<br />
notably building the current location to<br />
meet the needs <strong>of</strong> membership and changing<br />
technology in 1993. The location at 2700<br />
Airport Drive marked the first time the <strong>Board</strong><br />
had started from scratch, rather than adapting<br />
to an existing space.<br />
Just as the <strong>Board</strong>’s locations have changed<br />
over the last 10 decades, so too has<br />
membership, the way business is done and the<br />
entire central Ohio community.<br />
From charitable causes to political ones,<br />
from Presidential Balls to the state’s largest<br />
real estate expo, the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® and its members have set<br />
a precedent as leaders in the real estate<br />
industry and the community.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> the countless milestones and moments<br />
are touched upon in this book. We don’t doubt<br />
the book could have been much larger in size,<br />
but the accomplishments <strong>of</strong> the CBR and its<br />
members are too numerous to compile in a<br />
single volume.<br />
While this is only a snapshot <strong>of</strong> the first<br />
100 years, we hope you enjoy the trip down<br />
memory lane. We are honored you are among<br />
those celebrating the centennial year <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008
1908<br />
On May 12, 1908, 120 men representing 19 boards from<br />
13 states and one state association, meet in Chicago to<br />
try to establish a national real estate group, after three<br />
previous attempts had failed.<br />
The National Association <strong>of</strong> Real Estate Exchanges objective<br />
is “To unite the real estate men <strong>of</strong> America for the<br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> effectively exerting a combined influence upon<br />
matters affecting real estate interests.”<br />
The group authorized employment <strong>of</strong> an executive<br />
secretary, general counsel and provided an <strong>of</strong>fice for<br />
association work. Standing committees, demonstrating<br />
the founders’ intended fields <strong>of</strong> activity, were formed and<br />
included: Code <strong>of</strong> Ethics, taxation, state and municipal<br />
legislation, and the organization <strong>of</strong> local exchanges.<br />
During May 1908, talks for establishing a local chapter<br />
in <strong>Columbus</strong> are also being held. The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® was formed in 1908 as The <strong>Columbus</strong> Real<br />
Estate <strong>Board</strong> with the election <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers held on June<br />
19, 1908. W.A. Mahoney, W.G. Neff, D.P. Cooke, M.A.<br />
Smith, George Robbins, A.W. Forest, Frank Hammond,<br />
W.G. Conway, H.D. Freeman and C.A. McAllister are all<br />
elected trustees. Frank Hammond is elected the <strong>Board</strong>s’<br />
first President and served through 1909. In all, 27 men<br />
vote to adopt the constitution and bylaws <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
Above, Below Left and Below Right: What started it all:<br />
The two-page document on display in the CBR <strong>Board</strong>room<br />
contains the meeting minutes and original charter<br />
and bylaws adopted by founding members in 1908.<br />
<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1912<br />
There are 2,560 building permits issued by the city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong> at a<br />
value <strong>of</strong> $4,675,303. In 2007 the city issued a total <strong>of</strong> 4,996 building<br />
permits, for both residential and commercial construction, at a total<br />
value <strong>of</strong> more than $1.5 billion.<br />
1913<br />
The National Association <strong>of</strong> Real Estate Exchanges adopts a strict<br />
Code <strong>of</strong> Ethics with the “Golden Rule” as its theme. We are the fourth<br />
business group in the nation to follow the pr<strong>of</strong>essions <strong>of</strong> medicine, law<br />
and engineering in the formation and enforcement <strong>of</strong> a code <strong>of</strong> ethics<br />
for its members.<br />
The Scioto River floods, killing 100 people and leaving 20,000 homeless.<br />
1914<br />
Developer Charles Johnson asks Bexley Mayor Peter Ludwig to annex<br />
Eastmoor. Ludwig declines, saying Bexley has enough lots to last<br />
100 years.<br />
Above: Great flood <strong>of</strong> 1913: After the Scioto<br />
River flooded, thousands were homeless<br />
and <strong>Columbus</strong> was underwater.<br />
Below Left: National effort: Sponsored by<br />
the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Labor, a 1914 campaign<br />
urged Americans to buy a home.<br />
Below Right: Downtown <strong>Columbus</strong> in days<br />
gone by: A view <strong>of</strong> the intersection <strong>of</strong><br />
South High and Town streets in 1914.<br />
King and Ben Thompson buy 600 acres northwest <strong>of</strong> downtown <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
with plans to build homes there. The area would later become<br />
known as Upper Arlington.<br />
The arches over High Street are removed and the Statehouse annex<br />
built.<br />
World War I starts and lasts until 1918. WWI marked the first use<br />
<strong>of</strong> chemical weapons, the first mass bombardment <strong>of</strong> civilians from<br />
the sky, and the century’s first genocide. The U.S. would join the war<br />
effort in 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson called on Americans<br />
to “make the world safe for democracy.” The cost would be over 40<br />
million casualties.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008
1915<br />
The term “REALTOR®” is coined by Minneapolis <strong>Board</strong> President<br />
Charles Chadbourn. Chadbourn saw a newspaper headline that said<br />
“Real estate man swindles old widow” and feels the need to separate<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the national association from everyone else selling real<br />
estate. REALTOR® is adopted by the national association in 1916 for<br />
all its members, but wasn’t trademarked until 1949.<br />
1916<br />
The national organization’s name is changed to the National Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong>s and the term “REALTOR®” is formally adopted.<br />
The area’s first planned community, Upper Arlington, is developed.<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Zoo and the Defense Construction Supply Center both open.<br />
1917<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Urban League is founded.<br />
The Ohio State University – University <strong>of</strong> Michigan rivalry begins.<br />
1919<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> throws a welcome home party for Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.<br />
After surviving the Scioto River flood <strong>of</strong> 1913, <strong>of</strong>ficials determine the<br />
Lane Avenue Bridge will be inadequate for future floods and the second,<br />
more modern four-lane concrete bridge opens in 1919.<br />
1920<br />
There are 2,822 building permits issued by the city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong> at a<br />
value <strong>of</strong> $10,257,170.<br />
Top Right: OSU/Michigan Rivalry: Although<br />
the rivalry began in 1917, OSU didn’t win until<br />
the 16th game in the series (1919). From 1968<br />
through 1980 (that’s a 13 year period) the<br />
Big Ten Rose Bowl rep, was either Ohio State<br />
or Michigan. 2008 marks the 105th game<br />
between the two Universities.<br />
Middle Right: Referred to as the American<br />
Ace <strong>of</strong> Aces, Eddie Rickenbacker, was<br />
a successful race car driver, fighter pilot,<br />
airline executive, wartime advisor, and elder<br />
statesman. Few aces achieved so much in<br />
so many different lifetime roles. His twenty-six<br />
aerial victories came in only two months <strong>of</strong><br />
combat flying, a spectacular achievement.<br />
Shown here with his plane in 1919.<br />
Above: The beginnings <strong>of</strong> a great career: A young John W. Galbreath in his<br />
first real estate <strong>of</strong>fice in the early 1920s.<br />
Bottom Right: Lane Avenue Bridge: The<br />
second Lane Avenue Bridge (<strong>of</strong> 1919) was<br />
a four-span, earth-filled concrete arch structure.<br />
The designer was noted bridge engineer<br />
Wilbur J. Watson <strong>of</strong> Cleveland, who<br />
previously designed the King Avenue Bridge<br />
(1914) and the Third Avenue Bridge (1917).<br />
<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1921<br />
Jan. 12 – <strong>Columbus</strong> City Hall burns. After <strong>Columbus</strong>’ second city hall<br />
location burns down, the land is sold for $700,000 and the Ohio Theater<br />
is built on the site, where it still stands today.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> gets its first female police <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
1922<br />
The “horseshoe,” Ohio Stadium, opens and the first football game is<br />
played in October, in front <strong>of</strong> a crowd <strong>of</strong> 72,000 fans.<br />
1923<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong>’ first airport, Norton Field, opens.<br />
Beulah Park holds its first horse race.<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Junior League is formed.<br />
1924<br />
Children’s Hospital opens, as does Fort Hayes Hotel, and South and<br />
Central High Schools.<br />
1926<br />
The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation lends $10,000 to start an auto<br />
insurance company for farmers. Today that company is known as<br />
Nationwide.<br />
The Palace Theater opens.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong>’ population is 310,622.<br />
Top Left: Built in 1926 as a grand vaudeville<br />
and movie house, the Keith-Albee Palace became<br />
the RKO Palace (Radio Keith Orpheum)<br />
in 1929. After almost fifty years <strong>of</strong> first run films,<br />
the Palace was forced to close its doors. The<br />
theater was purchased in 1989 by the CAPA<br />
organization and is a now a premier venue for<br />
concerts, stage shows and more.<br />
Middle Left: <strong>Columbus</strong> City Hall: A picture<br />
taken after a fire that gutted City Hall on Jan.<br />
12, 1921.<br />
Bottom Left: Ohio Stadium: Home <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Buckeyes, it became known as the ‘Shoe’<br />
because <strong>of</strong> it’s lucky horseshoe shape.<br />
Bottom Right: Meeting minutes: The May 10,<br />
1924 meeting <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate<br />
<strong>Board</strong>, which saw the induction <strong>of</strong> several<br />
members including future CBR and NAR President<br />
John W. Galbreath.<br />
At meetings in the 1920s, cigars and cigarettes<br />
were provided free <strong>of</strong> charge.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008
1928<br />
The Ohio Theater opens.<br />
1929<br />
Port <strong>Columbus</strong> Airport, Battelle Memorial Institute and the first<br />
White Castle restaurant open.<br />
October’s stock market crash marks the beginning <strong>of</strong> the Great<br />
Depression. Within three years, real estate construction by private<br />
companies is down $1.7 billion, just 24 percent <strong>of</strong> the 1929 figure.<br />
1931<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Museum <strong>of</strong> Art and the Pontifical College Josephinum open.<br />
1934<br />
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is created as part <strong>of</strong><br />
the passage <strong>of</strong> the National Housing Act <strong>of</strong> 1934.<br />
Big Bear, the city’s first supermarket, opens on Lane Avenue.<br />
1938<br />
Amendments to the 1934 Housing Act pave the way for the creation <strong>of</strong><br />
the Federal National Mortgage Association, now known as Fannie Mae,<br />
marking the realization <strong>of</strong> a long-held goal <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® – the ability<br />
to provide a steady flow <strong>of</strong> funds for mortgages.<br />
Above: Roosevelt signing Declaration <strong>of</strong><br />
War on Japan: On December 8, 1941, the<br />
day after Japanese forces attacked the<br />
American military base at Pearl Harbor,<br />
Hawaii, Franklin Roosevelt gave one <strong>of</strong> his<br />
most famous speeches to Congress when<br />
he asked Congress to declare war on<br />
Japan.<br />
Women’s Council <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® is founded.<br />
1939<br />
On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invades Poland, sparking the beginning <strong>of</strong><br />
World War II. By the end <strong>of</strong> WWII, every major world power would be<br />
involved and more than 60 million people would lose their lives, including<br />
19 <strong>of</strong> the 1,143 REALTORS® who chose to serve.<br />
1940<br />
President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Poindexter Village, the<br />
city’s first federal metropolitan housing project developed by the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Metropolitan Housing Authority. It still stands today<br />
between Mt. Vernon Avenue and East Long Street.<br />
Right: NAR<br />
President: CBR<br />
member John W.<br />
Galbreath served<br />
as President <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
in 1944.<br />
1944<br />
After serving as CBR President in 1939, John W. Galbreath is elected<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the National Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
REALTORS® hail the G.I. Bill <strong>of</strong> Rights, which provides low-interest<br />
loans to returning veterans for purchasing homes and businesses. At the<br />
time, The National Real Estate Journal predicted the bill would help<br />
stimulate post-war home building.<br />
1946<br />
Real estate exam fees are $10 for brokers and $5 for salesmen.<br />
Above: Housing shortage in ‘47: This clipping<br />
from The Citizen Journal newspaper details<br />
the city’s shortage <strong>of</strong> housing for its growing<br />
population. According to the article, Robert<br />
Weiler was selling homes almost as fast as<br />
they could be built, and the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real<br />
Estate <strong>Board</strong> called the lack <strong>of</strong> homes a<br />
“critical shortage.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1948<br />
The tax rate for <strong>Columbus</strong> is $19.20 per $1,000.<br />
1949<br />
CBR’s membership publication adds a “Cooperative Listings” section<br />
where REALTORS® submit listings to be printed. The first 20 listings<br />
received are printed at no cost.<br />
The Jan. 15, 1949 edition <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® advertises<br />
the annual installation dinner, featuring guest speaker Dr. Edmund<br />
B. O’Leary, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> economics and business at the University <strong>of</strong><br />
Dayton. The dinner is held in the Gold Room at the Fort Hayes Hotel<br />
and costs $2.75 per ticket “including tax and tip.”<br />
The April 15, 1949 edition <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® details a<br />
<strong>Board</strong> membership drive encouraging “Every Member Get A Member”<br />
during the drive aimed at getting real estate agents in Franklin<br />
County to join the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong>. At the time, there<br />
were more real estate brokers and agents who didn’t belong to the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> than there were members, according to the REALTOR®. Dues<br />
in 1949 are $16.25 per quarter.<br />
The term REALTOR® is trademarked.<br />
The city’s first television station, WLWC Channel 3 goes on air. That station,<br />
now known as WCMH NBC 4, and WBNS-TV, both started in 1949.<br />
Bottom Left: Looking for a few good members:<br />
This 1949 article details the efforts <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong> to boost<br />
membership in the pr<strong>of</strong>essional organization.<br />
Top Left: A very early MLS system:<br />
A copy <strong>of</strong> the first “Cooperative<br />
Listings” section from the 1949<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®, where it appeared<br />
for the first time.<br />
Right: REALTOR® wives: This 1948<br />
clip from the <strong>Columbus</strong> Citizen<br />
Journal talks about special events<br />
for the wives <strong>of</strong> real estate men<br />
during an upcoming convention.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008
1950<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong> incorporates.<br />
On Memorial Day, Whetstone Park is <strong>of</strong>ficially dedicated and 35 acres<br />
are set aside for what would become the <strong>Columbus</strong> Park <strong>of</strong> Roses.<br />
1951<br />
In March The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® announces plans for “The<br />
Lifesavers,” a group <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® and their families who set up a<br />
group blood donor program as part <strong>of</strong> the Red Cross’ <strong>Columbus</strong> Regional<br />
Blood Center. Much <strong>of</strong> the blood and plasma collected is to be<br />
sent overseas to troops fighting in the Korean War.<br />
1952<br />
Larry Chambers is hired as the <strong>Board</strong>’s Executive Vice President (later<br />
known as Executive Officer) and serves in that position until 1969.<br />
1954<br />
Sept. 1 - The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) <strong>of</strong>ficially begins. The<br />
<strong>Board</strong> starts the service with money borrowed from several <strong>of</strong> the 68<br />
charter members. Larry Wade, chair <strong>of</strong> the MLS Committee, announces<br />
the first listing was entered at a list price <strong>of</strong> $11,500.<br />
1955<br />
In its first full year <strong>of</strong> operation, the MLS has 3,746 listings, and<br />
1,873 sales recorded, with an average sale price <strong>of</strong> $13,682.<br />
The May 26, 1955 edition <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® has a cover<br />
story on the annual stag party and ox roast, which includes a<br />
turkey shoot for the first time. The shoot, called Davy Crockett Day, is<br />
“supervised by a police <strong>of</strong>ficer” and features “real prize turkeys.”<br />
Top Right: Lifesavers: Charter members <strong>of</strong><br />
the new Group Blood Donor Program.<br />
Middle Right: The wise owl: The cover <strong>of</strong><br />
the Aug. 4, 1954 edition <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
REALTOR® foretold the coming <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Board</strong>’s first Multiple Listing Service,<br />
started with money borrowed from some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the 68 charter members <strong>of</strong> the service.<br />
Above: Neighborhood revitalization: In 1955, CBR President Robert<br />
Weiler (center) and fellow members including Jack Havens (right) are<br />
photographed during a CBR home rehabiliation project.<br />
10 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1956<br />
NAR establishes National REALTOR® Week, an annual week dedicated<br />
to recognizing the efforts <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® everywhere and<br />
celebrating the real estate pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />
1957<br />
March 28 – The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® reports that the CBR Handbook<br />
<strong>of</strong> Property Transfers is a service that is the envy <strong>of</strong> every other real<br />
estate organization in the nation. The first issue covers 1953 -1955 and<br />
lists every real estate sale in greater <strong>Columbus</strong> by street, address, date<br />
and tax revenue stamps involved. Available to members only, the book<br />
“makes a pr<strong>of</strong>essional out <strong>of</strong> a beginner salesman almost overnight.”<br />
Interest is so high among real estate groups that in one city, 10 firms join<br />
together to <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>Columbus</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> dollars to establish a handbook<br />
for their area.<br />
Salesmen are thought <strong>of</strong> as employees <strong>of</strong> a broker, and not as independent<br />
contractors.<br />
Ohio Gov. C. William O’Neil makes a Bexley home the <strong>of</strong>ficial Governor’s<br />
Mansion.<br />
The Housing Act <strong>of</strong> 1957 lowers the down payment required on FHA loans.<br />
1959<br />
REALTOR® Jack Havens is named by the <strong>Columbus</strong> Citizen Journal<br />
as one <strong>of</strong> the top 10 young men <strong>of</strong> 1958 for pioneering the FHA 221<br />
loan program in <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
A Sept. 3 article in The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® discusses a <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Trustees meeting where changing commission schedules based on the<br />
types and amount <strong>of</strong> property sold is discussed. Today that would be<br />
considered price-fixing by the FTC.<br />
There are 5,650 listings submitted to the MLS in 1959.<br />
Top Left: The envy <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® everywhere:<br />
Started in 1957, the CBR Deed<br />
Transfer books were still a hit in the<br />
1960s.<br />
1960<br />
May 12 – CBR member John W. Galbreath is awarded the Horatio<br />
Algier Award for 1960 in New York City. Named for the 19th century<br />
author, the award recognizes community leaders, honesty and<br />
self-reliance. Past receipients include former U.S. President Herbert<br />
Hoover, Dr. Milton Eisenhauer and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> approves part-time salesmen.<br />
Middle Left: The first time ever: Now<br />
a tradition, CBR went 52 years before<br />
holding its first President’s Ball in 1960.<br />
Bottom Left: Play that music: REALTOR®<br />
Paul Love and his band entertained<br />
crowds at CBR functions in the 1960s.<br />
Bottom Right: Of historic significance:<br />
