Dayton Region Walk of Fame

Since its inception in 1996 as a part of the City of Dayton’s bicentennial celebration, the Dayton Region Walk of Fame has recognized individuals and groups for their outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation and the world. The Walk of Fame honors them by setting memorial stones in the sidewalks of Dayton’s historic Wright Dunbar District. The stones can be enjoyed year-round on West Third Street between Broadway and Shannon and on North and South Williams Streets.

“We have another year of outstanding inductees,” said Harry Seifert, president and CEO of Wright Dunbar, Inc. “They are all excellent examples of the exceptional people who made great strides in their personal lives and have remembered the Miami Valley as their home.” 

The 2022 class of inductees are:

Phyllis G. Bolds (1932 – 2018) an African American woman, was internationally known in the field of aircraft dynamics. Known as Phyllis Allen, she was a member of the High School National Honor Society and Valedictorian of her 1950 graduation class at Dunbar High School. She was the recipient of the first ever Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Debutante Scholarship. In 1954 she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. She furthered her education by earning a Master’s of Science in Computer Science from the University of Dayton and a Middle Management Program Masters from Simmons Women’s College in Boston. Mrs. Bolds began her career as a physicist with the United States Air Force in November 1955. While working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, her achievements were numerous and astounding and included the publication of 30 technical documents. Bolds worked at Wright-Patterson’s flight dynamic laboratory from 1957 until her retirement in 1987. She succeeded in a field that, at that time, was predominately male and she always remarked that she did not allow that to bother her.  Bolds also said that one of the most important Air Force scientific achievements she worked on was with the over 40,000 scientists, scholars, and experts on the design, development and deployment of the B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Neal Gittleman (1955 –  ) Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, has given the Dayton region a world-class orchestra and educational programming for almost three decades. One of his initiatives was the development of the Stained Glass Concert Series which brings the orchestra to Dayton’s African American community through concerts at neighborhood churches and in conjunction with the church’s choir. Mr. Gittleman was a supporter and leader in the merger of the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Ballet, and Dayton Opera into the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. The merger significantly broadened those organizations’ reach and offerings through collaborative efforts. Gittleman initiated the SPARK program (School Partners with Artists Reaching Kids) which integrates the orchestra’s musicians with eight area schools’ musical curriculum. Although Mr. Gittleman has spent the last 27 years in Dayton, he has conducted many of the country’s leading orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, Phoenix, Indianapolis, San Antonio, and Omaha Symphony Orchestras; and the Buffalo Philharmonic. He has also conducted in Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, and Mexico.

Roger Glass (1943 –  ) is a pillar of the Dayton business and philanthropic community. As president and CEO of Marion’s Piazza, his focus on quality and consistency has created a recipe for success that has earned both national and local recognition. He is a caring leader serving as a mentor and guide to junior employees and is generous with his time and his investment in people. Glass was a founding board member of Aids Resource Center Ohio, now Equitas Health, and championed the rights and dignity of those affected by HIV/AIDS from the early 1980s on. He has been instrumental in creating an organization that focuses on care support, funding, and education for those living with the disease. Mr. Glass is an ardent supporter of Chaminade Julienne High School and the University of Dayton serving on boards and committees for both organizations. Glass believes in the power of learning and his business acumen provides vision, structure, and direction for the non-profits he serves. He also is a frequent supporter of numerous local arts organizations. His philanthropy in Dayton is not for any recognition but is truly a gift of sincerity and from the heart.

A.B. Graham (1868 – 1960) a native of Champaign County, Ohio is considered the founding father of 4-H programs which serve youth in rural, suburban and urban communities in every state in America. In 1902 Graham began holding Boys and Girls Agriculture Club meetings in the basement of a building in Springfield, Ohio. These meetings were the precursor to 4-H. In 1905 Mr. Graham became the first superintendent of Agricultural Extension at The Ohio State University. He would later serve in the Extension office in Farmingdale, NY and nationally in Washington D.C. as the Federal Extension Director. It was the Extension Service development that made it possible for the “agricultural clubs” to be unified and nationalized as the official 4-H program in 1916. Graham was an enthusiastic teacher of values of rural and farm living. Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio is named for him.