This photo from The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®<br />
shows CBR’s first female members.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 11
November – Women are allowed to join as REALTOR® members as<br />
the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> becomes the last large metropolitan <strong>Board</strong> in the<br />
country to allow women as members. The issue <strong>of</strong> women joining is<br />
very controversial and although all <strong>of</strong> the first female members were<br />
owners or brokers at their companies, they couldn’t be REALTORS®<br />
until November 1960. The first women to join the CBR are Lucille<br />
Jacobs, Wanda Poore, Esther Bain, Mary Louise Campbell, Edna<br />
Mooreland, Dorothy Tharpe and Dorothy Taylor. After the votes are<br />
counted several times, it was reported in The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®<br />
that the change would not affect the summer Stag Picnic.<br />
Dec. 27 – CBR holds the first President’s Ball, to honor outgoing<br />
President Thomas Kohr and install new leadership, including 1961<br />
President Oscar Thomas. This social highlight <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong>s’ first 52<br />
years is held in the main ballroom <strong>of</strong> the Neil House and tickets sold<br />
for $10 each. The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® advised members to “Solve<br />
your wife’s Christmas gift problem! Tell her about this party tonight<br />
so she can get that new cocktail dress before Christmas!” White gardenias<br />
and pink champagne are given to all the wives.<br />
1961<br />
Lucille Jacobs is the first woman to join the Multiple<br />
Listing Service.<br />
Wade Co. REALTORS® announces a flat commission rate<br />
<strong>of</strong> $500.<br />
Riverside Methodist Hospital and the Kahiki Restaurant<br />
both open.<br />
1962<br />
In November, CBR launches the long-awaited Million Dollar Club,<br />
and recipients are honored at the President’s Ball. The dollar volume<br />
limit for any single transaction is $100,000.<br />
CBR begins publishing <strong>Columbus</strong> and Franklin County plat books.<br />
NAR produces the first book on the “interpretation <strong>of</strong> ethics” and<br />
launches the first national advertising and public relations campaign.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> gets its first regular jet service and the first McDonald’s<br />
restaurant opens.<br />
1963<br />
CBR publishes the first “Homes for Sale” photo guide.<br />
Past President Bill McCorkle lists the 50,000th home in the MLS<br />
service at 3438 Walmar Drive.<br />
1964<br />
A record year for MLS – the service records $7 million in sales.<br />
June – Harley E. Rouda opens new <strong>of</strong>fices at 1071 Fishinger Road in<br />
Upper Arlington and invites fellow REALTORS® to tour the state-<strong>of</strong>the-art<br />
facilities.<br />
Top Right: REALTOR® Week 1962: President-<br />
Elect Paul Falco (left) and 1962 President<br />
John Pace (far right) admire a local<br />
billboard promoting the security <strong>of</strong> homeownership<br />
with a representative from the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Outdoor Advertising Co.<br />
Left: Lucille Jacobs: One <strong>of</strong> the first women<br />
to join the <strong>Board</strong> and the first woman<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the MLS service.<br />
Middle Right: Lots <strong>of</strong> listings in the MLS: By<br />
1963, CBR’s Multiple Listing Service had<br />
50,000 homes listed and set record sales.<br />
Bottom Right: Picture perfect: Clients<br />
could review hundreds <strong>of</strong> homes for sale in<br />
Rouda’s photo gallery, at <strong>of</strong>fices opened<br />
in 1964.<br />
12 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Bill into<br />
law. The act is a sweeping change in civil rights legislation, prohibiting<br />
discrimination <strong>of</strong> all kinds based on race, color, religion, or<br />
national origin. The law also provides the federal government with<br />
the powers to enforce desegregation.<br />
The Center <strong>of</strong> Science and Industry (COSI) and Northland Mall<br />
open.<br />
1965<br />
Vernice Sagstetter receives the first REALTOR® Salesperson <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year award, then known as Associate <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
REALTOR® Paul Love sells the first home in Ohio to be financed<br />
with a mortgage obtained under the new veteran’s housing program,<br />
at 1061 Carlisle Road.<br />
The CBR Five Million Dollar Sales Club is started.<br />
R. G. Denmead REALTORS® wins the 1965 REALTORS® Bowling<br />
League Championship trophy, beating 13 other teams in the<br />
weekly league comprised <strong>of</strong> real estate agents, brokers and mortgage<br />
representatives. According to The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®, the<br />
team splits $128 in winnings and each received a trophy.<br />
Top Left: MLS Books: Complete listings and<br />
photos <strong>of</strong> properties were printed for more<br />
than three decades by CBR.<br />
Middle Left: First Five Million Dollar Club<br />
awardees: J.D. Kurgis, Mary Jo Kent, David<br />
Carruthers and James Henley, in 1965.<br />
Bottom Left: Vernice Sagstetter: In 1965 she<br />
became the first person to receive the CBR<br />
REALTOR®-Associate <strong>of</strong> the Year Award. Sagstetter<br />
is pictured with the first eight honorees.<br />
Top Right: Victory: R.G. Denmead and his team celebrate their victory in<br />
the 1965 REALTOR® Bowling League.<br />
Bottom Right: Talented group: A chorus performing during the 1966<br />
Realvillities Talent Show at the Neil House.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 13
1967<br />
Jan. 20, 1967 – Bob Weiler reports in The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®<br />
that despite a fire at his three-story <strong>of</strong>fice building, 175 S. High<br />
St., the company is still in business and temporarily located at 202<br />
N. Grant Ave. Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire and much <strong>of</strong> the<br />
company’s documents were able to be salvaged.<br />
February – The <strong>Board</strong> moves to new member headquarters at 200<br />
East Town Street in downtown <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
A “major breakthrough” is announced when all dictionaries published<br />
in the U.S. agree to use the NAREB definition <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TOR® and its correct pronunciation.<br />
The first Oktoberfest is held.<br />
The population <strong>of</strong> Franklin County is 852,411 and 573,280 in <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
proper. The city has 113 square miles and there are 106,000 students<br />
enrolled in city schools. The homeownership rate is 56 percent.<br />
1968<br />
Robert Denmead receives the first REALTOR® Broker <strong>of</strong> the Year award.<br />
In May 1968, <strong>Columbus</strong> Mayor Maynard E. Sensenbrenner proclaims<br />
May 19-25 REALTOR® Week, asking all citizens to join him in “honoring<br />
the REALTORS® <strong>of</strong> this city.” The theme <strong>of</strong> the 1968 National RE-<br />
ALTOR® Week is “Home is where security starts – Don’t wait in ’68!”<br />
Above Left: Proclamation: <strong>Columbus</strong> Mayor Maynard E. Sensenbrenner<br />
proclaims REALTOR® Week ‘68 with Executive Vice President Larry<br />
Chambers, President Bill McCorkle and Allen Shaw looking on.<br />
Top Right: A talent show like none other: More than 55 people entertained<br />
guests during CBR’s annual talent and variety show, Realvillities, in 1967,<br />
held at the Neil House. This clip from the The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® shows<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the “actors” in costume and prepping for the show!<br />
Middle Right: Five Million Club: Max W. Holzer, John W. Bennett and Edwin<br />
J. May became the second group to receive the sales award in 1967.<br />
Bottom Right: Forty years ago: “Don’t wait in<br />
‘68” was the theme <strong>of</strong> NAR’s National REAL-<br />
TOR® Week 40 years ago. <strong>Columbus</strong> Mayor<br />
Maynard E. Sensenbrenner asked residents<br />
to honor the city’s REALTORS® during the last<br />
week in May.<br />
14 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
The 1968 CBR Stag Picnic is held at Walnut Hills Country Club, and<br />
features fishing, cards and helicopter rides along with the traditional<br />
golf. <strong>Board</strong> President Bill McCorkle is said to have caught the most<br />
fish, claiming 101 caught, but no one counted, according to The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
REALTOR®.<br />
Aug. 22 – The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® hosts “Aloha … a Night<br />
in Hawaii,” a luau-themed party at Walnut Hills Country Club. The<br />
night features Limbo and Hula contests, the Chuck Angeletti Orchestra,<br />
an authentic Hawaiian-style dinner and dancing for $8 per person.<br />
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Fair Housing Act into<br />
law shortly after the assassination <strong>of</strong> civil rights leader Dr. Martin<br />
Luther King, Jr. Signed on April 11, the act prohibits discrimination<br />
in the sale, rental, and financing <strong>of</strong> housing.<br />
The main post <strong>of</strong>fice moves from Broad and Third streets to its current<br />
location on Twin Rivers Drive.<br />
1969<br />
In the late 1960s, the <strong>Board</strong> has its very own entertainment for<br />
functions including the President’s Ball, monthly meetings and the<br />
Realvillities talent show. The group, called the REALTOR® Jazz<br />
Band, performs around the community for various organizations and<br />
civic groups.<br />
Westland Mall, Bob Evans restaurant and Wendy’s all open.<br />
Top Left: Gone fishin’: In 1968, while he was<br />
CBR President, Bill McCorkle (right) enjoyed<br />
fishing at the annual stag picnic with fellow<br />
REALTOR® Ed Hanna.<br />
Middle Left: A night in Hawaii: On Aug. 22,<br />
1968 the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
held “Aloha … a Night in Hawaii,” a luauthemed<br />
party at Walnut Hills Country Club.<br />
The night featured Limbo and Hula contests,<br />
the Chuck Angeletti Orchestra, an authentic<br />
Hawaiian-style dinner and dancing for $8<br />
per person.<br />
1970<br />
On Jan. 28, 1970, Raymond T. Harris is the first<br />
African-American broker to become a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®. Harris went on to<br />
receive his CRS and GRI certificates and served on<br />
numerous CBR committees.<br />
March 20 – The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
reports that the MLS Committee generally agrees,<br />
with some dissent, that the computer will ultimately<br />
come to the real estate industry, and more importantly,<br />
to the Multiple Listing Service. The main questions remaining<br />
are, “when, and for how much?”<br />
Bottom Left: All that jazz: CBR’s own REAL-<br />
TOR® Jazz Band performed at the 1968<br />
President’s Ball, The REALTOR® reported.<br />
Top Right: Raymond T. Harris: The first African-<br />
American broker to join the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS®, in 1970.<br />
Bottom Right: CBR under construction: The<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice building CBR shared for nearly three<br />
decades was built in the late 1960s.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 15
Celebrating 100 Years... 1969<br />
By Harley Rouda, Sr.<br />
CBR President 1969<br />
My motto: “I may not always be<br />
right, but I am never in doubt.”<br />
I started HER, REALTORS®<br />
in 1955. By 1967, HER was the<br />
number one residential real estate<br />
company in <strong>Columbus</strong> and we have<br />
never lost that position. We were,<br />
and still are, very successful.<br />
At that time, CBR didn’t have any<br />
real estate education courses. I told<br />
CBR we needed education and as<br />
a result, I was asked to plan and<br />
teach real estate courses, which I<br />
did for four years.<br />
Realvillities is one <strong>of</strong> my fondest<br />
memories. I wrote, produced and<br />
emceed this comedy presentation.<br />
Many old timers still remember<br />
seeing John Pace, Bill McCorkle<br />
and Cecil Neff, dressed as hippies,<br />
dancing on stage while singing<br />
“Winchester Cathedral” with gusto.<br />
And who can forget seeing four <strong>of</strong><br />
the best looking (and appropriately<br />
costumed) CBR “Playboy Bunnies”<br />
with the first saying, “I’ve been<br />
assigned to the Chicago Club.’<br />
The second followed by proudly<br />
saying, “I’ve been assigned to the<br />
Los Angeles Club,” and the third<br />
said, “I’m going to the New York<br />
Club.” At that moment, Jeri Zang<br />
– dressed quite frumpy – walked in<br />
and said, “I didn’t know they had a<br />
Playboy Club in Poland!”<br />
The incomparable Margie Coyle’s<br />
role was the “cue-card cutie” and<br />
she was “exciting” as the photo<br />
included in this article reveals. The<br />
<strong>Board</strong> photographer felt it was necessary<br />
to take photos several times<br />
… and who could blame him?<br />
The house sold out every time and<br />
many talented REALTORS® made<br />
the show a great evening!<br />
During my career, I chaired almost<br />
every CBR committee and the MLS<br />
Committee for two years, which<br />
had never been done before. I was<br />
the only CBR President that went<br />
through four chairs, instead <strong>of</strong> five.<br />
In 1991 Habitat for Humanity<br />
chose <strong>Columbus</strong> as its honored<br />
city and I was named National<br />
Honorary Chairman <strong>of</strong> Habitat for<br />
Humanity that year. Former President<br />
Jimmy Cart came to <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
to celebrate our being named<br />
the honored city and I proudly<br />
walked with him down Broad<br />
Street to celebrate the event, giving<br />
him a brief glimpse <strong>of</strong> our great<br />
city.<br />
In addition to my time as CBR<br />
President, I would be remiss to not<br />
mention my experiences as NAR<br />
President. In the 100 years <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®,<br />
we have been fortunate enough to<br />
have two National Association <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® Presidents – John W.<br />
Galbreath in 1944, and myself in<br />
1991.<br />
In 1989, I became a candidate for<br />
NAR’s First Vice President at the<br />
national convention in San Francisco.<br />
For the first-time in recent<br />
history, we had a contested race.<br />
My opponent happened to be a<br />
commercial REALTOR® and I was,<br />
and still am, a residential REAL-<br />
TOR®. Because he was commer-<br />
cial, he probably didn’t go to as<br />
many real estate meetings as I did,<br />
which gave me a slight advantage.<br />
Prior to the election, I called<br />
John W. Galbreath and asked his<br />
permission to use the phrase he<br />
always used after concluding a<br />
speech. He said, “Absolutely, but<br />
Above: Rouda with <strong>Columbus</strong> Mayor<br />
Maynard E. Sensenbrenner, and<br />
<strong>Board</strong> Executive Vice President Larry<br />
Chambers celebrating the mayor’s<br />
proclamation <strong>of</strong> REALTOR® Week,<br />
May 18-24, 1969.<br />
Top: Three prominent <strong>Columbus</strong> RE-<br />
ALTORS® gather in 1991: Jack Myers,<br />
who served as CBR President in ’91,<br />
Myrna Kobre, Past CBR President<br />
who was serving as OAR President<br />
in ’91 and Rouda, who was NAR<br />
President.<br />
16 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Rouda and his wife Marlese after<br />
being handed the gavel at the 1968<br />
President’s Ball.<br />
Taken at the <strong>Board</strong>’s 1991 Forecast<br />
Night, Rouda was serving as NAR President<br />
and took the time to address<br />
his hometown crowd. He showed the<br />
capacity audience an article about<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> that appeared in Phoenix,<br />
Arizona’s daily newspaper and said<br />
the central Ohio economy is a bright<br />
spot in the nation.<br />
Picture <strong>of</strong> Rouda while serving as<br />
master <strong>of</strong> ceremonies during the<br />
1967 Realvillities variety show held at<br />
the Neil House.<br />
make sure you win!” His phrase<br />
was, “I may not always be right,<br />
but I am never in doubt.” Since<br />
then, I have used those words quite<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten in my career.<br />
The campaign and election was very<br />
competitive. When the 395 votes<br />
were counted … and counted again,<br />
I had won by three votes! With<br />
the help <strong>of</strong> NAR staff members, I<br />
attended 98 committee meetings<br />
to thank them for their dedication<br />
and service to our industry and the<br />
REALTOR® organization.<br />
Margie (Fisher Coyle) Holzer at the<br />
1969 Realvillities talent show.<br />
John W. Galbreath was one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
original inductees. I was honored<br />
in 1992 and Bob Weiler was honored<br />
several years ago.<br />
I am slowly coming to the end <strong>of</strong><br />
my career, so I felt quite honored to<br />
be installed as the sixth person in<br />
the Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame <strong>of</strong> the NAR Certified<br />
Residential Brokers Association<br />
(CRB) last year.<br />
I am very thankful that we have<br />
had great leaders as CEOs that<br />
have contributed to our being one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the best real estate boards in the<br />
country. Keep up the good work for<br />
the next 100 years!<br />
There have been three CBR REAL-<br />
TOR® members elected to the central<br />
Ohio Business Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame.<br />
At the 1969 President’s Ball, the incoming <strong>of</strong>ficers for 1970 gather: Twink Starr,<br />
Jim Owen, Brad Salt, John Hill, Gene Jaques and Rouda.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 17
May 18 – May 18 – The <strong>Board</strong> holds its first REALTOR® Blood Donor<br />
Day during REALTOR® Week in hopes <strong>of</strong> establishing a REAL-<br />
TOR® Blood Bank. At the urging <strong>of</strong> Co-chairs Dean Potts and May<br />
Morrison, 48 REALTORS® and Associates contribute a pint <strong>of</strong> blood.<br />
June 1 – After three years <strong>of</strong> leasing <strong>of</strong>fice space at 200 East Town<br />
Street from United Redevelopment Corporation, the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Trustees votes to purchase the<br />
building, and sells bonds to members to help finance the purchase.<br />
June 15 – C. Dale Cook becomes Executive Vice President <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Board</strong>. Prior to CBR, Cook was affiliated with Battelle Memorial<br />
Institute and the Big Brother Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong> and Franklin<br />
County.<br />
The CBR Ten Million Dollar Sales Club Award begins.<br />
1971<br />
Oct. 14 – After years <strong>of</strong> planning, the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong>’s Multiple<br />
Listing Service first computerized system is now <strong>of</strong>ficially up and<br />
running. REALTORS® Computer Services (RCS), an affiliate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National Association <strong>of</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong>s, is the system provider.<br />
Realtron Corporation <strong>of</strong> Detroit, Michigan, the pioneer in computerization<br />
in the real estate industry, supplies the technical services<br />
under a contract to RCS. More than 2,500 active listings are now on<br />
the system, and 50 different s<strong>of</strong>tware programs allow the member,<br />
using a black box and a telephone combination nicknamed “Charlie”<br />
to search and manipulate the online data.<br />
1972<br />
Jan. 1 – As part <strong>of</strong> a tax settlement with the IRS, the <strong>Board</strong> separates<br />
the MLS Division (and other potentially pr<strong>of</strong>it-making endeavors)<br />
from the <strong>Board</strong> structure. The MLS, along with computer services,<br />
the Homes For Sale Photoguide and the Deed Transfer Service are<br />
now a separate corporation – a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®, allowing the board to<br />
retain its non-pr<strong>of</strong>it status.<br />
Ken Sampson is hired as the <strong>Board</strong>’s Executive Officer and<br />
serves in that position until 1983.<br />
Ohio License Law now requires licensees to obtain 30 hours<br />
<strong>of</strong> continuing education every two years.<br />
Top Right: Blood Bank: Some say Co-Chairman<br />
Dean Potts should have given a quart!<br />
Middle Right: The value <strong>of</strong> a REALTOR®: In<br />
1971, CBR President Brad Salt instructs a<br />
crowd at a <strong>Board</strong> holiday gathering how<br />
to properly use and pronounce the term<br />
REALTOR®. President-Elect Jim Owen looks<br />
on.<br />
Bottom Right: Before a President’s Ball in<br />
the 1970s: CBR members Gene Jacques,<br />
and CBR Presidents serving during the<br />
decade, Jim Owen, ‘72, John Hill, ‘70, Brad<br />
Salt ,‘71 and Twink Starr, ‘73, all dressed up<br />
and ready to dance the night away.<br />
Bottom Left: Successful sales: David F. Carruthers,<br />
receiving his Ten Million Dollar Club<br />
award from President John Hill in 1970.<br />
Carruthers and J. P. Kurgis were the first two<br />
people to win the award.<br />
18 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
The National Association <strong>of</strong> Real Estate <strong>Board</strong>s changes its name to<br />
National Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® and opens membership to sales<br />
associates. The block R is adopted as the <strong>of</strong>ficial logo.<br />
The Continent apartment and shopping complex opens on the city’s north<br />
side and the first Max & Erma’s restaurant opens in German Village.<br />
1973<br />
June 15 – NAR’s “Identification and Communications Manual,” which<br />
will guide use <strong>of</strong> the new bold R trademark by REALTORS® and REAL-<br />
TOR® associations, is distributed nationwide. “Through coordinated and<br />
consistent use <strong>of</strong> our new logo in available visual media, one uniform<br />
image <strong>of</strong> the REALTOR® will emerge,” said NAR President J.D. Sawyer.<br />
Oct. 25 – Senator John W. Bricker is named CBR’s first “Outstanding<br />
Citizen <strong>of</strong> the Year.” Concluding his acceptance speech at the dinner held<br />
at the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, Bricker said, “There’s nothing finer<br />
in life in my mind, than putting ones’ roots down in a community, becoming<br />
a definite part <strong>of</strong> it and staying with it.”<br />
Nov. 13 – The MLS Committee, chaired by Cam Taylor, announces that<br />
MLS Weekly Photo Computer Books will be printed beginning January<br />
1974, and sold for $5 per copy.<br />
1974<br />
MLS publishes the first photo computer book, a weekly index <strong>of</strong> active<br />
listings.<br />
March 19 – “Buyer beware” changes to “seller beware” after the New<br />
Jersey Supreme Court rules that “let the buyer beware” can no longer<br />
govern in real property transactions, ruling a buyer can rescind a purchase<br />
contract if the seller does not voluntarily reveal hidden defects,<br />
even if no direct request for the information is made. The lesson is<br />
clear; a broker should learn all the facts from their client and see that<br />
the buyer is told.<br />
May 4 – CBR joins in tree plantings, working with the <strong>Board</strong>’s REAL-<br />
TOR® Pride Committee and the Boy Scouts <strong>of</strong> America on the national<br />
“Let’s Green America” program. More than 10,000 pine tree seedlings<br />
are planted in the most advantageous locations along a scenic walkway<br />
in the Olentangy River Valley. The project is coordinated by CBR members<br />
Brad Johnson and Committee Chair Pat Mollica.<br />
Top: The way things used to be done: An<br />
MLS listing contract from 1974, long before<br />
Internet searches and TEMPO.<br />
Middle: REALTOR® Pride: An article from<br />
a 1974 copy <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR®<br />
details the volunteer project, which rehabbed<br />
and sold a <strong>Columbus</strong> home.<br />
Bottom: Lightning fast Buckeye: Olympic<br />
track star Jesse Owens at the 1974 Sales<br />
Associates Day with Tom Caito and Dick<br />
Fagen.<br />
August – CBR announces its support <strong>of</strong> school teacher Lorrie Kapsta,<br />
Miss Ohio and the state’s contestant in the Miss America Pagent, with<br />
a $1,500 donation to help pay for her costs.<br />
CBR members participate in the REALTOR® Pride project, where a<br />
volunteer group purchased a home at 2391 North Fourth Street and<br />
rehabilitated it, making it “the showpiece <strong>of</strong> the neighborhood,” The<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> REALTOR® reports. Committee Chair Pat Mollica organizes<br />
contractors and volunteers, who complete improvements including<br />
new aluminum siding, kitchen cabinets, a ro<strong>of</strong> and fresh paint. The<br />
home is sold in September to Jim Kehoe.<br />
The 1974 Sales Associates Day features Olympic track star and former<br />
Ohio State Buckeye Jesse Owens.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 19
Celebrating 100 Years... 1973<br />
By Rupert “Twink” Starr<br />
CBR President 1973<br />
The year was 1973, and I had been<br />
sworn in as president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®. Our <strong>Board</strong><br />
was known as one <strong>of</strong> the best in the<br />
USA! I was honored, humbled, scared<br />
and told by a dear friend, that as a<br />
single man I would never make it to<br />
President. But I did. WOW!<br />
Yes, we had a good year. We had a<br />
good start from the planning and<br />
talents <strong>of</strong> those before us. My <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
were Tom Caito, President-Elect;<br />
Larry Horn, Vice President; Robert<br />
Weiler, Secretary-Treasurer; and E.<br />
Dean Potts, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer.<br />
It was Ken Sampson’s first full<br />
year as CBR’s Executive Vice President<br />
and Jim Owen was our Immediate<br />
Past President.<br />
The CBR staff included Brad Johnson<br />
and Gail Mitchell, <strong>Board</strong> Services,<br />
Jan Gunderson, Membership, Stan<br />
Collins and Kathy Montag, Bookkeeping/Accounting;<br />
Mike Gautier and<br />
Jean Lammen, MLS; Gerry Hawkes<br />
and Shari Walters, Realtron; and Pat<br />
Halverson, Executive Secretary.<br />
For the Ohio Association <strong>of</strong> Real<br />
Estate <strong>Board</strong>s (OAREB, now OAR),<br />
Everett Brown served as President <strong>of</strong><br />
the Associates Division; Don Kelley,<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the Ohio Chapter AIREA;<br />
Ken Sampson, Chairman, Executive<br />
Officers Committee; Jim Owen, Chairman,<br />
Membership Services; Larry<br />
Horn, Chairman, Education; and<br />
Donald Casey Hambleton, Chairman,<br />
Scholarship.<br />
Goals<br />
Our agenda for the year centered<br />
around three specific goals:<br />
• Represent all <strong>of</strong> the diverse members;<br />
increase their membership<br />
and participation<br />
• Give members more for their<br />
money; better services and better<br />
meetings<br />
• Work with city and state agencies to<br />
better represent homeowners<br />
It was also time for women to take<br />
their place in leadership roles and to<br />
one day begin serving as president. I<br />
appointed Myrna Kobre (East Area<br />
Association President) to the high pr<strong>of</strong>ile<br />
leadership position <strong>of</strong> Membership<br />
Chair. Her abilities and leadership<br />
skill led to her becoming president in<br />
1979. Women were up front now and<br />
taking on leadership roles. Margie<br />
Coyle (Holzer) became president in<br />
1988. Many women were to follow and<br />
do much <strong>of</strong> the business — exactly as<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the old timers feared.<br />
Legal Issues<br />
Brad Salt, who was president in 1971,<br />
warned us <strong>of</strong> looming legal challenges:<br />
price fixing by fee schedules, independent<br />
contractor status, city landlordtenant<br />
bill; blockbusting and steering,<br />
which had become illegal with the<br />
1968 Fair Housing Act. Both Toledo<br />
and Cleveland boards were sued by<br />
the Justice Department for violations<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Act. We did the right thing and<br />
no suit. The National Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Real Estate <strong>Board</strong>s (NAREB now<br />
NAR) President J.D. Sawyer was<br />
fighting the government over rent<br />
controls. In Ohio the age <strong>of</strong> authority<br />
was lowered making it possible for 18<br />
year olds to sign real estate contracts<br />
legally. Our legal council at the time,<br />
Searles Morton, retired and Norm<br />
Smith <strong>of</strong> Porter Wright became our<br />
attorney.<br />
Event Highlights<br />
Forecast Night ‘73<br />
“What will be in ‘73” was the theme<br />
<strong>of</strong> our January dinner meeting, which<br />
featured a panel <strong>of</strong> speakers including<br />
Oscar Thomas, Sr., Dick Benjamin,<br />
George Eckleberry and Marvin Yerke.<br />
Harley Rouda moderated the program<br />
and our promotion for this meeting<br />
was “Pay $6 just to hear Marvin Yerke.<br />
Consider the balance as a bonus”. A<br />
typical, clever and humorous remark<br />
by George Smith, our <strong>Columbus</strong> RE-<br />
ALTOR® editor.<br />
Saturday Night Luau<br />
This April event brought back so many<br />
wonderful memories for those who<br />
had traveled in 1971 to the National<br />
Convention in Hawaii, that 120 <strong>of</strong><br />
the 187 who made the Hawaiian trip,<br />
unpacked their aloha shirts, mumus,<br />
and, along with a stuffed Gorilla, sang<br />
Tiny Bubbles and danced the evening<br />
away to Bob Ebright’s ukulele (Bob’s<br />
wife Nancy, chaired this event).<br />
Speaker Norman Vincent Peale<br />
draws sell-out crowd<br />
“Give members more for their Money.”<br />
And, boy did we. At great expense, we<br />
brought in Norman Vincent Peale as<br />
our keynote speaker for the REAL-<br />
TOR® <strong>of</strong> the Year Presentation, where<br />
Oscar Thomas, Sr., was our celebrated<br />
20 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
honoree. That year, the Selection Committee<br />
comprised Ohio Supreme Court<br />
Chief Justice C. William O’Neill, Judge<br />
George Marshall, Mayor Tom Moody,<br />
and CBR’s 1970 and 1972 presidents<br />
John Hill and Jim Owen, respectively.<br />
Senator John Bricker gave the invocation.<br />
This event was a sell out (600<br />
people). Peale’s presentation on “The<br />
Power <strong>of</strong> Positive Thinking” played<br />
well to our largest audience to-date and<br />
received a standing ovation from all in<br />
attendance.<br />
<strong>Board</strong> Lot Sold<br />
A lot we purchased in 1964 on East<br />
Broad Street as a possible site for our<br />
board building was sold in 1973 by<br />
super Saleslady Martha Knepper (Richard<br />
Higgins). In our great wisdom, we<br />
purchased the lot for $86,000, and sold<br />
Above: Pictured here with Twink are<br />
Senator & Mrs. Bricker and John &<br />
Dorothy Galbreath.<br />
Below: Pictured from l to r are Joe<br />
McKinnon, Twink Starr, Mike Griffith<br />
and Cam Taylor at Sales Associates<br />
Day.<br />
Pictured from l to r are Bob Schritzinger,<br />
CBR’s Assistant Executive Officer<br />
Brad Johnson and Twink Star.<br />
it for $59,000. Thanks Martha. The loss<br />
reduced the <strong>Board</strong>’s pr<strong>of</strong>it for the year<br />
50 percent. Martha kindly accepted an<br />
engraved plaque and her 1973 dues<br />
were paid in full. (A commission also?).<br />
REALTOR® “R” Logo Introduced<br />
We received early a free car bumper<br />
sticker, a 6” window decal and a large<br />
window poster <strong>of</strong> the new REALTOR®<br />
“R” logo. Lapel pins were in short<br />
supply. The new logo became effective<br />
January 1, 1974.<br />
REPEC (now CORPAC)<br />
To counteract restrictive ordinances<br />
against our industry, Ed Leppert, Chairman<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Real Estate Political Education<br />
Committee (REPEC), encouraged<br />
all REALTORS® to give $99 to REPAC<br />
and for associates to give $25. The total<br />
amount raised in ‘73 was $7,000. Jim<br />
Owen and Harley Rouda became our<br />
two Life Members, each giving $1,000.<br />
Largest Sales Associates Day held<br />
at the time<br />
At Sales Associates Day, Leo Nachtrab<br />
(Metzger Brothers) was awarded the<br />
1973 Associate <strong>of</strong> the Year award. Joe<br />
MacKinnon (Larry Wade), who was<br />
the 1972 honoree and chairman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
event, presented the award. Sales Associates<br />
Day drew 550 people, which at<br />
the time was the largest associates day<br />
ever held, and featured seminars with<br />
two nationally known inspirational<br />
speakers.<br />
“What will be in ‘73”: A great MLS<br />
Service<br />
MLS Committee Chairman Cam Taylor<br />
touted the creation <strong>of</strong> the new photo<br />
guide magazine featuring properties for<br />
sale. Over 30,000 copies were distributed<br />
at 110 drop-<strong>of</strong>f locations. Back<br />
then, a 1/2-page ad in the guide sold for<br />
$9. Our sales figures in 1972 were $10<br />
million, and $17 million in 1973.<br />
First Citizen <strong>of</strong> the Year Award<br />
Dick Royer chaired our Annual Business<br />
Meeting and, after conducting<br />
business and listening to music by<br />
Scarlet and Gray Cornerstone, CBR’s<br />
1939 President John W. Galbreath<br />
introduced Senator John W. Bricker as<br />
the <strong>Board</strong>’s first Outstanding Citizen <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year honoree. In his remarks, the<br />
Senator said “He might want to make<br />
a few changes in his past life, but there<br />
are two things he would never change:<br />
1) His friendships and 2) <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
being his home forever. The town <strong>of</strong> Mt<br />
Sterling, population 1,200, was noted<br />
for three famous residents: Senator<br />
Bricker, John Galbreath and Twink<br />
Starr. And, as Twink’s Mother would<br />
say, “Not necessarily in that order.”<br />
President’s Ball<br />
A fitting end to the busy REALTOR®<br />
year was to celebrate with a Christmas<br />
gala, where sales leaders, staff, committee<br />
chairmen and <strong>of</strong>ficers were recognized.<br />
That evening we splurged bringing<br />
in a nationally known Orchestra, Sy<br />
Oliver, from the Rainbow Room in New<br />
York City and Tommy Dorsey fame.<br />
In closing, CBR in ‘73 was a great year<br />
thanks to all <strong>of</strong> the members and staff,<br />
many not named here. I thank you<br />
again for the honor and opportunity you<br />
gave me to be your president, which<br />
was most fulfilling and rewarding. I<br />
encourage all <strong>of</strong> you to be active in our<br />
wonderful <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS®.<br />
I may not be the richest, I may not be<br />
the smartest, but I am what I am and<br />
I’m happy. I am happy to have had a<br />
good and long life (I’m 86 years old <strong>of</strong><br />
which 53 where spent with my life partner),<br />
and in having made so many great<br />
and wonderful friends. Many <strong>of</strong> the best<br />
were and are REALTORS®.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 21
The Borden Building and the Rhodes Office Tower open.<br />
The Southwest Area Realty Association is formed.<br />
1975<br />
January – CBR and OAR now have joint ownership <strong>of</strong> the headquarters<br />
at 200 E. Town St.<br />
November – The weekly board newsletter, The <strong>Columbus</strong> REAL-<br />
TOR®, becomes a monthly, 12-page magazine called In Contract.<br />
I-270 is completed at a cost <strong>of</strong> $150 million.<br />
NAR leaders ratify a Voluntary Affirmative Marketing Agreement,<br />
clarifying REALTORS® responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The<br />
VAMA is in effect until 1996, when it’s replaced by a fair housing partnership<br />
with the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Housing and Urban Development.<br />
1976<br />
CBR begins its partnership with the Southeast Career Center to help<br />
students there learn home building. In Contract reports that the first<br />
home sells almost immediately after completion.<br />
May – An “extensive” study by NAR reveals that the average REALTOR®<br />
makes $24,000 annually, works 50 hours per week and is 50 years old. The<br />
median income for male REALTORS® is $24,000; for women it is $15,000.<br />
The first Memorial Golf Tournament is held, Nationwide Plaza opens<br />
downtown and Bicentennial Park is dedicated to commemorate<br />
America’s 200th birthday.<br />
CBR honors legendary OSU football coach W.W. “Woody” Hayes as the<br />
1976 Citizen <strong>of</strong> the Year. Nearly 600 members and guests pack the Neil<br />
House Ballroom and Past President John W. Galbreath presents Hayes<br />
with the honor.<br />
1977<br />
November – The National Housing Act <strong>of</strong> 1977 raises FHA loan limits<br />
up to $60,000 for a single family home and requires at least 3 percent<br />
down on the first $25,000 <strong>of</strong> the loan and 5 percent <strong>of</strong> the balance.<br />
Interest rates on a 30-year loan total 9 percent.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> City Schools are desegregated by court order.<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Clippers play their first game.<br />
Top Right: The first In Contract magazine: In<br />
1975, CBR’s bi-monthly newsletter, The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
REALTOR®, became a monthly magazine.<br />
The first cover feature was about the upcoming<br />
President’s Ball, honoring 1975 President<br />
Larry Horn and installing 1976 President Robert<br />
J. Weiler. In Contract continues to be published<br />
10 times a year by the <strong>Board</strong> and has grown<br />
from 12 pages to an average <strong>of</strong> about 60.<br />
Bottom Right: Learning the trade: This clip<br />
from 1976 was taken during the ribbon cutting<br />
for the first home built by SECC students.<br />
Bottom Left: Past Presidents Gather: In October<br />
1978, Past Presidents met for an evening<br />
<strong>of</strong> memories, fine food and comraderie. Those<br />
in attendance and the year they served as<br />
president are: Bottom row left to right: John<br />
Ranft, 1966; Myrna Kobre, President-elect 1978;<br />
Lee Wears, 1956; Second row: Brad Johnson,<br />
Assistant Executive Officer; Cecil Neff, 1959;<br />
Dick Ward, 1978; John Galbreath, 1939; Dick<br />
Royer, 1977; Ted Seckel, 1967; and Ken Sampson,<br />
Executive Vice President. Standing are:<br />
Larry Horn, 1975; Oscar Thomas, 1961; John<br />
Hill, 1970; Tom Caito, 1974; Harley Rouda, 1969;<br />
Orin Morris, 1965; Paul Falco, 1963; Bob Weiler,<br />
1976; Tom Kohr, 1960; Jim Owen, 1972; and<br />
Marvin Yerke, 1964.<br />
22 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1978<br />
The Blizzard <strong>of</strong> January 1978 shuts down much <strong>of</strong> the city.<br />
1979<br />
Myrna Kobre serves as the first woman President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®, after being elected to the position in 1978.<br />
February – The monthly dinner meeting sells out after it is announced<br />
that OSU Head Football Coach Earle Bruce is the guest speaker.<br />
May 23 – The gorilla exhibit at the <strong>Columbus</strong> Zoo and Aquarium opens,<br />
with help from a donation by the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
Several CBR members and staff attend the grand opening event.<br />
May – Sam Ligon <strong>of</strong> Sam Ligon Realty becomes the first minority broker<br />
in Ohio and one <strong>of</strong> only seven in the country to earn the Certified Residential<br />
Broker (CRS) designation. His firm was based in <strong>Columbus</strong> and Ligon<br />
was a graduate <strong>of</strong> Marion-Franklin High School and Franklin University.<br />
September – CBR’s new, innovative and state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art video theater<br />
opens at the <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices and is available for training.<br />
A survey by the Family Housing Bureau and Chicago Title Insurance<br />
Co. shows that “working wives” are contributing to increased homebuying<br />
demand and higher purchasing power.<br />
1981<br />
The Outstanding Citizen for 1981 is John H. McConnell, founder <strong>of</strong><br />
Worthington Industries and well-known <strong>Columbus</strong> philanthropist.<br />
Sam Rutigliano, Cleveland Browns Head Coach and 1979 AFC Coach<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year, is the guest speaker at CBR’s monthly dinner meeting, held<br />
March 25, 1981. More than 400 people turn out to hear Coach Rutigliano<br />
speak and enjoy dinner at the downtown Sheraton, for $10 per person.<br />
Top Left: Grand gorilla opening: A donation<br />
by CBR helped the long-running exhibit at<br />
the <strong>Columbus</strong> Zoo become reality.<br />
Middle Left: Cheering on the Browns: CBR<br />
staff Corey Skinner (left) and Stan Collins<br />
(right) with Cleveland Browns Head Coach<br />
Sam Rutigliano. Skinner and Collins drove<br />
Rutigliano home after he spoke at a 1981<br />
dinner meeting.<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> Dispatch launches a Home section in the newspaper.<br />
Gov. James Rhodes cuts the ribbon on the long-awaited opening <strong>of</strong><br />
state Route 315.<br />
1982<br />
Three past CBR presidents join to form the company Kohr-Royer-<br />
Griffith. In January, Richard L. Royer is inaugurated as OAR President.<br />
Bottom Left: In the paper: When the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Dispatch debuted a “House <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Week” feature in the 1980s, REALTORS®<br />
waited for weeks, sometimes months, to get<br />
a listing in the weekly feature.<br />
Bottom Right: History-making Myrna: In 1979<br />
Myrna Kobre becomes the first woman to be<br />
elected President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS®. Kobre is shown here with good<br />
friend and 1988 President Margie Holzer.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 23
Celebrating 100 Years... 1976<br />
By Dr. Robert Weiler, Sr.<br />
CBR President, 1976<br />
I’m honored that 2008 President<br />
Greg Hrabcak invited me to lead <strong>of</strong>f<br />
down memory lane. As CBR president<br />
in 1976, I’d like to provide you<br />
with a look at what was going on<br />
back then…<br />
It was the Bicentennial year when<br />
a former Michigan football player,<br />
Gerald Ford, was our President; replaced<br />
by a Georgia peanut farmer,<br />
Jimmy Carter, in the November election.<br />
President Ford signed a new<br />
VA law increasing the maximum<br />
home loan from $22,000 to $33,000.<br />
Apple Computer Company was<br />
formed, Micros<strong>of</strong>t <strong>of</strong>ficially registered<br />
with the New Mexico Secretary<br />
<strong>of</strong> State, Nadia Comaneci<br />
earned seven perfect 10’s in the<br />
Olympics, and the first commercial<br />
Concorde flight took <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Ohio’s Governor was James A.<br />
Rhodes. <strong>Columbus</strong>’ Mayor was<br />
Thomas Moody. John Glenn and<br />
Robert Taft, Jr. were our state<br />
senators and the House representatives<br />
were Chalmers Wylie and Sam<br />
Devine.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
dinners (costing $7) were held at the<br />
Neil House Hotel which was razed in<br />
the 1970s as was the Deshler Hotel<br />
and the Union Station.<br />
The downtown Lazarus store was<br />
the place to shop with lines curling<br />