Sharon Rab (1946 –  ) writer and educator, is the founder and co-chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an award known throughout the world to recognize Dayton’s role in cultivating international peace and the outstanding individuals who have done so.  Rab taught English at both Kettering Fairmont High School and Miami University, Oxford.  She earned her BA in English at Miami University and Master of Education in Curriculum and Supervision at Wright State University.  Rab was inducted into the Chester Roush Educational Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County Public Education Academy of Excellence.  She has served on numerous local, state, and national boards in the areas of arts, literature and education, including the Dayton Council on World Affairs and the Dayton Peace Process Committee.  Rab has also been the executive director of the Muse Machine’s Creative Education Institute.  For 20 years Rab produced and hosted Writer 2 Writer, a cable television show in which she interviewed hundreds of local, national and international authors.  In 2007 she was named one of the Top Ten Women in Dayton.

Guided By Voices (1983 –  ) described as “forefathers of lo-fi rock,” Guided By Voices was founded by lead singer Rob Pollard, a Dayton native and Wright State University graduate. For over 30 years, this independent band has released 35 albums and has sold thousands of records on private labels.  The group has maintained a massive cult following all over the world and has been praised as very influential by music publications including Spin, Harp, Magnet and Rolling Stone magazines, and MTV. The band made several television appearances including stints on Austin City Limits, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Late Show with David Letterman. They also played on the X-Fest stage in Dayton in 1996 and 1999. The band continues to play and release albums with its latest album Crystal Nuns Cathedral released March 4, 2022.

The 2022 Inductee Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, October 12 at Sinclair Community College Conference Center in Building 12. Tickets for the event are available now with details on the Walk of Fame website at www.daytonregionwalkoffame.org.

The Walk of Fame Class of 2020 offers a first-class mix of individuals with outstanding achievements in the categories of Arts, Culture, Education, Invention, Science, Military, Community Service, Significant Personal Achievement, Entertainment, Media and Philanthropy. The Class of 2020 will be inducted this year due to the pandemic restrictions last year.

The 2021 Inductee Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, October 12 at Sinclair Community College Conference Center in Building 12. Individual tickets for the event will go on sale at a date to be announced later.

“We have another year of outstanding inductees,” said Harry Seifert, president and CEO of Wright Dunbar, Inc. “They are all excellent examples of the exceptional people who made great strides in their personal lives and have remembered the Miami Valley as their home.”

The 2020 class of inductees are: Hallie Quinn Brown, William Hale Charch, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, John Legend, and AFC William H. Pitsenbarger. 

Hallie Quinn Brown (1850 – 1949) an educator, author, elocutionist, historian, civil rights reformer and women’s rights advocate during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The daughter of former slaves, Brown attended Wilberforce University graduating in 1873. She became a teacher and later became a dean at Allen University and the Tuskegee Institute. After attending the Boston School of Oratory, she became an accomplished speaker, travelling nationally and internationally to speak on topics of African-American Folklore and Song to Civil Rights and the Temperance Movement. For ten years Brown served as professor of elocution at Wilberforce University and was a leader in fundraising for the college. She helped to establish the National Association of Colored Women where she served as president for four years and as honorary president for the remainder of her life. Brown also served as president of the Ohio State Federation of Women’s Clubs for seven years. The Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul, MN is named for her as is the library at Central State University. Ms. Brown is buried at Massie’s Creek Cemetery in Cedarville, Ohio.

William Hale Charch (1898 – 1958) inventor and scientist who gave us one of the most innovative food storage creations of the twentieth century: moisture proof cellophane. The cellophane Charch invented was a translucent natural plastic film made to protect and preserve food from air, moisture and bacteria, thereby revolutionizing food storage, safety and cleanliness. Working for the DuPont Corporation, Charch tested more than 2,000 formulas before devising a workable process to manufacture the new product. By 1927, DuPont was selling more than $3.7 million worth of cellophane. During World War II, cellophane was classified as an “essential material” used for the packaging of G.I. rations. Charch then spent the remainder of his career at DuPont contributing to the development of Teflon, Orlon, Dacron and Lycra. William Hale Charch was born in Dayton, graduated from Stivers High School, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Miami University and a Doctorate’s degree in Organic Chemistry from Ohio State University. Mr. Charch is buried in Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio.