around Town to Front Street waiting<br />
for the air curtain doors to open.<br />
In downtown <strong>Columbus</strong>, the Lincoln<br />
Leveque was soon to be replaced as<br />
the tallest building by the Rhodes<br />
State Office Tower, which was under<br />
construction in 1976 and completed<br />
the following year.<br />
According to the National Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS®, the average REAL-<br />
TOR® earned $24,000. “Let’s Green<br />
America” was NAR’s theme.<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS® was located at 200 East<br />
Town Street in a building given by<br />
past CBR and National President<br />
John Galbreath for us to share with<br />
the Ohio Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
The state convention was in Cincinnati<br />
where my roommate buddies<br />
were President-elect Dick Royer and<br />
President-to-be Gary Seckel. After a<br />
night to forget, both were outstanding<br />
panel leaders while disguising<br />
unbelievable hangovers. Also leading<br />
sessions were Sandra Falenski,<br />
Jim Hildebrand, Doug McCloud,<br />
John Creager, Felix Pedon and Phil<br />
Giessler.<br />
John Creager was president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Ohio Chapter <strong>of</strong> the Farm and Land<br />
Institute; Stan Ackley led the Institute<br />
<strong>of</strong> Real Estate Management;<br />
Jim Owens was OAR president and<br />
Margie Coyle (Holzer) was Chairperson-elect<br />
for REALTOR®-Associates<br />
1977.<br />
Ed Carr was the VP <strong>of</strong> District #3.<br />
I was thrilled that our <strong>Board</strong> secretary/treasurer,<br />
Myrna Kobre, was in<br />
the chairs to become our first woman<br />
president in 1979.<br />
Missy Weiler, a person for whom I<br />
have the most respect and love, was<br />
the executive secretary <strong>of</strong> the Ohio<br />
MAI’s.<br />
Past President Ted Seckel was “RE-<br />
ALTOR® <strong>of</strong> the Year” after receiving<br />
the Christopher Club’s “Man <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Month”. The presentation was made<br />
by 1975 REALTOR® <strong>of</strong> the Year,<br />
Harley Rouda, Sr. Associate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year was Gordon Christy. Twenty-<br />
Five Year REALTOR® members<br />
recognized included Past Presidents<br />
John Ranft, Bill McCorkle, Larry<br />
Horn, Tom Caito, Lee Wears, Emerson<br />
Wollam, Cecil Neff and my star<br />
salesman, Sherwood Walker.<br />
Among outstanding 1976 programs<br />
organized by Education Chairman<br />
Joe MacKinnon was a real estate<br />
listing seminar with Betty McEnery,<br />
Ray Dailey and Ron Robins provid-<br />
Above: Missy Weiler & John Galbreath.<br />
24 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Above: In Contract Cover, January<br />
2004.<br />
Below: John Royer, Skip Weiler,<br />
Woody Hayes, David Royer, and Jim<br />
Weiler.<br />
ing answers. Past President Tom<br />
Kohr moderated a monthly program<br />
in which Phil Giessler’s subject was<br />
“Turning Your Time into Dollars”<br />
and 1993 President George Smith’s<br />
subject was “Contacts = Contracts”.<br />
A definite highlight <strong>of</strong> the year was<br />
the presentation to Woody Hayes as<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
Citizen <strong>of</strong> the Year by a previous<br />
recipient named John Galbreath.<br />
A capacity crowd <strong>of</strong> 600 in the Neil<br />
House ballroom included past honorees<br />
former Senator John Bricker and<br />
Robert K. Levy, president <strong>of</strong> Union<br />
Department Store.<br />
At the head table were speakers C.<br />
William O’Neill, Chief Justice <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Ohio Supreme Court; Dr. Robert<br />
Murphy, OSU team physician; Ed<br />
Weaver, athletic director; and OSU<br />
All-American and Baltimore all pro<br />
tackle Jim Parker. Dick Royer and I<br />
brought our kids (see photo). Thanks<br />
went to Tom Kohr and Jim Petropolous<br />
for lining up an awesome cast <strong>of</strong><br />
celebrities.<br />
New REALTORS® in 1976 included<br />
<strong>Board</strong> VP Dick Ward, David Hartsook,<br />
Beverly Woodford, Ken Wears,<br />
Steve Kahan and future president<br />
Bill McMenamy.<br />
Speaking <strong>of</strong> future presidents, I had<br />
business cards made for my younger<br />
son, Jim, age 11 with “Future REAL-<br />
TOR®” inscribed. He accompanied<br />
me as I visited every broker’s <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
to hand out “Who is Uncle Sam?”<br />
books. Little did I foresee Jim as a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor living in Africa while his<br />
older brother would be board president<br />
in 2004.<br />
In 1975, President Larry Horn initiated<br />
a wonderful project. The <strong>Board</strong><br />
underwrote an artist whose paintings<br />
remain on the walls <strong>of</strong> the burn<br />
unit <strong>of</strong> Children’s Hospital.<br />
For 1976, we initiated the Bicentennial<br />
Home Construction Project in<br />
cooperation with <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Education’s Southeast Career Center.<br />
On Alum Creek Drive, the students<br />
had been constructing rooms<br />
inside their building only to be dismantled<br />
at year end. Thanks to C.V.<br />
Perry, the <strong>Board</strong> was given a nearby<br />
vacant lot on which the students,<br />
with faculty supervision, built a new<br />
home for sale. Proud parents, family<br />
members and friends joined REAL-<br />
TORS® at the open house before the<br />
home sold. Happily, a foundation has<br />
been formed created from proceeds<br />
from new homes successfully built<br />
throughout the years.<br />
Making my year a 365 day ego trip<br />
was <strong>Board</strong> EO, Ken Sampson. Ken<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> the most likeable people<br />
you’ll ever know and he had countless<br />
real estate friends not only<br />
in <strong>Columbus</strong>, but throughout the<br />
country. Ken was short in stature<br />
but big <strong>of</strong> heart. He was a sucker<br />
for novelties and he bought promotional<br />
items from pens to mirrors<br />
to engraved ice cream scoopers<br />
(thank you very much).<br />
Brad Johnson was Ken’s assistant<br />
EO. Ken and Brad were referred to<br />
by my business partner <strong>of</strong> 40 years,<br />
Past President Don Kelley, as Mutt<br />
and Jeff. The National Convention<br />
was in Houston where Brad made<br />
arrangements for us at every fancy<br />
restaurant which must have made<br />
a big dent in the <strong>Board</strong> treasury.<br />
Some statistics…<br />
Under Pat Mollica’s chairmanship,<br />
MLS received 20,996 listings<br />
(44,806 through October 2007);<br />
10,599 closings (21,291); Average<br />
sale price $38,872 ($173,122).<br />
Our CBR staff in 1976 included<br />
George Van Fossen, Mike Gautier<br />
and Stan Collins. Speaking <strong>of</strong><br />
loyalty! How blessed we are to<br />
have Larry Metzger pick up where<br />
Ken left <strong>of</strong>f. After returning from<br />
numerous state and national conventions,<br />
I always felt reassured<br />
that our <strong>Board</strong> was the best in the<br />
country.<br />
On a personal note, I joined the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> in its 49th year being 1957.<br />
It was the best business decision<br />
I’ve ever made. Over the past 50<br />
years, I’ve met some <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
generous, friendliest, smartest,<br />
and honest people I’ve ever known.<br />
In fact, most <strong>of</strong> my best friends are<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 25
Celebrating 100 Years... 1979<br />
By Myrna Kobre<br />
CBR President, 1979<br />
1979…that was my year and what<br />
a year it was! I became the 71st<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS®…and their first<br />
woman!<br />
Hard to believe that 29 years have<br />
past and we are now celebrating 100<br />
years <strong>of</strong> service and education to our<br />
members.<br />
The issue <strong>of</strong> women entering the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> as REALTOR® members was<br />
very controversial. The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® was the last<br />
large metropolitan board in the<br />
country to allow women to join. An<br />
article from the November 17, 1960<br />
issue <strong>of</strong> The REALTOR® newsletter<br />
said:<br />
“Without question, the most interesting<br />
and perhaps most controversial<br />
changes was the so-called<br />
Women’s Issue and after the ballots<br />
were counted several times, the committee<br />
certified that the election was<br />
over that the <strong>Board</strong> can now accept<br />
applications for members from the<br />
fairer sex. This change in our constitution<br />
WILL NOT and we repeat<br />
WILL NOT alter our Summer Stag<br />
Picnic.”<br />
We did change that…eventually.<br />
Back to 1979…To go up in the chairs<br />
<strong>of</strong> CBR back then, it was a time commitment<br />
<strong>of</strong> five years. Our installation<br />
was held at the Neil House<br />
Hotel and the <strong>of</strong>ficers installed were:<br />
Asst. Secretary-Treasurer, Raymond<br />
Dailey; Secretary-Treasurer, Joseph<br />
MacKinnon; Vice President, Gary<br />
Seckel; and President-Elect was Michael<br />
Griffith. At this event we also<br />
honored our Award Recipients. Our<br />
membership for CBR was approximately<br />
5,500 people. The high award<br />
at that time was called “Diamond”<br />
and five people were honored. The<br />
next category was “Gold” and there<br />
were 13 honored. Last was “Silver”<br />
with 30 honorees.<br />
There are many stories I could tell<br />
about being your “first lady” and<br />
how it changed many old time traditions.<br />
First <strong>of</strong> all, for many years the past<br />
presidents had an annual dinner<br />
meeting where they ate, drank,<br />
played cards and swapped jokes.<br />
“What are we going to do about<br />
her?” were the remarks carried<br />
back to me. So, on the evening <strong>of</strong><br />
my first dinner, I thought long and<br />
hard about how I could make them<br />
comfortable and become one <strong>of</strong> “the<br />
boys.” As we all sat down to dinner,<br />
I ordered a scotch, lit up a cigar,<br />
and told a really dirty joke. There<br />
was utter silence from all. Never<br />
mind the looks that went around the<br />
table. I had really laid an egg! From<br />
that moment on I resolved to handle<br />
this position as myself, not one <strong>of</strong><br />
the boys.<br />
In 1979 (and for many years following)<br />
the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> had<br />
monthly dinner meetings. Many<br />
were held at the Neil House Hotel<br />
and we always had a special<br />
program with guest speakers. In<br />
February, we had Earle Bruce as our<br />
speaker and needless to say it was<br />
a sellout. There was a cash bar and<br />
the cost <strong>of</strong> dinner was $5.00!<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> accomplished a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> projects in 1979 that would<br />
Above: 1978 President Dick Ward<br />
passes the gavel <strong>of</strong> leadership to<br />
1979 President Myrna Kobre. Officers<br />
serving with President Kobre in 1979<br />
were: President-Elect Michael Griffith,<br />
Oscar L. Thomas Co.; Vice President<br />
Gary Seckel, Ted & Gary Seckel Co.;<br />
Secretary-Treasurer Joe MacKinnon,<br />
Larry Wade & Co.; and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer;<br />
Ray Dailey, Business<br />
Centers, Inc.<br />
26 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Above: President Kobre expresses a<br />
sincere thanks to Coach Earle Bruce<br />
for his appearance at the February<br />
Dinner Meeting and presents him<br />
with a gift.<br />
Below: The newest concept in real<br />
estate sales training was the CBR<br />
Video Theatre, which seated 25 and<br />
was made available for members to<br />
conduct sales training classes. It featured<br />
a complete video tape set-up<br />
with a 50-inch Sony viewing screen<br />
and a video-tape player/recorder.<br />
committee <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Education.<br />
• We established the first Buckeye<br />
Federal-<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS® Scholarship Program for<br />
collegiate students majoring in<br />
Real Estate.<br />
• A new <strong>of</strong>ficial CBR “Agreement to<br />
Lease” form was designed through<br />
the hard work <strong>of</strong> a devoted committee.<br />
• We told the public that “Now is the<br />
Time to Buy a Home” through a<br />
special radio campaign on WCOL.<br />
• We celebrated a strong Private<br />
Property Week.<br />
• We contributed to our <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Symphony Orchestra.<br />
• We adopted the Affirmative Marketing<br />
Agreement with HUD.<br />
• Our commitment to the REAL-<br />
TORS® Political Action Campaign<br />
was most successful.<br />
• We <strong>of</strong>fered another “first” to our<br />
members – for continuing education<br />
– our new Video Theatre.<br />
• Our commitment for more<br />
education for our members was<br />
evidenced by many seminars<br />
throughout the year.<br />
All in all it was a great year!<br />
benefit our community and involved<br />
many <strong>of</strong> our members.<br />
• We donated a new home for the<br />
Great Ape Exhibit to our <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Zoo.<br />
• Our paint program in the Linden<br />
Area under the guidance <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Neighborhood Housing<br />
Services is a thriving, successful<br />
model for other cities throughout<br />
the country.<br />
• Our Home Construction Project<br />
with the Southeast Career Center<br />
has sold its third model home built<br />
by our young people, and is now<br />
working on its fourth.<br />
• We invested in our Children’s<br />
future by our financial support <strong>of</strong><br />
two very special reports designed<br />
to better our <strong>Columbus</strong> School<br />
System. One was done by Citizen<br />
Research and one by a special<br />
Top: <strong>Columbus</strong> Council Candidate Dorothy Teeter discussing housing issues<br />
with Max Holzer and President Kobre.<br />
Bottom: CBR <strong>of</strong>ficially adopted the NAR approved Affirmative Marketing<br />
Agreement - an <strong>of</strong>ficial indication <strong>of</strong> the CBR’s commitment to Equal Opportunity<br />
in Housing - on Wednesday, December 12, 1979. Pictured above<br />
are Ken Sampson, CBR Executive Vice President and President Kobre, at the<br />
signing the document with Sylvester Angel, Area Director <strong>of</strong> the U.S. Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Housing and Urban Development at that time.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 27
Issue 1 is passed by Ohio voters, allowing the creation <strong>of</strong> bond money<br />
for first-time homeowners. Governor Richard Celeste signs it into law<br />
on Jan. 29, 1983.<br />
With rates in the double digits, REALTORS®, builders and lenders<br />
form the Committee to Lower Mortgage Interest Rates.<br />
REALTOR® Bowl-A-Thons are organized to raise funds for Easter<br />
Seals. Century 21 Broker Pug Pepper organizes the events and helps<br />
raise $20,000 for the charity.<br />
1983<br />
CBR holds its first auction benefiting R-PAC at the newly opened<br />
Marriott Inn North. Tickets cost $10 per person and the auction nets<br />
$20,000 for R-PAC.<br />
In spring 1983, the <strong>Columbus</strong> Area Community Housing Resources<br />
<strong>Board</strong> (CHRB) receives a grant from the Department <strong>of</strong> Housing and<br />
Urban Development to raise public awareness <strong>of</strong> equal opportunity<br />
in housing for central Ohioans. CBR member Jack Myers serves<br />
as the <strong>Board</strong>’s representative to the group and helps with the 1983<br />
campaign “You can live anywhere you want to,” which includes local<br />
advertising and a research study.<br />
June – Ken Sampson retires as CBR’s EO and Brad Johnson is appointed<br />
as his replacement.<br />
The city’s trash burning power plant starts operation and American<br />
Electric Power opens corporate headquarters in downtown <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
1984<br />
The Delaware MLS merges with CBR, forming a single MLS system<br />
for both Franklin and Delaware counties.<br />
HUD announces the ARM – Adjustable Rate Mortgage as an alternative<br />
financing instrument.<br />
The CBR $25 Million Dollar Sales Award is created and Phil Giessler,<br />
Peg Higginbotham and Jane Stone are the first REALTORS® to receive<br />
the honor.<br />
Top Right: In 1982, Century 21 broker Pug<br />
Pepper helps organize charity REALTOR®<br />
Bowl-A-Thons to benefit Easter Seals. The<br />
events raised more than $20,000 for the local<br />
chapter <strong>of</strong> the charity. Pepper and his associates<br />
also held a spaghetti dinner and a yard<br />
sale that year to help support the Easter Seals<br />
Center, which provided physical and other<br />
therapies for children with disabilities. In this<br />
photograph from In Contract, Pepper poses<br />
with Easter Seals poster child Heather Boggs.<br />
Bottom Right: MLS listings via computer: What<br />
“online” listings looked like in the mid-1980s<br />
MLS system.<br />
Bottom Left: Dining together: Bill Clifford,<br />
Sandy Schupp and Grace Dunlevy enjoying<br />
a CBR event.<br />
28 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1985<br />
January – The Madison County <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® joins CBR and<br />
the MLS; a few months later Pickaway County enters a joint MLS contract<br />
with CBR and the <strong>Board</strong>’s MLS is now covering four counties.<br />
Nov. 1 – Larry Metzger, CAE, is hired as Executive Vice President, following<br />
Brad Johnson’s resignation.<br />
October – The board dedicates the Galbreath Education Center in<br />
honor <strong>of</strong> Past President John W. Galbreath.<br />
The October 1985 dinner meeting ends a little messy for President Ed<br />
Carr. After the business was over, President-Elect Sandy Simpson lauded<br />
Carr’s efforts and then clobbered him with a cream pie he had purchased<br />
at the R-PAC auction held by CBR earlier that year. Before Carr could<br />
regain his composure, Jerry White clobbered him with a second pie.<br />
Past CBR President Dr. Robert Weiler, Sr. is unanimously appointed to<br />
the <strong>Columbus</strong> City School <strong>Board</strong> to serve a vacated term, through 1987.<br />
The Bexley, Eastmoor, Berwick Area REALTOR® Association is formed.<br />
The last issue <strong>of</strong> The Citizen Journal newspaper is printed.<br />
NAR launches American Home Week.<br />
From Top Left: First: Messy meeting: President<br />
Ed Carr got two extra desserts at the October<br />
1985 dinner meeting, thanks to Sandy Simpson<br />
and Jerry White.<br />
From Top Left: Second: Award Winners: 1986<br />
Salesperson <strong>of</strong> the Year Doug McCloud congratulates<br />
1987 award winner Charlott Van<br />
Steyn. Both would go on to become CBR Presidents;<br />
Van Steyn in 1994 and McCloud in 2005.<br />
From Top Left: Third: Leadership: 1938 CBR<br />
and 1944 NAR President John W. Galbreath<br />
with CEO Larry Metzger in the mid 1980s, soon<br />
after Metzger started with the <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
1986<br />
In October, the name <strong>of</strong> the MLS is changed to the <strong>Columbus</strong> and<br />
Central Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service – a name still in effect<br />
today – to reflect the joint relationships with surrounding areas<br />
including Delaware, Pickaway and Madison counties.<br />
1987<br />
In 1987, three past CBR Presidents, Bob Weiler, Don Kelley and Max<br />
Holzer, along with 1987 CBR President Richard Fagan and several<br />
CBR members and staff join together with <strong>of</strong>ficials from Franklin<br />
County, the city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong> and private companies to create the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Neighborhood Partnership, what is today known as the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership. With the public and private sector<br />
working together, CHP is founded to provide adequate housing for<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong>’ low-income and homeless citizens. In its initial year, CHP<br />
has a budget <strong>of</strong> $2.5 million, including a $150,000 donation by CBR.<br />
The Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center opens.<br />
Bottom Left: Waiting tables: 1987 President<br />
Richard Fagan serves Jennie Briggs during<br />
Sales Associates Day.<br />
Above: Past President’s gather: EO Ken Sampson with CBR Past Presidents<br />
John Galbreath and Oscar Thomas,1986.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 29
Celebrating 100 Years... 1983<br />
By Max Holzer (pic. with wife Margie)<br />
CBR President, 1983<br />
I am pleased to share with today’s<br />
CBR Members highlights and antidotes<br />
<strong>of</strong> my “Long Past” (ancient) year<br />
as CBR President.<br />
President Joe MacKinnon handed me<br />
the gavel in December 1982. Notice<br />
in the pictures on this page his big<br />
smile!! In Joe’s year he had screwed<br />
things up so bad that interest rates<br />
across the country were at 18%. I<br />
wasn’t really sure that I wanted to be<br />
President, but as you will notice in<br />
the same picture, I smiled and took<br />
the gavel. No one ever said I was<br />
real bright! However, Joe managed<br />
the <strong>Board</strong>’s capital and controlled<br />
expenses superbly in light <strong>of</strong> a major<br />
reduction in the <strong>Board</strong> Membership to<br />
4,500 REALTOR® Members.<br />
But, with the exceptional guidance <strong>of</strong><br />
our Executive Officer, Ken Sampson,<br />
and the support <strong>of</strong> an extra-ordinary<br />
staff led by Brad Johnson, Stan Collins,<br />
Mike Gautier, Kathy Elliott, Corey<br />
Skinner and Marge Gehring (they<br />
were all bright, caring, dedicated and<br />
very hardworking) they made me look<br />
really good and kept the wind in my<br />
sail!<br />
Ken Sampson was truly special. But<br />
after six months with me (and 31<br />
years <strong>of</strong> REALTOR® service) he threw<br />
in the towel and retired! Then Brad<br />
Johnson was stuck with me for the<br />
rest <strong>of</strong> the year!<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Trustees were all mature<br />
leaders and, with little or no coaxing,<br />
established, for the very first time,<br />
a financially responsible retirement<br />
plan for Ken and subsequent <strong>Board</strong><br />
Executive Officers.<br />
In the last three years, 1980-1981-<br />
1982, we were in a full blown recession<br />
across the entire country with<br />
“first time” homebuyers and elective<br />
buyers and sellers almost completely<br />
out <strong>of</strong> the market and the mortgage<br />
markets so turbulent that our recent<br />
mortgage crisis looks to me, more like<br />
“a day at the beach”.<br />
So the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS® Leadership Team took action.<br />
After going to Washington D.C. and<br />
hearing President Reagan say that<br />
Ohio was one <strong>of</strong> only three states in<br />
the USA that did not have a Mortgage<br />
Revenue Bond Program, CBR created<br />
an alliance with the Ohio Savings and<br />
Loan League and generated State<br />
Issue I and House Bill I which was<br />
passed by the Ohio voters and signed<br />
into law by Governor Richard Celeste.<br />
A great example <strong>of</strong> how the private<br />
sector can work with government to<br />
solve problems.<br />
In January 1983, home sales rose 41%<br />
over January 2002; February CBR<br />
sales were up 23%; March sales up<br />
63.3%.<br />
CBR’s Leadership Team also initiated<br />
a “First Time” homebuyer program<br />
with a very valuable “First Time”<br />
Mortgage Financing Package. Then<br />
the Officers and Trustees at CBR realized<br />
that our MLS service needed to<br />
cover the entire Central Ohio market<br />
as buyers needed to see what was<br />
available in Lancaster, Delaware,<br />
Marysville, etc. So we met with the<br />
leaders in those <strong>Board</strong>s and kicked <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the first ever regional MLS.<br />
It was a very busy year and the single<br />
factor that I appreciated the most,<br />
was that every time I asked a fellow<br />
REALTOR® to chair a new “ad Hoc”<br />
committee not only did they not turn<br />
me down, but accepted the challenge<br />
enthusiastically!!<br />
Harley Rouda accepted the Chairmanship<br />
<strong>of</strong> our first Civic Planning<br />
Committee, so as to insure that RE-<br />
ALTORS® would become prominently<br />
active in the shaping <strong>of</strong> civic and<br />
cultural activities in central Ohio.<br />
So, we did it! We turned the central<br />
Ohio Real Estate Market around. The<br />
credit goes to all <strong>of</strong> CBR’s members<br />
for their committed hard work and<br />
guidance!<br />
Inflation came under control nationally<br />
under Paul Voelker’s tenure as<br />
Above: John Galbreath, Max Holzer,<br />
Emmerson Wollam<br />
Top: Dick Fagen, Joe McKinnon, Ken<br />
Sampson, Max Holzer<br />
30 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
<strong>Columbus</strong> Mayor Tom Moody and<br />
Max Holzer<br />
Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Federal Banking<br />
System and I pray to God that our Nation<br />
has the character and fortitude<br />
to see to it that inflation continues<br />
to be controlled and that the federal<br />
budget is ultimately balanced so that<br />
our hardworking people do not have to<br />
make such sacrifices again.<br />
Above: Past-President Dick Fagan<br />
takes his chance in the chair at the<br />
dunking booth.<br />
Right: Ground breaking ceremony for<br />
the 8th house to be built by Southeast<br />
Career Center students through<br />
the CBR Building Project. This was<br />
CBR’s 12th year partnering with the<br />
SECC, giving SECC students handson<br />
training in building trades by<br />
constructing a house.<br />
Celebrating 100 Years... 1988<br />
I remember the night my friend,<br />
Myrna Kobre (CBR’s first woman<br />
president), installed me as the second<br />
woman president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®. I was proud.<br />
My mother was there - eighty-eight<br />
years old who had broken her hip and<br />
had surgery five days before. She got<br />
a standing ovation from 1,100 plus<br />
attendees. That was the beginning <strong>of</strong><br />
a wonderful year for me.<br />
The other <strong>of</strong>ficers installed were Bill<br />
McMenamy, President-Elect; Nancy<br />
Sharp, Vice President; Jack Myers,<br />
Secretary Treasurer; and Pat Grabill,<br />
Assistant Treasurer.<br />
Trustees installed that evening were<br />
Richard Alt, Jennie Briggs, Sam Calhoun,<br />
Jim Henley, Bruce Massa, Doug<br />
McCloud, Bob Miller, Dean Potts,<br />
Dick Strait, George Smith, Pauline<br />
Tingley, Rick Weber and Affiliate<br />
Debbie Gorman. What a team! Five <strong>of</strong><br />
them would become <strong>Board</strong> Presidents.<br />
OAR <strong>of</strong>ficers were Steve Casper,<br />
President; Jim Keyes, President-Elect;<br />
and Phil Barnes, Treasurer.<br />
Presidential election year…volatile<br />
stock market…heavy FHA bankruptcies…sound<br />
familiar? Static interest<br />
rate though -- 10.25% fixed for 30<br />
years for a “jumbo loan” with a maximum<br />
loan <strong>of</strong> $250,000.<br />
I remember the monthly <strong>Board</strong> meetings<br />
at the Neil House Hotel. Awards<br />
Dinners and programs with speakers.<br />
But after the meeting we went to the<br />
Ionian Room at the hotel where they<br />
had a live band and we would dance<br />
and socialize. Almost everyone went.<br />
It was a great way to meet your fellow<br />
REALTORS® from all over the city.<br />
Good cooperative promotion.<br />
By Margie Coyle Holzer<br />
CBR President, 1988<br />
In March, we welcomed our new OSU<br />
football coach, John Cooper. He delighted<br />
us with jokes and stories about<br />
his football coaching career and his<br />
hopes for the success <strong>of</strong> the upcoming<br />
season and many Michigan wins to<br />
come. That part did not happen! He<br />
showed us a buckeye that his father<br />
had given him for luck in his new job.<br />
After he left the dais, I realized he had<br />
left his good luck buckeye. Being an<br />
Don Kelley and Margie Coyle<br />
OSU fan I made sure he did not leave<br />
it behind.<br />
Past President, Richard Fagan<br />
received the REALTOR®-Broker <strong>of</strong><br />
the year award presented to him by<br />
the 1973 REALTOR®-Broker <strong>of</strong> the<br />
year, Don Kelly. REALTOR® Salesperson<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year was presented to<br />
Pauline Tingley by 1987 REALTOR®<br />
Salesperson <strong>of</strong> the Year, Charlotte Van<br />
Steyn.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 31
The <strong>of</strong>ficers and trustees approved the<br />
addition <strong>of</strong> an Inspection Clause to<br />
our ONE page contract form. Business<br />
First headlines read “Radon Threatens<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate Industry”.<br />
CBR President Margie Coyle accepts<br />
an Award <strong>of</strong> Appreciation<br />
from the Enterprise Foundation. Jim<br />
Rouse, International developer and<br />
founder <strong>of</strong> The Enterprise Foundation,<br />
national non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization<br />
that provides affordable housing,<br />
had returned to <strong>Columbus</strong> to see the<br />
progress <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> Enterprise<br />
Project which CBR had been instrumental<br />
in bringing to <strong>Columbus</strong> the<br />
previous year. CBR pledged $150,000<br />
to the <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership,<br />
Enterprise’s local development<br />
corporation. Pictured are Mayor<br />
Rinehart, Coyle and Jim Rouse, developer<br />
and founder <strong>of</strong> The Enterprise<br />
Foundation.<br />
The problem is radon a colorless,<br />
odorless, radioactive gas. Preliminary<br />
tests on 6,000 houses show three out <strong>of</strong><br />
every four have unacceptable levels <strong>of</strong><br />
radon. Fortunately, we decided not to<br />
include radon in our inspection clause.<br />
You know the rest <strong>of</strong> the story…you<br />
had to be locked in the basement for 75<br />
years to affect your health.<br />
CBR sponsored an Easter Seals<br />
Telethon. REALTORS® serving on the<br />
panel were Jack Myers, John Neibarger,<br />
Diane Blackwood, Charlotte<br />
Van Steyn, Pat Grabill, Margie Coyle,<br />
Bruce Dooley and Nanci Sutliff.<br />
April 1988, we celebrated 20 years<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Fair Housing Act. This was a<br />
milestone in the history <strong>of</strong> civil rights<br />
in the United States (CBR announced<br />
the addition <strong>of</strong> the course, Fair Housing<br />
Law and Practice in Real Estate to<br />
its curriculum).<br />
The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
and Southeast Career Center broke<br />
ground for the construction <strong>of</strong> the<br />
eighth house to be built by SECC<br />
students through the CBR Building<br />
Project. In 1976, President Weiler<br />
deposited $21,000 in a trust fund for<br />
SECC students to use in purchasing<br />
lots and building materials. Proceeds<br />
from the sale <strong>of</strong> the homes went toward<br />
construction <strong>of</strong> another home.<br />
The success <strong>of</strong> this <strong>Board</strong>, <strong>of</strong> course, is<br />
the membership. However, the support<br />
staff is exceptional and in my opinion<br />
the best in the country. We could not<br />
be where we are today without Ken<br />
Sampson with whom I worked many<br />
years on many committees and Larry<br />
Metzger who makes us all look good.<br />
Thank you Larry for all you do.<br />
I have been a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong><br />
since 1960, the year when women were<br />
first allowed membership in the <strong>Board</strong><br />
– and some men actually wore black<br />
bands on their sleeves in protest. Most<br />
<strong>of</strong> those have gone to the great beyond.<br />
It has been a great journey and I have<br />
made many dear friends, but none<br />
more dearly than the man I married<br />
and the reason I sign…Margie Coyle<br />
Holzer.<br />
I would be remiss if I did not pay<br />
tribute to the man who inspired us all<br />
– John W. Galbreath (1897-1988) who<br />
said ”I want to be thoroughly used up<br />
when I leave this earth, for the harder<br />
I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life<br />
for its own sake. Life is no brief candle<br />
for me. It is a splendid torch which I<br />
have got hold <strong>of</strong> for the moment and<br />
I want to make it burn as brightly as<br />
I can before passing it on to future<br />
generations.”<br />
Humorous Antidote<br />
Years before my presidency, LET’S<br />
GREEN AMERICA was a big thing<br />
and the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> was given<br />
2,000 pine seedlings to plant north <strong>of</strong><br />
I-270 along the Olentangy River. As<br />
the Public Relations Committee Chairman,<br />
I called the Dispatch and other<br />
local papers and made arrangements<br />
for four Boy Scout troops to plant the<br />
seedlings.<br />
Everything was going fine – the school<br />
bus <strong>of</strong> scouts arrived, pictures were<br />
taken, hands shaken and lots <strong>of</strong> people<br />
were there. All <strong>of</strong> a sudden everyone<br />
RPAC Chairperson Sandy Schupp<br />
models the church bench at the<br />
Live Auction!!!<br />
R-PAC Committee<br />
Member<br />
Jerry Lux points<br />
at an anxious<br />
bidder on the<br />
floor.<br />
R-PAC Chairperson<br />
Grace<br />
Dunlevy models<br />
a Blue Fox Coat<br />
that was up for<br />
bid at the R-PAC<br />
Auction.<br />
had left except two troops <strong>of</strong> blind Boy<br />
Scouts, two troop leaders and me with<br />
2,000 pine seedlings.<br />
I lived close, so I got my sons, Jeff<br />
and Kelly, to help. We used ropes<br />
with knots tied every three feet for a<br />
seedling to be planted. One 10-year old<br />
scout was swinging his shovel over his<br />
head shouting “I hate these $#@! $#@!<br />
trees. I hope these %#@! %#@! trees<br />
die”. I said, “Now you really don’t<br />
mean that, let me help you”. He said,<br />
“And I hate women.” Most <strong>of</strong> the day<br />
was like that.<br />
We planted about 1,500 seedlings and<br />
I gave the scouts 500 to plant at the<br />
Wyandotte School for the Blind.<br />
32 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1988<br />
March – The monthly dinner meeting features guest speaker and new<br />
OSU Head Football Coach John Cooper.<br />
The Hilliard Area REALTORS® Association is founded.<br />
The Riffe Center opens downtown.<br />
1989<br />
The CBR Member Services Committee announces endorsement <strong>of</strong> a<br />
car phone package through Ameritech Mobile Communication for all<br />
CBR members.<br />
On March 27, 1989 CBR President Bill McMenamy welcomes NBC<br />
News Chief Economics Correspondent and bow-tie aficionado Irving<br />
R. Levine appropriately by donning an oversized red-polka-dotted<br />
bowtie himself. Several other CBR members wore costume bowties for<br />
Levine, who spoke on “The Bush Administration and the Nation’s<br />
Economy.”<br />
From Top Left: First and Second Answering<br />
phones for a good cause: Dozens <strong>of</strong><br />
volunteers from the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® answered phone calls from<br />
donors during the annual Easter Seals Telethon,<br />
in 1988. Bowl-A-Thons and spaghetti<br />
dinners were also among the fund raisers<br />
organized by area REALTORS® on behalf<br />
<strong>of</strong> Easter Seals during the 1980s.<br />
From Top Left: Third: Expo ’88: Now held<br />
at the Aladdin Shrine Center, REALTORS®<br />
packed Veteran’s Memorial in the 1980s for<br />
the annual CBR Expo.<br />
From Top Left: Fourth: Saving them from<br />
the landfill: Volunteers gathered in 1989<br />
to recycle thousands <strong>of</strong> outdated MLS<br />
books for charity.<br />
Top Right: On the radio: 1989 President Bill McMenamy (left) and 1988<br />
President Margie Coyle Holzer answer questions on the local market during<br />
an interview on WOSU AM.<br />
Bottom Right: A formal affair: Bill McMenamy donned an over-sized bowtie<br />
in honor <strong>of</strong> Irving Levine at a 1989 dinner meeting.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 33
Celebrating 100 Years... 1989<br />
By Bill McMenamy<br />
CBR President, 1989<br />
I was honored in 1989 when the<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® selected me to be their<br />
president and I’m honored now in<br />
2008 to have been selected by the<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> Committee to<br />
write one <strong>of</strong> the articles <strong>of</strong> celebration.<br />
1989 was an historic year in which<br />
the Berlin wall opened and the East<br />
German Government resigned. In<br />
China, the Tiananmen Square uprising<br />
took place and in Alaska the supertanker<br />
Exxon Valdez grounded on<br />
Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound.<br />
In the U.S., the express freeway collapsed<br />
during the 1989 San Francisco<br />
Earthquake.<br />
At the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS®, we instituted the first two<br />
day leadership training session for<br />
our <strong>of</strong>ficers, trustees and committee<br />
chairs and focused on the needs <strong>of</strong><br />
our members.<br />
The other 1989 <strong>of</strong>ficers were Nancy<br />
Sharp, President Elect; Jack Myers,<br />
Vice President; Pat Grabill, Secretary-Treasurer<br />
and George Smith,<br />
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer.<br />
Our returning trustees were Dick Alt,<br />
Sam Calhoun, Bruce Massa, Doug<br />
McCloud, Dean Potts, Pauline Tingley<br />
and Rick Weber and our newly<br />
elected trustees were Pat Kearns-<br />
Davis, Barbara Lach, Pat O’Neil and<br />
Felix Pedon. Our associate trustee<br />
was Jeff Brader.<br />
In addition to our <strong>of</strong>ficers, the five<br />
underlined trustees all served as<br />
president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® and three also served<br />
as President <strong>of</strong> the Ohio Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS® as did two <strong>of</strong> our <strong>of</strong>ficers.<br />
WOW! That’s impressive. That<br />
leadership training obviously worked.<br />
What also worked was Larry<br />
Metzger, our wonderful executive<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer, who has become widely known<br />
for his political acumen and excellent<br />
lobbying skills. What a friend we<br />
have in Larry. He has made <strong>Board</strong><br />
service so worthwhile and so much<br />
fun for all <strong>of</strong> us. Larry is so skilled at<br />
his craft he makes the conventions<br />
come alive so that all participants<br />
can be their most effective in representing<br />
our members and guarding<br />
our collective best interests. After<br />
the work day, relaxing at dinner at<br />
one <strong>of</strong> his favorite restaurants, I<br />
found myself so impressed with his<br />
judgement that, when it was my turn<br />
to order, I would look at the waitress<br />
and order the exact same dinner that<br />
Larry had ordered.<br />
Ray Boll and Barbara Lach were the<br />
25 Million Dollar Sales Club winners;<br />
there were 51 One Million Dollar<br />
Sales Club winners and 25 Five Million<br />
Dollar Sales Club winners.<br />
Jeff Murray was President <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Northeast Area Realty Association.<br />
Lynda Long was President <strong>of</strong><br />
the Westerville Area Association,<br />
Steve Kahn was President <strong>of</strong> IREM<br />
and past president Don Kelley was<br />
named “Catholic Man <strong>of</strong> the Year”.<br />
Diane Blackwood was MLS chairperson<br />
and, as an aside, when my<br />
company later bought the Coldwell<br />
Banker company in 1992 she was the<br />
manager <strong>of</strong> our Westerville <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
In 1989 home sales in <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
continued to boom after a record set-<br />
ting year in 1987. Building permits<br />
for single family homes hit more than<br />
4,000 keeping pace with 1988. Vacation<br />
homes became a larger part <strong>of</strong><br />
the market for residential specialists.<br />
That year, we had 12,680 sales from<br />
30,333 listings at an average sales<br />
price <strong>of</strong> $90,215 per unit. Those<br />
figures are approximately one half<br />
<strong>of</strong> today’s market figures in each category.<br />
Multi-family building permits<br />
were up to 700 over 1987, and it was<br />
a good year for specialized multi-family<br />
development, those developments<br />
that targeted a specific market.<br />
Our downtown and suburban <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
vacancy rates were lower than the<br />
national average as well as many<br />
Above: McMenamy at radio interview<br />
with Margie Holzer.<br />
Below: McMenamy at President’s<br />
Ball.<br />
34 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
McMenamy with Elvis on velvet.<br />
surrounding Midwestern cites, and<br />
industrial vacancy was on par with<br />
the national average. Asbestos was<br />
the buzz word <strong>of</strong> concern for our commercial<br />
industrial practitioners, and<br />
we would all soon begin to feel the ill<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> the retro-active 1986 Federal<br />
Tax Act, which shut down the<br />
savings and loan industry. <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
was a shining star in the Midwest, an<br />
island <strong>of</strong> hope and prosperity within<br />
the newly named “rustbelt”.<br />
Mayor Buck Rinehart and <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Public Schools Superintendent,<br />
Ron Etheridge, were special guests<br />
at our February meeting. In March<br />
we greeted NBC newsman Irving<br />
R. Levine, who did more for the bow<br />
tie than anyone until current OSU<br />
President Gordon Gee. Also at that<br />
March meeting we presented a long<br />
time friend <strong>of</strong> the board, Congressman<br />
Chalmers Wylie, with the CBR<br />
Award <strong>of</strong> Appreciation.<br />
and were instrumental in the success<br />
achieved by that very worthwhile<br />
organization.<br />
My 1989 year began with my induction<br />
into the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> president by<br />
past president Marvin Yerke. Many<br />
<strong>of</strong> you remember what a humorous<br />
and funny man Marvin could be and<br />
that night he was at the top <strong>of</strong> his<br />
form. He set the stage for a funfilled<br />
year which I will never forget.<br />
After my year was over I received a<br />
letter from the then oldest living past<br />
president <strong>of</strong> CBR, Leigh Koebel, who<br />
thanked me for my service. Leigh<br />
was a true gentleman who embodied<br />
great qualities each <strong>of</strong> us respects<br />
and wants to emulate.<br />
The induction was fun filled and very<br />
public, the letter reading very private<br />
and very touching. Both men very<br />
unique, good friends <strong>of</strong> my parents<br />
and very important to me. Marvin<br />
danced with my mother at a dance<br />
club they all belonged to. Leigh sold<br />
my mom and dad the lot on South<br />
Stanwood Road in Bexley where<br />
they built the home I grew up in. All<br />
<strong>of</strong> us active in the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS® have great stories<br />