Mike DeWine (1947 –  ) Greene County Prosecutor, Ohio State Senator, U.S. Representative, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senator, Attorney General and Governor. Mike DeWine has worked tirelessly to preserve and share the rich heritage of the greater Dayton area. His work includes the support of major projects at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Energy Department in Miamisburg, the creation of the National Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the National Aviation Heritage Area, and the Wright Dunbar Main Street Program. Gov. DeWine has been on the front lines of helping children and the disadvantaged by launching the Crimes Against Children Initiative, combating the opioid crisis, reducing the time for DNA testing supporting criminal investigations, passing strict drunk driving laws and improving education for increased job opportunities. Mike DeWine graduated from Yellow Springs High School, married his childhood sweetheart, received a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and a juris doctor’s degree from Ohio Northern University Law School. He maintains a home in Cedarville where he entertains many from around the state of Ohio at his annual ice cream social. 

John Legend (1978 –  ) singer, songwriter, artist and entertainer. John Legend was born in Springfield, Ohio and began playing the piano at age four. He graduated from Springfield North High School and attended the University of Pennsylvania. Legend began his career in New York nightclubs and soon found himself collaborating with the best of R & B and hip-hop artists. In 2018, Legend became one of the youngest Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony (EGOT) winners and made history as the first African-American man to win all four awards. Overall, Legend has won 25 awards from 70 nominations which include 10 Grammys. Legend’s foundation, the Show Me Campaign, seeks to give every child access to quality education and to elevate and celebrate teachers. The campaign also works to end the school to prison pipeline and to address systemic issues in our criminal justice system that disproportionately impact the poor, minorities and disadvantaged. John Legend has performed concerts and has lent his name to world-wide charitable efforts in support of equal access to educational opportunities, HIV/AIDS awareness, disaster relief and advocacy for troops and veterans and much, much more. His support of the Springfield community is evident through benefit concerts and performances for the Springfield City School District, the Springfield Center for Innovation: The Dome and victims of the Oregon District mass shooting. John Legend has made an enormous humanitarian impact regionally, nationally, and internationally.

William H. Pitsenbarger (1944 – 1966) Airman First Class, USAF. Born and raised in Piqua, Ohio, Pitsenbarger tried to enlist in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret during his junior year of high school but his parents refused to give their permission. After he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force and in 1962 found himself on a train bound for Air Force basic training. Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered for Pararescue and was trained and assigned to the Rescue Squadron based at Hamilton AFB, California. He served a temporary duty in Vietnam and then volunteered to return. Pitsenbarger received orders in 1965 to report to the 38^th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base in Saigon. On May 11, 1966 near Cam My, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties. Pitsenbarger rode a hoist to the ground where he coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, and prepared casualties for evacuation. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind to perform medical duties during a period of heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force. He courageously resisted the enemy, distributed vital ammunition to his fellow soldiers, repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire and returned fire whenever he could. Airman Pitsenbarger was fatally shot and perished while saving the lives of wounded soldiers on the ground. For his courage and gallantry, Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross. In 2008, his family accepted the Congressional Medal of Honor from the Secretary of the Air Force. William H. Pitsenbarger is buried in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery in Covington, Ohio.

For information on how you can sponsor the event, purchase a ticket or learn more about the Walk of Fame, visit the website at www.daytonregionwalkoffame.org.

“We thank you in advance for supporting Wright Dunbar, Inc. and the programs we offer to the community,” said Harry Seifert. “Now, more than ever, your support is important to keep our mission of neighborhood revitalization alive in the historic Wright Dunbar Neighborhood.”

About the Walk of Fame and Wright Dunbar, Inc.

Since its inception in 1996 as a part of the City of Dayton’s bicentennial celebration, the Dayton Region Walk of Fame has recognized individuals and groups for their outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation and the world. The Walk of Fame honors them by setting memorial stones in the sidewalks of Dayton’s historic Wright-Dunbar District. The stones can be enjoyed year-round on West Third Street between Broadway and Shannon and on North and South Williams Streets.