<strong>of</strong> friendship we can tell. Leigh was<br />
president in 1928, Marvin in 1964.<br />
The friendships made through the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
are very special and are forged from<br />
a time commitment which is special<br />
and unique among trade groups.<br />
Those relationships are very important<br />
to us personally, but give our<br />
group a special power which only<br />
comes from combined effort.<br />
The members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> REALTORS® have been a catalyst<br />
for actions that made our association<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the absolute best in the country.<br />
Ponder the effect John Galbreath<br />
had on the skyline <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
Consider the impact he and Harley<br />
Rouda, Sr. had on our industry while<br />
serving as presidents <strong>of</strong> NAR. Consider<br />
the strength our organization<br />
gained when John Galbreath and Dr.<br />
Bob Weiler donated successive locations<br />
which allowed our former Town<br />
Street and current <strong>Board</strong> facilities to<br />
be state <strong>of</strong> the art at successive times<br />
during our operating history. The<br />
impact <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> RE-<br />
ALTORS® has been very widespread<br />
and each <strong>of</strong> our many members<br />
should take pride in and feel responsible<br />
for our influence on our industry,<br />
our city, and our country over<br />
these 100 years since our founding.<br />
At the annual awards night meeting<br />
we recognized Marge Drake,<br />
Salesperson <strong>of</strong> the Year, Margie Coyle<br />
Holzer, REALTOR® <strong>of</strong> the Year, and<br />
Pete Edwards CBR Citizen <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year. CBR’s other activities included<br />
support for the <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing<br />
Partnership. We regularly interacted<br />
with executive director Beth Hughs<br />
McMenamy with Irving Levine and crew at dinner meeting.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 35
September – CBR and REALTORS® kick <strong>of</strong>f a drive to recycle thousands<br />
<strong>of</strong> outdated MLS books. At that time about 1,900 were printed<br />
and distributed per week. Proceeds from the program are expected to<br />
net about $19,000 for charity.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> City Center Mall and the Wexner Center for the Arts open.<br />
1990<br />
The February edition <strong>of</strong> In Contract features an article titled “Only computer-literate<br />
REALTORS® will prosper” by Steve Hilsman, a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real Estate Computer Users Group Committee, which<br />
touts the benefits <strong>of</strong> computerization in the real estate industry.<br />
May 18 – CBR sponsors a Roast <strong>of</strong> Jack Hanna, Director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Zoo, to help raise funds for the new <strong>Columbus</strong> City Schools’<br />
“I Know I Can” program, which helps local children attend college.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> becomes Ohio’s largest city with a population <strong>of</strong> 632,910.<br />
Franklin County has a population <strong>of</strong> 961,437.<br />
The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State and the Greek<br />
Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral open.<br />
1991<br />
After serving as CBR President in 1969, and OAR<br />
President in 1986, Harley E. Rouda, Sr. becomes NAR<br />
President.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong>’s first Volunteer Service Awards are handed<br />
out during the 1991 Forecast Night. Fourteen REAL-<br />
TORS® are awarded plaques commemorating their<br />
commitment to community service and volunteerism.<br />
May – CBR President Jack Myers announces committee appointees<br />
to study space needs for the next 10 years and a second committee to<br />
study operational costs <strong>of</strong> the existing location versus a new building.<br />
Top Right: Past Presidents: Robert Denmead,<br />
1953 President and Bill McCorkle, 1968 President,<br />
gather at a Past President’s Dinner.<br />
Top Left: NAR President: CBR member Harley E. Rouda served as President<br />
<strong>of</strong> the National Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® in 1991<br />
Bottom Left: Honoring volunteers: This clip from a 1991 In Contract<br />
shows the first receipients <strong>of</strong> the Volunteer Service Award.<br />
Middle Right: Discussing business: From<br />
left to right, 1959 President Cecil Neff and<br />
1970 President John Hill talk with CEO Larry<br />
Metzger at a Past President’s Dinner in the<br />
late 1980s.<br />
Bottom Right: Going on safari: Jim Owen<br />
and Barb Lach selling raffle tickets during the<br />
1990 Roast <strong>of</strong> Zoo Director Jack Hanna.<br />
36 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
July – CBR establishes the REALTORS® Foundation Fund at the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Foundation. The fund supports real estate related programs<br />
and entities whose goals are to improve the overall real estate<br />
environment in central Ohio. The first three Cornerstone Members<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Foundation Fund were Past Presidents Donald Kelley, Thomas<br />
Kohr and Paul Falco.<br />
“Creating a tax-deductible way for members to influence their own<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession will have an impact far beyond our lifetime,” says<br />
Immediate Past President Nancy Sharp in 1991.<br />
The Santa Maria ship in the Scioto River is dedicated.<br />
1992<br />
Before there was CORPAC, there was R-PAC and central Ohio REAL-<br />
TORS® solidly support the political action arm <strong>of</strong> NAR. During the<br />
annual R-PAC Auction in 1992, Brad Bennett and Sandy Schupp dress<br />
as Uncle and “Aunt” Sam and collect donations throughout the evening,<br />
which includes both live and silent auctions and a buffet at Villa Milano.<br />
Ameriflora celebrates Christopher <strong>Columbus</strong>’ discovery <strong>of</strong> America<br />
and brings two million visitors to <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
Dorcas T. Helfant <strong>of</strong> Virginia Beach becomes the first woman president<br />
<strong>of</strong> NAR.<br />
Top Left: Giving the gift <strong>of</strong> life: 1991 President<br />
Jack Myers donates blood during<br />
that year’s Sales Associates Day.<br />
Middle Left: Protecting her picnic basket:<br />
Erika Blumenstein watches for competing<br />
bids during the 1992 R-PAC silent auction.<br />
Bottom Left: Over here: Lyn Charobee<br />
bidding on a hot item during a 1990s-era<br />
R-PAC auction.<br />
Top Right: Uncle & Aunt Sam: Brad Bennett<br />
and Sandy Schupp solicit donations from<br />
Phil Brown and Barbara Lach at the 1992<br />
R-PAC Auction.<br />
Bottom Right: <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership:<br />
1992 President Pat Grabill with Beth<br />
Hughes, the first Director <strong>of</strong> the CHP.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 37
Celebrating 100 Years... 1990<br />
By Nancy Sharp<br />
CBR President, 1990<br />
In the early 90s, the process for going<br />
through the chairs to become<br />
the board president consisted <strong>of</strong> a<br />
five-year preparation. Although 1990<br />
was a year I had looked forward to<br />
for a long time, when my turn came<br />
for that <strong>of</strong>fice, I was grateful for the<br />
preparation.<br />
CBR’s Forecast Night, on a frosty<br />
night in January, was our first program<br />
and featured the chief economist<br />
for Citicorp, William W. Garrison. He<br />
was the keynote speaker at the Village<br />
Milano on Schrock Road.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> announced that the previous<br />
year’s home sales included 12,180<br />
sales with an average price <strong>of</strong> $94,884.<br />
(You may be interested to note that<br />
there were 26,544 sales in 2007, with<br />
the average closing price <strong>of</strong> $177,228.)<br />
We had polled our members to ascertain<br />
their concerns, and with those<br />
results in hand, set our goals for the<br />
new decade to include increasing<br />
selling skills and increased pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism.<br />
As a part <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism<br />
goal, we wanted to increase our<br />
political image and activity within the<br />
community as well.<br />
The market expectation was that 1990<br />
would be very similar to 1989. We<br />
were informed that the average home<br />
price in Ohio for 1989 had increased<br />
by 3.5% (sound familiar?). With a<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> enthusiasm and excitement (I<br />
remember we talked a lot about a new<br />
decade), we were <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Our RPAC auction, headed by Mike<br />
Alpert, auctioneer and Elvis impersonator,<br />
was very successful that<br />
spring.<br />
The next big news was that for the<br />
first time, the Ohio Housing Finance<br />
Agency released first-time homebuyer<br />
money at 7.9%. The market was<br />
at 10%! Many <strong>of</strong> us remember taking<br />
food and encouragement to our<br />
clients, who were patiently standing<br />
with their contracts in hand, as<br />
they stood for hours in long lines<br />
that formed around the participating<br />
institutions.<br />
During the summer, yet another<br />
survey <strong>of</strong> members indicated that they<br />
were very concerned with the REAL-<br />
TOR® public image. This concern<br />
was not unique to Ohio, and has been<br />
reflected nationally in NAR’s “image<br />
campaign”, which has shown measurable<br />
positive results in recent years.<br />
We were all happy in June as the Ohio<br />
Housing Finance agency again released<br />
$282 million in low-cost mortgage<br />
money for first-time homebuyers,<br />
with rates over two percent below the<br />
current market. The requirements<br />
for qualification included a maximum<br />
household income <strong>of</strong> no more<br />
the $36,000 to $50,040 – the higher<br />
amount was accepted for purchases in<br />
targeted areas.<br />
The sea change that affected my<br />
presidential year, however, came in<br />
that summer <strong>of</strong> 1990, when agency<br />
representation took center stage in<br />
our industry. The new law required<br />
that an agency disclosure statement<br />
be submitted to the principals in every<br />
transaction.<br />
Historically, <strong>of</strong> course, without an<br />
agreement to the contrary, all agents<br />
were considered to be agents <strong>of</strong> the<br />
seller.<br />
Changing long-standing habits was<br />
not an easy thing, and to say that this<br />
subject impacted the last half <strong>of</strong> my<br />
year as your president is an understatement.<br />
We answered questions<br />
daily, contributed to and attended<br />
classes on the subject, created new<br />
forms, etc., busy, busy.<br />
Angela Pace MC’d CBR’s roast<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jack Hanna to benefit “I Know<br />
I Can.” Pictured with Jack and<br />
wife Suzi are roasters Bill Wolfe, the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Dispatch; Mike Greene,<br />
Greene Media; Dave Tebay, Tebay<br />
Enterprises and Joe Stegmayer,<br />
Worthington Industries. 430 people<br />
attended this event and helped CBR<br />
raise $29,124 for “I Know I Can”.<br />
Nancy and Jack Myers accepted<br />
a plaque from the <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing<br />
Partnership in recognition <strong>of</strong> the<br />
board’s commitment to helping<br />
provide affording housing in central<br />
Ohio.<br />
38 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Above: 1990 Award winners: Bill<br />
McMenamy, REALTOR® Broker <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year; Melvin Schottenstein, Citizen <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year; Jerry Lux, REALTOR® Salesperson<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
Below: President Sharp interviews<br />
Carol Caito at Sales Associates Day<br />
while Mike Tabor looks on..<br />
However, I believe that most <strong>of</strong> you<br />
will agree with me that as <strong>of</strong> today,<br />
eighteen years later, the net result<br />
has been a better understanding and<br />
increased pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism among our<br />
members, as well as a better informed<br />
public.<br />
We had a terrific, well-attended Sales<br />
Associates Day in September, featuring<br />
a mariachi band and impromptu<br />
dancing.<br />
We counted, and found that we had<br />
pulled ahead <strong>of</strong> last year’s sales.<br />
The October dinner meeting featured<br />
local native Bob Greene, well known<br />
and noted author <strong>of</strong> “Be True to Your<br />
School”.<br />
We also hosted our annual Candidates<br />
Night, where more than 85 elected<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials attended. We studied our issues,<br />
and expressed our point <strong>of</strong> view<br />
that evening in an appropriate manner.<br />
Whew! Talk about busy.<br />
We still had December and the President’s<br />
Ball, where traditionally we<br />
could celebrate our latest sales leaders<br />
and our year’s work, as we welcomed<br />
our new <strong>of</strong>ficers. It gave us a chance to<br />
say our thank yous and goodbyes.<br />
My memory <strong>of</strong> the year at that time<br />
was a kaleidoscope <strong>of</strong> one event spilling<br />
into another. With the skilled<br />
help Larry Metzger and staff, we had<br />
also formed the CBR Foundation,<br />
a charitable foundation designed to<br />
solicit funds to invest into community<br />
housing needs.<br />
And we had also organized a faster<br />
electronic response to political issues<br />
that affected our field. Both <strong>of</strong> these<br />
efforts helped to fulfill the year’s<br />
goals.<br />
Speaking personally, I gained a deeper<br />
understanding and was more completely<br />
convinced that as an organization,<br />
we must stay focused on entrylevel<br />
housing. That positive action <strong>of</strong><br />
the first-time buyer permeates the<br />
entire market as it flows upward;<br />
that action makes our whole market<br />
healthy.<br />
The glamorous, high-priced coastal<br />
markets, which attract so much media<br />
attention, also exact a certain toll<br />
which we might not care to pay.<br />
As it turned out, in 1990, we kept pace<br />
with 1989 figures, and the reason,<br />
in my opinion, was because we could<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer affordable housing. I am still<br />
convinced today that we must always<br />
work, legislatively as well as philosophically,<br />
to keep the market accessible<br />
and healthy at entry level.<br />
Also in September, about 500 <strong>of</strong> our<br />
members attended the state convention<br />
in <strong>Columbus</strong>, which was notable<br />
for the high quality <strong>of</strong> educational<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings. CBR hosted the Fourth<br />
Annual Minority Career Night, and<br />
we celebrated the three-year success<br />
story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership.<br />
CHP, founded by Don Kelly as a<br />
public/private partnership with the city<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong>, by that date had helped<br />
more than 200 low-to-moderate income<br />
families become homeowners.<br />
1990 Officers included: Pat Grabill, Vice-President; George Smith, Secretary-<br />
Treasurer; Charlotte VanSteyn, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer; Nancy Sharp,<br />
President; and John Myers, President-Elect.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 39
Celebrating 100 Years... 1992<br />
By Pat Grabill,<br />
CBR President, 1992<br />
What goes around . . .<br />
It was great fun and a little surprising reviewing the In Contract issues for the<br />
year <strong>of</strong> my CBR Presidency, 1992. This walk down memory lane confirmed my<br />
theory that a life spent in the real estate business should be measured in dog<br />
years – things go by about 7 times faster than for everybody else.<br />
So much has happened, yet there’s more than a few recurring themes in the issues<br />
before us then and what we’re seeing currently.<br />
Then<br />
We were upgrading our MLS to<br />
state <strong>of</strong> the art technology<br />
A major goal was to expand minority<br />
membership and participation in<br />
the <strong>Board</strong><br />
Numerous complaints were made<br />
about media hype and articles damaging<br />
our industry<br />
Discussions about gridlock in<br />
Congress – slow reaction to RESPA<br />
reforms, S&L crisis, and RTC foreclosures<br />
Our members get involved in the<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® to<br />
make a difference as <strong>Board</strong> Trustees<br />
and Committee members<br />
Need for RPAC funds to put the<br />
REALTOR® issues forward. We<br />
were worried about getting heard<br />
over S&L issues, RTC inventory<br />
issues, affordability issues, redlining<br />
problems with unscrupulous mortgage<br />
lenders.<br />
Now<br />
We are upgrading our MLS to<br />
state <strong>of</strong> the art technology<br />
Progress has been made, including<br />
an African cultures seminar last<br />
December, but it’s still a major goal<br />
to meet<br />
Same complaints, same issues!<br />
CBR launches The Grass is Greener<br />
Here campaign to counterbalance.<br />
Gridlock continues – fighting for<br />
sub-prime restructure, mortgage<br />
relief and foreclosure restructuring<br />
. . . but progress is still possible!<br />
Same level <strong>of</strong> enthusiastic volunteering.<br />
REALTORS® doing the<br />
work in less than terrific times. In<br />
a slower economy volunteer time is<br />
precious, but they’re putting forth<br />
the effort.<br />
Now more than ever REALTOR®<br />
issues need voiced. CORPAC funds<br />
are vital for passage <strong>of</strong> foreclosure<br />
relief, preservation <strong>of</strong> capital gains<br />
rates, tax loss carryback for builders,<br />
special investment tax credits<br />
for new home purchases and other<br />
ideas to jumpstart housing’s recovery.<br />
Pat with CHP’s original Director, Pat<br />
Hughes.<br />
Sales Associates Day at the Vets.<br />
Anyone remember the Key Performers?<br />
Who are those young folks?!<br />
40 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Jack Myers received the Broker <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year award in 1992, shown with Pat<br />
and President-Elect George Smith.<br />
Then<br />
Our Executive Officer, Larry<br />
Metzger, and his truly exceptional,<br />
supportive staff made the job enjoyable<br />
and a learning experience.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership<br />
was in its formative, growing-pain<br />
years after being founded largely<br />
through the efforts <strong>of</strong> CBR leaders,<br />
Don Kelley, Bob Weiler and Max<br />
Holzer.<br />
We had a ‘talented’ bunch <strong>of</strong> members<br />
who enjoyed performing.<br />
We celebrated the 500th <strong>Anniversary</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong>’ discovery <strong>of</strong> the<br />
New World.<br />
Upcoming presidential campaign<br />
(featuring newcomer couple – the<br />
Clintons!)<br />
Attractive <strong>Board</strong> president<br />
Now<br />
Same faces (and many new ones)<br />
doing a terrific job for today’s leadership.<br />
This town is lucky to have<br />
such talent.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership is<br />
thriving and nationally recognized<br />
for its valuable contribution to affordable<br />
housing issues in Central<br />
Ohio. REALTORS® still actively<br />
involved.<br />
We have a ‘talented’ bunch <strong>of</strong> members<br />
who enjoy performing.<br />
I delivered my 500th lecture that<br />
“REALTOR®” is a two syllable word,<br />
trademarked and requiring a capital<br />
“R.”<br />
Upcoming presidential campaign<br />
(with old-timer couple – the Clintons<br />
– Paleeese!)<br />
Attractive <strong>Board</strong> president<br />
Although this is a bit <strong>of</strong> a stretch for<br />
CEO Larry Metzger, those who know<br />
him, know he’s serious about politics<br />
– enough to go to extreme lengths to<br />
raise those PAC dollars.<br />
It was great fun serving over the years at CBR. The camaraderie, idea sharing<br />
and sense <strong>of</strong> accomplishment were, and continue to be, a high point <strong>of</strong><br />
my career.<br />
ESPN sports analyst, real estate<br />
manager and former football coach<br />
Lee Corso drew a crowd as keynote<br />
speaker at the March 1992 membership<br />
meeting. Shown with Pat and<br />
Bruce Massa.<br />
Back in 1992, they were said to have<br />
raised a little cane. It appears that<br />
they raised a little leg also!<br />
No, that’s not Uncle Sam with Pat.<br />
It’s “R. Packer” (Brad Bennett) -- who<br />
was soliciting heavily that night.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 41
Celebrating 100 Years... 1993<br />
By George Smith<br />
CBR President 1993<br />
Happy Birthday – and it’s so good to<br />
know that someone or some thing is<br />
older than I am. The CBR staff suggested<br />
our <strong>100th</strong> anniversary be commemorated<br />
by asking various Past Presidents<br />
to share their thoughts regarding their<br />
year, along with memories <strong>of</strong> years past.<br />
When asked about my thoughts, I went<br />
back to the day in 1950 (or maybe ’51)<br />
when I walked into the <strong>Columbus</strong> Real<br />
Estate <strong>Board</strong> (before the name change)<br />
which was then located on the 10th<br />
floor <strong>of</strong> the Buckeye Building at 42 E.<br />
Gay Street.<br />
The <strong>of</strong>fice consisted <strong>of</strong> three crowded<br />
rooms and the <strong>Board</strong> secretary (no titles<br />
back then) was a lady named Lenore P.<br />
Hansen. As a secretary/receptionist and<br />
a bookkeeper, Ms. Hansen administered<br />
the affairs <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong> and appeared to<br />
be quite good at it. Sometime thereafter<br />
a young man named Dwight Swepston<br />
succeeded Ms. Hansen and stayed until<br />
he moved on to a family business.<br />
Everybody’s friend, Larry Chambers<br />
followed Dwight into what he thought<br />
would be a part time job – and he<br />
stayed with the <strong>Board</strong> for many years.<br />
Larry brought the organization along<br />
quite well during a membership growth<br />
period and instituted many programs<br />
still in effect today.<br />
C. Dale Cook succeeded Larry for a<br />
short period <strong>of</strong> time and another man<br />
– who graduated from that state up<br />
north – Ken Sampson – succeeded Dale<br />
and was very successful during his<br />
years <strong>of</strong> administration. I assure you<br />
efforts were made to get all <strong>of</strong> Kenny’s<br />
maize and blue sweaters and neckties,<br />
but we weren’t very successful. However<br />
the <strong>Board</strong> continued our growth<br />
and success because <strong>of</strong> – or in spite <strong>of</strong><br />
– Ken’s educational background.<br />
After Kenny retired, Brad Johnson<br />
joined our <strong>Board</strong> and proved to be an<br />
able administrator. When a large developer<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered Brad a position he couldn’t<br />
refuse, his departure created a vacancy<br />
and Larry Metzger, who I believe is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the very best administrators in<br />
the U. S. joined our <strong>Board</strong> as the CEO.<br />
Without a doubt, Larry and AEO Stan<br />
Collins have molded our board into one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most successful trade organizations<br />
within our national association.<br />
Not enough can be said about Larry<br />
and his staff.<br />
The results speak for themselves.<br />
In reflection, our past executive <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
collectively made our <strong>Board</strong> what it is<br />
today—But, it’s obvious they didn’t do it<br />
by themselves!<br />
Over the past 100 years they’ve had the<br />
help <strong>of</strong> hundreds <strong>of</strong> committee chairs<br />
and thousands <strong>of</strong> members – who, with<br />
their individual expertise, ethics and<br />
commitment to getting the job done,<br />
were the “oil” that made the “machine”<br />
run.<br />
I wish I could be given the space to<br />
mention the many individuals who<br />
have contributed their time, money and<br />
efforts to our success. But, if I mentioned<br />
any one <strong>of</strong> our outstanding men<br />
and women, I would have to include<br />
hundreds more…so I again wish to<br />
thank all <strong>of</strong> you who have so generously<br />
contributed to the success <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
As for 1993, my year as President, my<br />
proudest moment was putting a shovel<br />
into some very hard dirt where our<br />
membership headquarters now stands.<br />
With the help <strong>of</strong> Pat Grabill, Charlotte<br />
VanSteyn and many others, our current<br />
headquarters was designed, built and<br />
occupied in what has become a prime<br />
location in central Ohio. And thanks to<br />
the many who had the faith to invest<br />
their money, and the good management<br />
on the part <strong>of</strong> our current executive<br />
staff, it’s paid for!<br />
I will defer to others, perhaps on our<br />
150th anniversary, to judge our many<br />
other activities during my year as President.<br />
I assure you it was personally<br />
rewarding.<br />
Above: George Smith and CEO Larry<br />
Metzger are greeted by the “King”<br />
himself, as Elvis entertained the crowd<br />
at an RPAC Auction.<br />
Top: (left to right) David Cheses, who<br />
donated the land for the new building;<br />
Bob Weiler; George Smith; Bill<br />
McMenamy, and Pat Grabill at the<br />
1993 groundbreaking for new <strong>Board</strong><br />
headquarters, 2700 Airport Drive.<br />
42 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1993<br />
Sept. 1 – The <strong>Board</strong> sells its remaining half <strong>of</strong> the building at 200<br />
East Town Street to the Ohio Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®, and agrees<br />
to rent the space occupied there until construction is completed on<br />
the board’s new location. Construction on the new building on Airport<br />
Drive is underway.<br />
RIN, REALTOR® Information Network, the father <strong>of</strong> NAR’s<br />
REALTOR®.com is started.<br />
1994<br />
February – Online, color photographs are introduced in the MLS system.<br />
Up to four photos can be added and viewed by all MLS users via<br />
special s<strong>of</strong>tware called Sprint.<br />
March 4 – The <strong>Board</strong> establishes CORPAC, the Central Ohio REAL-<br />
TORS® Political Action Committee, to support issues and candidates<br />
that support, promote and preserve private property rights.<br />
The first golf scramble is held at Foxfire Golf Club and more than 100<br />
people attended.<br />
Top Left: Presidential: 1993 President George<br />
Smith and 1979 President Myrna Kobre.<br />
May – The <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® moves to its new membership<br />
headquarters at 2700 Airport Drive. Open house galas are<br />
held in May and June for tours <strong>of</strong> the new headquarters.<br />
The <strong>Board</strong> starts the Commercial/Investment (C/I) Division.<br />
Middle Left: Groundbreaking: 1993 President<br />
George Smith (left) and Jack Ruscilli<br />
<strong>of</strong> Ruscilli Construction at the <strong>of</strong>ficial start <strong>of</strong><br />
construction <strong>of</strong> the CBR Membership Headquarters<br />
at 2700 Airport Drive.<br />
Bottom Left and Bottom Right: Nifty Fifties:<br />
Barbara Hoyer and a group <strong>of</strong> CBR greasers<br />
got into the act for the 1990s-era “Nifty<br />
Fifties” Talent Night.<br />
Above: New building: The CBR was under construction for much <strong>of</strong> 1993<br />
until opening in spring 1994; Larry Metzger and Barbara Lach helped<br />
raise the American flag at the new location.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 43
NAR approves “<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Choice,” which allows members to join the<br />
REALTOR® <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> their choice, (within the state) regardless <strong>of</strong><br />
their <strong>of</strong>fice location.<br />
Polaris Amphitheater opens.<br />
1995<br />
March 1 – The first issue <strong>of</strong> CBR’s Real Estate Weekly publication hits<br />
the newsstands. The market-wide weekly newspaper allows up to 24<br />
photos on a single page. An initial printing <strong>of</strong> 25,000 copies per week is<br />
printed and distributed at 650 locations. Real Estate Weekly provides a<br />
cost-effective advertising vehicle for members to promote their listings<br />
and to populate the market with REALTOR®-friendly news.<br />
The Robert Weiler Gallery, in the <strong>Board</strong>’s first floor area, is dedicated,<br />
honoring 1955 CBR President and central Ohio philanthropist Robert<br />
Weiler.<br />
The Paul Falco Library is dedicated in the spring, in recognition <strong>of</strong><br />
the 1963 <strong>Board</strong> President.<br />
December – CBR’s new building at 2700 Airport Drive is recognized<br />
by the American Institute <strong>of</strong> Architects as one <strong>of</strong> the 1995 design<br />
award winners.<br />
Top Left: WCR: Members <strong>of</strong> the Women’s Council <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® at the<br />
1994 Sales Associates Day.<br />
Bottom Left: 2700 Airport Drive: CBR moved to the current building in 1994,<br />
in a location that at the time was a largely undeveloped site near Port<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong>. Today the area is a hub <strong>of</strong> development activity.<br />
Top Right: Online: It was big news in early<br />
1994 when online photographs were introduced<br />
to the MLS.<br />
Middle Right: Real Estate Weekly: CBR<br />
launched the weekly magazine showcasing<br />
neighborhoods and homes for sale in 1995.<br />
Bottom Right: Flying high: The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
chapter <strong>of</strong> the Women’s Council <strong>of</strong> REAL-<br />
TORS® donated the American flag and<br />
flagpole which stands at the entrance to<br />
CBR Headquarters.<br />
Left: Dedication: Paul Falco, 1963 President,<br />
and Bobbie Hall at the dedication <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Paul Falco Library at CBR Headquarters.<br />
44 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
1996<br />
On Aug. 22, 1996, the Computer Users’ Committee sponsors “Bits and<br />
Brats,” at the CBR Headquarters on Airport Drive. The evening program<br />
is called “Learn to use the Internet” and also includes a cookout.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> and central Ohio listings go online at www. REALTOR®.com<br />
In November, the NAR <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Directors approve an agreement<br />
between the REALTORS® Information Network and RealSelect, Inc.<br />
to take over the operations <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fiical NAR Web site, www.REAL-<br />
TOR®.com. No NAR member dues were used to create or operate the<br />
site, which gets about six million unique visitors each month.<br />
NAR launches three major Internet initiatives: One Realtor Place, the<br />
association’s first Web site; the National <strong>Realtors</strong> Database System,<br />
designated to share basic membership data among local, state, and<br />
national associations; and Realtor.com, the national listing Web site.<br />
1997<br />
October – The <strong>Board</strong> approves new electronic keyboxes after months<br />
<strong>of</strong> exploration by a committee reviewing the system. It is announced<br />
that the <strong>Board</strong> will convert to the Supra electronic keybox system in<br />
January 1998.<br />
Laurel Flanagan receives the first Affiliate <strong>of</strong> the Year Award. This<br />
award was created to recognize Affiliate members for their exemplary<br />
business experiences, conduct, civic activity and industry involvement.<br />
Tuttle Crossing Mall opens.<br />
1998<br />
CBR awards longtime REALTOR® and teacher Joseph L. MacKinnon<br />
the <strong>Board</strong>’s first Instructor <strong>of</strong> the Year Award. The recognition, given<br />
to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field <strong>of</strong><br />
real estate and exemplified leadership in real estate education, was<br />
subsequently named in MacKinnon’s honor.<br />
A second floor room is renamed The Kohr Conference Room in honor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Thomas P. Kohr, the <strong>Board</strong>’s 1960 President.<br />
Top Left: Affiliate <strong>of</strong> the Year: CBR’s 1st Affiliate<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year, Laurel Flanagan accepts<br />
the award from Awards Chair Jan Mussler.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> has a total <strong>of</strong> 670,234 residents and a tax rate <strong>of</strong> $80.83 per<br />
$1,000.<br />
Middle Left: Instructor <strong>of</strong> the Year: CBR’s<br />
first Instructor <strong>of</strong> the Year, Joe MacKinnon<br />
with wife Aggie.<br />
Bottom Left: The Kohr Conference Room:<br />
1998 President Michael R. Huntley with Tom<br />
Kohr at the dedication ceremony <strong>of</strong> The<br />
Kohr Conference Room held that year.<br />
Right: 1998 Presidents Ball: President Michael<br />
R. Huntley (center) with his leadership<br />
team, Pat O’Neil, Sam Calhoon, Mary<br />
Rasa and Bruce Massa.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 45
1999<br />
Kevin Randolph becomes the first African-American<br />
Trustee (now called Directors) <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®. Randolph served until 2001.<br />
Longtime CBR member and <strong>Columbus</strong> builder<br />
Ernest Fritsche is named by the BIA as one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
100 most influential people in housing in America in<br />
part for being the first major builder to <strong>of</strong>fer a home<br />
warranty after the sale.<br />
<strong>Columbus</strong> becomes the 15th largest city in the United States.<br />
2000<br />
October – The Donald W. Kelley Courtyard is dedicated at CBR Headquarters,<br />
in honor <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong>’s 1984 President.<br />
NAR launches e-Pro, a new designation to help real estate pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
better meet the needs and growing demands <strong>of</strong> the Internet and<br />
technology-savvy consumers.<br />
2001<br />
September – CBR approves a new strategic framework to guide operations<br />
and goals for the <strong>Board</strong> and real estate industry in the new<br />
millennium.<br />
September – Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, NAR establishes the<br />
REALTORS® Housing Relief Fund to help pay mortgage and rental<br />
costs <strong>of</strong> families devastated by the attacks. By early 2002, the fund<br />
had raised more than $8 million.<br />
December – The <strong>Board</strong> launches its first Web-based MLS system with<br />
MarketLinx.<br />
Top Left: Kevin Randolph: In 1999, Kevin<br />
Randolph becomes the first African-American<br />
to serve as trustee (now called directors)<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
Top Right: Having a good time for a good<br />
cause: Mary Raysa and Marian Reitano<br />
dancing the night away at a CORPAC<br />
Auction.<br />
Bottom Right: Teeing <strong>of</strong>f: From left to right,<br />
Sara Walsh, Chris O’Neil, Sandy Campbell,<br />
and Linda Charobee at the 2000 CORPAC<br />
Golf Outing.<br />
Bottom Left: Don Kelley Courtyard: CEO<br />
Larry Metzger, AEO Stan Collins, Robert<br />
Weiler, Sr., Donald W. Kelley, former EOs<br />
Brad Johnson and Ken Sampson joined to<br />
congratulate Kelley during the dedication<br />
<strong>of</strong> a courtyard named in his honor. Kelley,<br />
1984 CBR President, has more than four decades<br />
in the real estate industry.<br />
46 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Sales dollar volume crosses the $3 billion threshold for the first time,<br />
setting a new record for sales volume, number <strong>of</strong> listings, average<br />
sales price and number <strong>of</strong> homes sold.<br />
2002<br />
The CBR Web site, www.<strong>Columbus</strong><strong>Realtors</strong>.com is converted and redesigned,<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering more information than ever before to members and<br />
the public via the World Wide Web.<br />
November – CORPAC reaches its first six-figure fund raising goal,<br />
with more than $102,000 being donated by more than 60 percent <strong>of</strong><br />
CBR members. This marks a record in both donations and the level <strong>of</strong><br />
participation.<br />
2005<br />
April 10 – The CBR Affordable Housing Committee hosts the first<br />
Super Sunday Affordable Housing Open House event to showcase<br />
the vibrant, sturdy stock <strong>of</strong> affordably priced homes in Central<br />
Ohio.<br />
June 15 - CBR holds the first REALTOR® Care Day, in partnership<br />
with United Way <strong>of</strong> Central Ohio and the <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing<br />
Partnership. More than 100 volunteers help with construction and<br />
maintenance <strong>of</strong> 24 properties.<br />
The CBR Lifetime Achievement Award begins.<br />
2006<br />
April – CBR discontinues printed MLS books (residential, commercial<br />
and comparable books).<br />
July 19 – Due to the steady decline in use by members, CBR discontinutes<br />
publication <strong>of</strong> Real Estate Weekly.<br />
After only 13 years, CBR pays <strong>of</strong>f the mortgage on its property at<br />
2700 Airport Drive.<br />
Top Left: REALTOR® Care Day: 2005 was the<br />
first year for the volunteer event started by<br />
2004 President Skip Weiler.<br />
Middle Left: The final printing: For decades,<br />
REALTORS® relied on CBR’s “R”, “C” and<br />
Comparable books for complete listings <strong>of</strong><br />
properties for sale in the central Ohio MLS<br />
area. With the launch <strong>of</strong> an online MLS system<br />
in late 2001, the printed books became<br />
obsolete and were printed for the final time<br />
in the spring <strong>of</strong> 2006.<br />
Bottom Right: 2006 President-Elect Brad Bennett<br />
and Super Sunday Subcommittee Chair<br />
Teresa Thompson are interviewed by Channel<br />
4 reporter Andy Dominianni about the<br />
upcoming Super Sunday Affordable Housing<br />
Open House event featuring homes listed at<br />
$125,000 or less.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 47
COCIE is started. The Central Ohio Commercial Information Exchange<br />
is formed to include a comprehensive database <strong>of</strong> all commercial<br />
property, whether on the market or not. The site is available<br />
to the public and contains more than 13,000 entries.<br />
2007<br />
The REALTOR® Foundation Fund commemorative walkway is<br />
dedicated after being constructed at the west entrance to the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> headquarters.<br />
The walkway project raises $17,000 by selling engraved bricks to<br />
donors, which are a permanent reminder <strong>of</strong> those whose donations<br />
help support the charitable arm <strong>of</strong> CBR.<br />
The NAR <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Directors elects Charles McMillan President-<br />
Elect for 2008. McMillan becomes the first African-American in<br />
line for the NAR Presidency, and will take over in 2009.<br />
Although press releases throughout the year touted the good news<br />
about the housing market, CBR began a focused campaign in September<br />
promoting It’s a great time to buy!<br />
The campaign focuses on the many reasons buyers and sellers<br />
could benefit from current market conditions which include competitive<br />
prices, interest rates at 40-year lows, availability <strong>of</strong> loans,<br />
and, <strong>of</strong> course, the best selection <strong>of</strong> homes on the market central<br />
Ohioans have ever had.<br />
Top Right: Kicking <strong>of</strong>f COCIE: REALTORS®<br />
and Past CBR Presidents Lynda Long, Richard<br />
Royer and Bill McMenamy gathered at<br />
the <strong>Board</strong> to celebrate the launch <strong>of</strong> COCIE,<br />
the Central Ohio Commercial Information<br />
Exchange service.<br />
Middle Right: Walk this way: 2007 President<br />
Brad Bennett and CBR Foundation<br />
Fund Chair Chris Reese cut the ribbon in<br />
spring 2007, dedicating the brick walkway<br />
at CBR headquarters.<br />
Bottom Right: Go Bucks: Alice Buckley with<br />
“Woody Hayes” at the 2007 OSU-themed<br />
Celebrity Waiters Luncheon, benefiting the<br />
Foundation Fund.<br />
Bottom Left: Ads run weekly in The <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
Dispatch telling the community Now is a<br />
great time to buy!<br />
48 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
2008<br />
On March 12, 2008, the first talent show in many years for CBR<br />
members happened at the Villa Milano, when the Equal Opportunity<br />
Committee hosted CBR’s Got Talent. Dozens <strong>of</strong> performers<br />
took the stage to raise money for the Mutli-Cultural Grant program,<br />
which assists newly-licensed REALTORS®.<br />
After the CBR Equal Opportunity Committee decided to hold a fundraising<br />
talent show, AEO Stan Collins seizes the opportunity to put together<br />
five members <strong>of</strong> the REALTOR® family to strum their guitars<br />
for a good cause.<br />
The band, known as TEMPO 5, takes the stage for the first time at the<br />
first CBR’s Got Talent show in March 2008 at the Villa Milano, playing<br />
a few songs including “Rainy Day REALTOR®.” Collins, with staff<br />
members Matt Warren, and George VanFossen and Chuck Gleich <strong>of</strong><br />
Gleich Inspections and Terry Bryant <strong>of</strong> Coldwell Banker King Thompson<br />
went on to play encore performances at two Ohio Association <strong>of</strong><br />
REALTORS® meetings and other CBR events.<br />
April 15 – In order to combat the media’s barrage <strong>of</strong> negative housing<br />
news, CBR, in collaboration with the <strong>Columbus</strong> Housing Partnership<br />
(CHP) and the Building Industry Association <strong>of</strong> Central Ohio (BIA),<br />
launch a public advertising campaign to help the community understand<br />
that the all real estate is local.<br />
The $200,000 advertising campaign – The Grass is Greener Here<br />
– includes radio, billboards, and heavy member involvement directing<br />
central Ohioans to www.<strong>Columbus</strong>HousingFacts.com where they will<br />
find evidence that supports the health and affordability <strong>of</strong> the central<br />
Ohio housing market.<br />
Top Left: A talented bunch: During the first<br />
CBR’s Got Talent variety show held in March<br />
2008, REALTORS®, CBR staff and Affiliates<br />
got into the act, raising money for the CBR<br />
Multi-Cultural Grant Program. Sean Carpenter<br />
served as emcee for the evening, even<br />
donning a wig to perform as Willie Nelson,<br />
singing his rendition <strong>of</strong> “Mamma don’t let<br />
your babies grow up to be REALTORS®.”<br />
Bottom Left: The Grass is Greener Here:<br />
CBR’s 2008 campaign touted the health<br />
and stability <strong>of</strong> the central Ohio housing<br />
market.<br />
Bottom Right: Sing along: CBR’s own band, TEMPO 5, entertained<br />
the crowd during the 2008 show, CBR’s Got Talent! Pictured on stage<br />
from left to right: Terry Bryant, Stan Collins, Chuck Gleich, Matt Warren<br />
and George VanFosssen<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 49
June 5 – Over 500 REALTORS®, Affiliates, family and friends volunteered<br />
their time to improve properties in 19 different areas around<br />
Central Ohio for our fourth annual REALTOR® Care Day!<br />
Almost $23,000 in financial contributions, over $24,000 in in-kind<br />
donations <strong>of</strong> labor and materials, and extensive manual labor by members<br />
and local vendors provided the necessary resources for 24 different<br />
community service projects located in Bexley, Canal Winchester,<br />
Centerburg, Clintonville, <strong>Columbus</strong>, Delaware County, Dublin, Italian<br />
Village, Johnstown, Madison County, New Albany, Powell, Reynoldsburg,<br />
Sunbury, Washington Court House, Westerville, Worthington,<br />
and Upper Arlington.<br />
Sept. – <strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> Ad Hoc Committee Co-Chairs Charlotte<br />
Van Steyn and Bob Weiler receive the Excellence in Community<br />
Service award from the Ohio Association <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® for their<br />
work with the 100 Acts <strong>of</strong> Kindness. See list <strong>of</strong> awardees on pages<br />
51-54.<br />
Oct. 23 – During the CBR Annual Business Meeting, Congressman<br />
Patrick Tiberi presents 2008 President Greg Hrabcak with a Proclamation<br />
for CBR in honor <strong>of</strong> its 100 years <strong>of</strong> service to the central<br />
Ohio community as well as to the real estate industry as a whole.<br />
REALTORS® celebrate 100 years <strong>of</strong> bringing home the American<br />
Dream.<br />
Top Right: REALTOR® Care Day: Elvah<br />
Donald and Sherri Resnick <strong>of</strong> the New<br />
Albany Realty Association get their hands<br />
dirty while landscaping as part <strong>of</strong> the 2008<br />
REALTOR® Care Day.<br />
Above: Greg Cantwell created a mural for the side <strong>of</strong> the Tray Lee Center<br />
depicting important individuals to this community.<br />
Middle Right: Chuck Gleich and Betsy<br />
Lynch put the finishing touched on the<br />
new flag pole installed at the CBR main<br />
project - American Addition. American<br />
Addition’s Community Center (Tray Lee<br />
Center) was originally a fire station but<br />
now <strong>of</strong>fers the “No Child Left Behind” program<br />
and is funded totally on donations.<br />
Bottom Right: Congressman Tiberi presents<br />
President Hrabcak with a Proclamation in<br />
honor <strong>of</strong> its 100 years.<br />
50 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
Celebrating 100 Years... 1965<br />
By Orin Morris,<br />
CBR President, 1965<br />
In 1947 I went to work for Malcolm<br />
R. Prine as a salesman. Thurman<br />
Sorrell was the company bookkeeper.<br />
Mr. Prine was a strong advocate<br />
and past President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong><br />
<strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®.<br />
At that time there were no salesmen<br />
placed on the <strong>Board</strong>, but I took<br />
part along with a number <strong>of</strong> others.<br />
There were no women or minorities<br />
in the <strong>Board</strong> during this time. We<br />
had no secretary to run the <strong>Board</strong>,<br />
no money and would hold meetings<br />
at different REALTOR® <strong>of</strong>fices.<br />
A number <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® volunteered<br />
to let us mail out invoices.<br />
We finally hired a secretary, Dwight<br />
Swepton.<br />
There was a period <strong>of</strong> time we had<br />
difficulty with a number <strong>of</strong> Brokers<br />
who did not live up to our standards.<br />
Through John Pace’s effort<br />
and his committee (<strong>of</strong> which I was<br />
a member), we heard hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />
cases. Some went to court. Today,<br />
the <strong>Board</strong> gets very few complaints<br />
among Brokers.<br />
In 1948, I knew every member <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Board</strong> by their first name. We<br />
only had a handful <strong>of</strong> members<br />
(paying members that is.)<br />
my blood. I formed a company called<br />
Mae-Zee Corporation. We are not<br />
on the stock exchange, but we are<br />
healthy.<br />
In 1951, C. V. Perry & Company<br />
developed a listing contract second<br />
to none. We also had our own sales<br />
contract. In the lower left hand<br />
corner <strong>of</strong> our contract, we inserted a<br />
notice that the purchaser could hire<br />
an attorney. Later the <strong>Board</strong> came<br />
out with a contract agreement,<br />
which was similar to ours. We were<br />
happy to make the contribution.<br />
Along with our real estate company<br />
(C.V. Perry & Company), we had a<br />
mortgage company called Gibraltar<br />
and an insurance company called<br />
Redwood.<br />
I promoted the first joint meeting<br />
<strong>of</strong> attorneys and REALTORS®. It<br />
went well. Today most attorneys<br />
and REALTORS® are on the same<br />
page.<br />
In the early 1950’s, we had tremendous<br />
sales but we had a problem<br />
with FHA and VA. They would take<br />
months to process our loans. We<br />
went to Buckeye Federal Savings<br />
and Loan and made a deal. If FHA<br />
or VA did not approve the loan, they<br />
would keep it. Therefore, it would<br />
close in about one week.<br />
Past Presidents Jim Owen, 72, Bill<br />
McCorkle, ’68 and Orin Morris, ’65,<br />
catch up while at a Past President’s<br />
Dinner in the mid-1980s.<br />
During my 61 years, I was a partner<br />
in Mehl and Morris REALTORS®<br />
till 1949 when I went to work for<br />
Charles Prior Builder. Carlyle Perry<br />
went to work for him at the same<br />
time.<br />
In 1950 Carlyle Perry and I founded<br />
a partnership, which lasted for<br />
33 years. I retired and sold out<br />
in 1982, however, I soon learned I<br />
could not quit. Real estate was in<br />
Past Presidents gathered in 1964, seated: John Pace,’62, Robert Weiler,’55,<br />
Orin Morris (1965 President-Elect), Paul Falco,’63, Marvin C. Yerke,’64 John<br />
J. Ranft (1965 First Vice President-Elect) and Edgar R. Johnson, ‘54. Back: D.<br />
Wendell Beggs,’26, Tom Kohr,’60, Oscar Thomas, Sr.’61, Larry Wade,’57, Leigh<br />
Koebel,’28, Herbert T. Wolfe,’58, Bob Denmead,’53, Wallace Nelson,’50, Cecil<br />
Neff,’59 and Lee Wears,’56.<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 51
Above: 1964 President Marvin C.<br />
Yerke passes the gavel to incoming<br />
President Orin Morris, at the 1964<br />
Coronation Ball.<br />
Below: Incoming President Orin Morris<br />
is crowned “King” for 1965 at the<br />
December 1964 Coronation Ball,<br />
held at Scioto Country Club.<br />
In the early years, I founded a company<br />
called Trades, Inc. At that time<br />
we represented 17 builders who<br />
were having trouble selling their<br />
new homes. By taking the purchaser’s<br />
home in on trade, it encouraged<br />
new home sales. Later the <strong>Board</strong><br />
bought the company and the name.<br />
Prior to the Multiple Listing Service,<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> at that time were Jack Havens,<br />
Eddie Johnson, Paul Falco and<br />
myself. We would meet at the Virginia<br />
Hotel every Thursday morning<br />
for breakfast. We would pass around<br />
the addresses <strong>of</strong> our listings acquired<br />
from the previous week.<br />
One year George Tift bought a big<br />
Packard, tore out the rear seat, put<br />
in a desk, three chairs and a typewriter.<br />
He would take his secretary<br />
with him on appointments and, if<br />
the prospect was ready to buy, she<br />
would type the contract on the spot.<br />
When John Galbreath was going to<br />
move his <strong>of</strong>fice to Pennsylvania, we<br />
formed a committee and went to see<br />
John. He opened a branch <strong>of</strong>fice in<br />
Pennsylvania, but stayed in <strong>Columbus</strong>.<br />
We are thankful he did as he<br />
contributed greatly to the <strong>Board</strong><br />
over the years.<br />
A Service to the City<br />
When Maynard Sensenbrenner was<br />
Mayor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Columbus</strong>, he asked the<br />
<strong>Board</strong> to buy land needed for Bolton<br />
Field. Five <strong>of</strong> us volunteered to purchase<br />
the land and negotiated a sale<br />
to the city. As payment, the board<br />
received new furniture for the <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
I was President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Board</strong> in<br />
1965. It was an exciting, but uneventful<br />
year.<br />
I have known Larry Metzger since<br />
he became our leader. Larry has and<br />
is doing a superlative job. His staff<br />
are some <strong>of</strong> the nicest people you<br />
would ever want to meet.<br />
Sixty-one years and it feels like<br />
I have just begun. It has been a<br />
privilege to belong to the real estate<br />
community.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Morris with Mr. and Mrs.<br />
Yerke before Orin takes over as President,<br />
at the 1964 Coronation Ball.<br />
In 1959, my wife Zelma and I decided<br />
to build a house at 111 Riverview<br />
Park Drive. We are fortunate<br />
to have had many good friends in<br />
the real estate business. These<br />
“friends” erected a 4 by 8 foot sign<br />
in the front yard quoting, “Another<br />
Howard Johnson Coming Soon.”<br />
They also put it in Multiple Listing<br />
with a lot <strong>of</strong> funny amenities. I have<br />
made many friends in the <strong>Board</strong>.<br />
They still call me frequently.<br />
In February 1965, Morris installed new leadership for the <strong>Columbus</strong> chapter <strong>of</strong><br />
the Women’s Council <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®. From left, outgoing chapter President<br />
Margaret Miller,1965 chapter President Jean Parker and Elly Creager, President<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Ohio chapter <strong>of</strong> WCR, with Morris.<br />
52 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®
100 Acts <strong>of</strong> Kindness Recipients<br />
REALTORS® give back to their communities in so many ways. Each day, at least one <strong>of</strong> our members is volunteering<br />
their time to a local organization, school, church, service group, etc.<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> the 100 Acts <strong>of</strong> Kindness award is to recognize those individuals for their service during this, our<br />
<strong>100th</strong> anniversary year. The following members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS® have received the 100 Acts<br />
<strong>of</strong> Kindness pin for providing an act <strong>of</strong> community service or outreach in 2008.<br />
Michelle Anders<br />
Sarah Savoir<br />
Carol Wise<br />
Karin Stumbo<br />
Beth Bick<br />
Sherrie Preston<br />
Norm Taylor<br />
Kristin Sparks<br />
Mark Phillips<br />
Mary Overfelt<br />
Scott Noblet<br />
Drew Murphy<br />
Ted Oatts<br />
Teri Maust<br />
Becky Payne<br />
Mark Cathers<br />
Larry Metzger<br />
Ronda Turner<br />
Carolyn Mullen<br />
Greg Bruce<br />
Andrew Root<br />
Julie Stage<br />
Don Mullen<br />
Pam Allen<br />
Kevin Gilmore<br />
Rick Ralston<br />
Debbie Montgomery<br />
Kristin Reese<br />
Teri Gilmore<br />
Alicia Pullin<br />
Jen Merringer<br />
Pam Mutchler<br />
John DeFourny<br />
Debbie Karns<br />
Mar’ Hartley<br />
Kate Wiles<br />
Corey Skinner<br />
Keli Howard<br />
Nancy Garrabrant<br />
Terri Webb<br />
Lari Madosky Shaw<br />
Dianna Hay<br />
Karen Fichtelman<br />
Lynn Thomas<br />
Chris Pedon<br />
Phil Gilliam<br />
Gary Bix<br />
Candy Tesner<br />
Kathy Elliott<br />
Rick Forrest<br />
Steve Barbeau<br />
Cyndy Street<br />
Rob Matney<br />
Travis Fling<br />
Mike Anderson<br />
TJ Roberts<br />
Sharon Young<br />
Kevin Flax<br />
Carol Morrison<br />
Barbara Richardson<br />
Karen Page<br />
Richard Flax<br />
Dave Zambo<br />
Kelly Richards<br />
Sheila Straub<br />
Liz Finchum<br />
Amy Weinsz<br />
Suzanne Perry<br />
Thad Rahrig<br />
Darlene Clark<br />
Shannan Thompson<br />
Nicole Perry<br />
Rhonda Pettit<br />
Karen Bowling<br />
Jamie Sutton<br />
Chip Parrish<br />
Tom Nippert<br />
Rachel Berkshire<br />
Natalie Moore<br />
Barb Robertson<br />
Krista McCarthy<br />
Michelle Anders<br />
Tony Mangini<br />
Norma Miller<br />
Cody Marting<br />
Jay Waldron<br />
Cynthia MacKenzie<br />
Annie Means<br />
Al Mansour<br />
Tricia Nunamaker<br />
Lisa Griffin<br />
Milt Lustnauer<br />
Lynda Long<br />
Eric Moulton<br />
Brenda Gerschutz<br />
Bonnie Lustnauer<br />
Rhonda Kelly<br />
Kim McMullen<br />
Warren Gerhardt<br />
Susan Dilworth<br />
Frank Hance<br />
Peg H<strong>of</strong>fman<br />
Bill Dickerson<br />
Martha Corbett<br />
Sheri Foster<br />
Shane Heald<br />
Dave Arthur<br />
Chip Bruss<br />
Larry Buttermore<br />
Beth Fisher<br />
Bill Alsnauer<br />
Kathie Boskovich<br />
Linda Beckner<br />
Lynn Cooperider<br />
Rhonda Barton<br />
Scott Street<br />
Brady Jones<br />
Bill Channel<br />
Justin Waugh<br />
Ron Zaniewski & Co-worker<br />
Randi Dailey<br />
Kim Althouse<br />
Marie Waugh<br />
Brenda Yerke<br />
Debbie Weade<br />
Toby Boyce<br />
Samantha Trotter<br />
Wallisha Wupple<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 53
100 Acts <strong>of</strong> Kindness Recipients continued...<br />
Sharon Worden<br />
Marilyn Witherup<br />
Mary Jane “MJ” Toth<br />
Lance Strong<br />
Judy Stream<br />
Helen Stepien<br />
Jay Stanley<br />
Colette Smith<br />
Gene Shivener<br />
Donna Schneider<br />
Suzi Schmitz<br />
David Rosen<br />
David Percy<br />
Jessie Page<br />
Kathleen Novak<br />
Faith Mulroy<br />
Charles Morris<br />
Lana Mihailovich<br />
Branden Meyer<br />
Michael Metz<br />
Debbie McCloud<br />
Michael Malmsbury<br />
Leigh Ann Lee<br />
Joanne Jarvis<br />
Tracey Hartson<br />
Kelly Harsanye<br />
Jackie Harris<br />
Betty Granger<br />
Carma Godby<br />
Peggy Fowler<br />
Andy Fairbanks<br />
Danelle Ellis<br />
Karen Edwards<br />
K. Edwards<br />
Jack Buckle<br />
Kim Browning<br />
Shaunda Brown<br />
David Breneman<br />
Wendell Berry<br />
Dan Baumann<br />
Joy Adkins<br />
Elton Acker<br />
Dani Patterson<br />
Janet Zettler<br />
Rick Weber<br />
Steve Wagner<br />
Erin Terrar<br />
Joe Sinvany<br />
Andy Shiffman<br />
Ron Robins<br />
Carrie Ramsey<br />
David Powers<br />
Hannah Pirwitz<br />
Chris Pedon<br />
Marlene Miller<br />
Allan Maust<br />
Barb Kurtz<br />
Mark Kraus<br />
Monica Kile<br />
Bill Karn<br />
Jeff Jonas<br />
Michael Jones<br />
Mike Irwin<br />
Barbara Hoyer<br />
Jonathan Holfinger<br />
Paul Grimm<br />
Tom Flood<br />
Tom Dodrill<br />
Rose Copp<br />
Beth Clensy<br />
Susan Brehm<br />
Terri Barnett<br />
Pam Allen<br />
Sheila Straub<br />
Todd Miller<br />
Amy Long<br />
54 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
54 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
Betsy McCloskey<br />
Barb Waters<br />
Tim Gossman<br />
Charlotte Mason<br />
Gary Rader<br />
Kathy Burd<br />
Steve Wagner<br />
Lucy Buzzee<br />
Sharon Young<br />
Regina Acosta Tobin<br />
Terra Miller<br />
Misty Linn<br />
Jinn Lombardi<br />
Tami Crum<br />
LeAnne Ringer<br />
Erin Ogden<br />
Kim Nice<br />
Will Moloney<br />
Judy Minister<br />
Paul Love<br />
Alan Jones<br />
Nora Huber<br />
Eve Holland<br />
Eric Hiss<br />
Melissa Friermood<br />
Ken Frankenberg<br />
Gary Flore<br />
Sylvia Efta<br />
Addie Davis<br />
Shari Carroll<br />
Molly Carlson<br />
Traci Klinger<br />
Sally Winn Bauer<br />
Terri Schulze<br />
Willard Salyer<br />
Ann Salyer<br />
Valeria Raymond<br />
Herb Raymond<br />
Melinda Pribonic<br />
Patrice Paider<br />
John Neibarger<br />
Alex Michael<br />
Travis McIntyre<br />
Bob McCullom<br />
Cindy Lennon<br />
Patricia Kramer<br />
Jason Hoy<br />
Taylor Holter<br />
Karl Heins<br />
Heidi (Nathan Gill)<br />
Kevin Harper<br />
Bess Harper<br />
Adam Hammond<br />
Furniture Restoration<br />
Tony Kiefer<br />
Cynthia Duncan<br />
Todd Dodderer<br />
Alice Cortez<br />
Don Corson<br />
Jena Cooper<br />
Barbara Chapman<br />
Linda Chambers<br />
Phil Burgel<br />
Roger Bishop<br />
Shelby Bauer<br />
Jeffrey Barrett<br />
Eric Albery<br />
Amy Albery<br />
Monica Holter<br />
Jean Wright<br />
Bob Rowe<br />
Chris Weatherman<br />
James Taylor<br />
Justus Sharp<br />
Sean Rauch<br />
Dan Olson
Anita McHugh<br />
Jerry Hunt<br />
Brady Linard<br />
David Heitkamp<br />
Nicole Harrison<br />
Greg Harrison<br />
Kristin Collins<br />
Rick Brunton<br />
Pam Brown<br />
Kami Bower<br />
Ben Brace<br />
Terry Allen<br />
John Chandler<br />
Stacy York<br />
Sue Yenichek<br />
Melanie Wright<br />
Jerome Witcher<br />
Joyce Wilson<br />
Simone Williams<br />
Brenda Williams<br />
Don Wick<br />
Joyce Wheeler<br />
Mic Weiler<br />
Bobby Weiler<br />
Robert “ Skip” Weiler Jr.<br />
Missy Weiler<br />
Robert “ Bob” Weiler Sr.<br />
Tim Webber<br />
John Volk<br />
Sheryl Trout<br />
Sandy Tracy<br />
Michael Thompson<br />
Taylor Thiede<br />
Melissa Thiede<br />
Janet Thiede<br />
Hunter Thiede<br />
Todd Strayer<br />
Herb Sollars<br />
Mary Sguerra<br />
Lari Shaw<br />
Todd Schiff<br />
Stephanie Savage<br />
Barbara Roberts<br />
David Reierson<br />
Chris Reese<br />
Carl Ransom<br />
Betty Potts<br />
Louise Potter<br />
Christine Pinney<br />
Angela Petty<br />
Gary Parsons<br />
Peggy Parsley<br />
Chris Oegen<br />
Linda Niemann<br />
Jeff Murray<br />
Susan Mullenix<br />
Mike Morgan<br />
Julie Morgan<br />
Philip Moneypenny<br />
Anna Mitchell<br />
Anita McHugh<br />
Kim McCutheon<br />
Bob McCarthy<br />
Anthony Masci<br />
Heather Martinsen<br />
Betsy Lynch<br />
Sue Lusk-Gleich<br />
Kim Lewis<br />
Amy Laws<br />
Karen Lambert<br />
Adrienne Klekotka<br />
Lindsay Kirk<br />
Brian Kemp<br />
Rocky Karnes<br />
Linda Jonard<br />
Carol Huber<br />
Greg Hrabcak<br />
Angela Holloway<br />
Maude Hill<br />
Mary Hatem<br />
Vernon Harless<br />
Mandy Harless<br />
Lynn Hackworth<br />
Paul Haggard<br />
Alexandra Gleim<br />
Chuck Gleich<br />
Christina Garrett<br />
Lynncheryl Gadson<br />
Jack Gabalski<br />
David Foster<br />
Lisa Ferguson<br />
Myles Everett<br />
Bridgett Everett<br />
Connie Dixon<br />
Nikki DiNardo<br />
Jessica Deubner<br />
Melissa Dean Rife<br />
Allison Cummings<br />
Angela Cradle<br />
Mark Cowper<br />
Stan Collins<br />
Debbie Clonch<br />
Ryan Clark<br />
Tommi Clark<br />
Kimberly Cecil<br />
Kelly Cantwell<br />
Greg Cantwell<br />
Gloria Cannon<br />
Michelle Calo<br />
Talia Brown<br />
Marque’ Bressler<br />
Anthony Bolognone<br />
Ralph Berger<br />
Brad Bennett<br />
Angie Utz<br />
Jay Zollars<br />
Stephen Tucker<br />
Joe Polis<br />
George O’Donnel<br />
Mike Metersky<br />
Travis McIntyre<br />
James Mangas<br />
Fil Line<br />
Sandy Lehman<br />
Cindy Jean<br />
Steve Heiser<br />
Wayne Gaib<br />
Catherine Erney<br />
Paul Bilow<br />
Chris Bell<br />
Hayley Ferguson<br />
Maggie Ferguson<br />
Lori Ferguson<br />
Alice Buckley<br />
Frank Lodestro<br />
Cary Hager<br />
Mike Primeau<br />
James Allison<br />
Jill Beckett Hill<br />
Kristen Nicholson<br />
Tony Thomas<br />
Rhonda Clark<br />
Lisa Gibbs<br />
Becky Young<br />
Matt Frost<br />
Abe Godinez<br />
Lu Klaiber<br />
Randy Sims<br />
Elvan Donald<br />
Sherri Resnick<br />
Bill Sutkin<br />
Angie Matessa<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 55<br />
<strong>100th</strong> <strong>Anniversary</strong> | 1908–2008 55
100 Acts <strong>of</strong> Kindness Recipients continued...<br />
Rob Hursey<br />
Chryssa Gartner<br />
Mike Gurski<br />
Tania Gurski<br />
Terry Cook<br />
Gayle Scrase<br />
Stella Pseekos<br />
Jill Higgins<br />
Mike Strange<br />
Lorie Strange<br />
Matt Beatty<br />
Don Beatty<br />
Sharon Selby<br />
Anthony Leahy<br />
Deb Collier<br />
Erin Bishop<br />
Tony Aspery<br />
Josh Transue<br />
Jeff Wills<br />
Jack Curtis<br />
Kristen Francis<br />
Sydney Francis<br />
Ethen Francis<br />
John Francis<br />
John Beegle<br />
Tom Amicon<br />
Judy Sekinger<br />
Roberta Kayne<br />
Scott Bowers<br />
Joe Marmo<br />
Sonja Heffer<br />
Becky Cunningham & son<br />
Tracy Chambers<br />
Cynthia Carr<br />
Jean Ann Conley<br />
Amy Conley<br />
Dale Grear<br />
Allison Grear<br />
Adam Grear<br />
Christy Grear<br />
Rita Brumley<br />
Dana Waugh<br />
Irving Hurler<br />
Jan Jedlinsky<br />
Kent Bermingham<br />
Ryan Mendes<br />
Sonja Heffner<br />
Brenda St. Clair<br />
Herb Schupp<br />
Donna Boylan<br />
Julie Riber<br />
David Roeger<br />
Karen Ramsey<br />
Patty Coolidge<br />
Kate Elmquist<br />
Karen Garvin<br />
Penny Robinson<br />
Debbie McMillen<br />
Angel Stuckman<br />
Carol Aultman<br />
Kevin Cull<br />
Joe Marmo<br />
Tom Weiss<br />
Ralph Renninger<br />
Larry Coolidge<br />
Julie Wills<br />
Mary Sguerra<br />
Alice Buckley<br />
Terry Penrod<br />
Chris Reese<br />
Sara Walsh<br />
Brian Kemp<br />
Bob McCarthy<br />
Gloria Cannon<br />
Linda Whiting<br />
Rick Smith<br />
56 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
56 <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> REALTORS®<br />
Sue Parrish<br />
Kyle Alfriend<br />
Tracy Chambers<br />
Mar’ Hartley<br />
Lucy Buzzee<br />
Mike Parsons<br />
Leigh Reynolds<br />
Chris Reese<br />
Don Mullen<br />
Joseph Hart<br />
Jan Jedlinsky<br />
Robert “Skip” Weiler Jr.<br />
Robert Weiler Sr.<br />
Robert Weiler Sr.<br />
Mary Hohman<br />
Jim Willis<br />
Jeff Wagenbrenner<br />
Shelia Straub<br />
Kevin Stover<br />
Ron Southall<br />
Carol Shear<br />
Deb Saczawa<br />
Brenda Pitts<br />
Christine Phillips<br />
Gary Parsons<br />
Rachel Parrish<br />
Chip Parrish<br />
Bonnie Nyikes<br />
Tricia Nunemaker<br />
Susan Mullenix<br />
Gregory Morris<br />
Marlene Miller<br />
Jonathan Lange<br />
Dan Krumm<br />
Mike Irwin<br />
Rose Howard<br />
Pamela Gugle<br />
Kathy Greenwell<br />
Tammy Foor<br />
Jim Doherty<br />
Barbara Crawford<br />
Jim Coridan<br />
Stan Collins<br />
Judith Cole<br />
Tom Billman<br />
Rick Benjamin<br />
Linda Beckner<br />
Gary Anderson<br />
Joe Janszen<br />
Donna Stevenson<br />
Tasha Jones<br />
Brad Bennett<br />
Larry Absten<br />
Paul Love<br />
Thomas Ketterer<br />
Michelle Demopolis<br />
Paula Shepherd<br />
Joe Jackson<br />
Joe Hart<br />
Jamie Mueller, Jr.<br />
Sherry Looney<br />
Chuck Kile<br />
Tara Bebinger<br />
Jan Jedlinsky<br />
Kenny Jackson
1908 - 2008<br />
th