Dayton Walk of Fame

2025 Class of Dayton Walk of Fame Revealed

May 29, 2025 By Dayton937

In a city known for taking flight, five more legendary names are landing in history. For nearly 30 years, the Dayton Region Walk of Fame has etched the names of inventors, artists, civic leaders, and cultural icons into the sidewalks of Dayton’s historic Wright-Dunbar District. Now, five new names are joining the legacy.

2025 Inductees:

Rob Lowe – Raised right here in Dayton, Rob Lowe’s journey from local kid to Hollywood icon is a story of talent and perseverance. From The Outsiders to The West Wing, his career spans generations—and his roots in Dayton remind us that the biggest stars shine brightest when they never forget where they came from.

Vic Cassano Sr. – The king of Dayton-style pizza. With a thin crust, square-cut slice, and entrepreneurial spirit, Vic Cassano turned a grocery store side hustle into a regional empire. Cassano’s Pizza King became the taste of a city and the foundation of a family legacy.

The Original Lakeside – Born and raised in Dayton, The Original Lakeside brought a unique funk and soul sound to the nation that still echoes today. With their hit “Fantastic Voyage,” they captured the spirit of an era—and their vibrant energy, infectious grooves, and style continue to inspire fans and musicians alike.

The Levin Family – Rooted in a courageous journey from Eastern Europe to Dayton, the Levins transformed hardship into hope. Sam Levin, founder of the Levin Family Foundation, helped build a lasting legacy—one that continues today through family members like Karen Lorenz-Levin and Ryan Levin. Together, they uplift underserved communities across Montgomery County.

Jenell Ross – Breaking barriers and building legacy, Jenell Ross is the only second-generation African-American woman auto dealer in the country. As President of Bob Ross Auto Group and a passionate breast cancer advocate, she continues to accelerate change in Dayton and across the industry.

More Than a Sidewalk: A Living Landmark

Stretching down West Third Street in the heart of the Wright-Dunbar District, the Dayton Region Walk of Fame isn’t just a list of names—it’s a walking tour through Dayton’s legacy of invention, artistry, resilience, and heart. From the Wright Brothers and Paul Dunbar to local trailblazers and national legends, it’s a place where past meets present, and where every brick tells a story.

Whether you’re a lifelong Daytonian or just discovering the Gem City for the first time, the Walk of Fame is a reminder that greatness isn’t always found in flashing lights—it’s often right beneath your feet. The 2025 honorees will be formally recognized during a ceremony this fall. But why wait? Ttake a stroll. Snap a photo. Learn something new. And walk where they walked.

2020 Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame Inductees Revealed

June 15, 2020 By Dayton Most Metro

The Walk of Fame induction 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.

“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, she 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 she 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. She 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) this inventor and scientist gave us one of the most innovative food storage creations of the twentieth century: moisture proof cellophane. The cellophane he 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, he 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 and 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, and 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. He 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. John’s foundation, the Show Me Campaign, seeks to give every child access to quality education and to elevate and celebrate teachers, the single most important factor for student achievement in our schools. 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 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 a huge humanitarian impact regionally, nationally, and internationally. His light will only continue to shine brighter and more intensely in the coming years.

William H. Pitsenbarger (1944 – 1966) Airman First Class, USAF. Born and raised in Piqua, Ohio, William 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. He 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 Pitsenbarger is buried in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery in Covington, Ohio.

Induction Ceremony Postponed

As the Coronavirus (COVID -19) continues to impact our local area, state and country, we regret to announce the postponement of the 2020 Walk of Fame Inductees Luncheon. It is through an abundance of caution for our honorees, staff, volunteers, guests, patrons, and supporters that we have decided to postpone the induction ceremony until 2021. The webpage will be updated with information as it becomes available. Nomination forms for the 2022 Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony are currently being accepted.

2018 DAYTON REGION’S WALK OF FAME HONOREES ANNOUNCED

April 16, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

The Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame has just announced their 2018 honorees. Wright Dunbar, Inc. sponsors the Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame, and the memorial stones are on West Third Street in the Wright Dunbar Historic Business District between Broadway and Shannon and along Williams Street.

The 2018 honorees are: Hannah Beachler, Major General George R. Crook, Dr. Richard A. DeWall, Robert C. Koepnick, Police Sergeant Lucius J. Rice and Policewoman Dora Burton Rice, and Julia Reichert.

HANNAH BEACHLER, (1971- ) Groundbreaking media production designer

Hannah Beachler grew up in Centerville, Ohio, majored in fashion design as an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati and then went back to school at Wright State University in 2005 to earn a B.F.A. from WSU’s Motion Pictures Program. She began working on films as a set dresser in small movies and horror films. Her talent and attention to detail quickly brought her assignments as a production designer. She won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film for Fruitvale Station and the Audience Award for the Best Film at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. In 2017 she was nominated for an Emmy and won the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a video for Beyoncé. Her most recent success came as the first-ever female black production designer for a Marvel film. That film, Black Panther, is breaking box office records and is one of the most talked about films of the season. She returns home to spend time at WSU talking to students about her career and mentoring many young filmmakers.

MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE R. CROOK, (1828-1890) Leader in the U.S. military and civil rights activist

George R. Crook was born and raised near Taylorsville, now a part of Huber Heights, Ohio. He graduated from West Point in 1892. He is recognized as a major figure in U.S. military and civil rights history. He had an active career in the Civil War capped by his Division causing General Robert E. Lee to surrender at Appomattox. He was an important commander in the Indian Wars that followed the Civil War. While serving as the Commander of the Department of the Platte in 1879, Crook arranged to have himself sued on behalf of the Ponca tribe. The case resulted in a major civil rights victory when Chief Standing Bear was recognized as a person under the law and therefore Native Americans were entitled to equal protection under U.S. law. Sioux Chief Red Cloud remarked after Crook’s passing that, “He, at least, never lied to us. His works gave us hope.”

DR. RICHARD A. DEWALL, (1926-2016) Pioneer heart surgeon

Dr. Richard DeWall came to Dayton in 1966 and spent 50 years of his life here. He is credited with inventing the first workable, portable heart-lung machine. Dr. Doug Talbott recruited him to Dayton, and Mrs. Virginia Kettering invited him to initiate an open-heart surgery program at Kettering Hospital, where he performed the first successful open-heart surgery in the area. He established the general surgery residency-training program, serving as its director from 1970-1976 and also acted as a consultant to the National Institutes of Health. The winner of many national and local awards, his proudest accomplishment was his role in the founding of Wright State University School of Medicine because he wrote the original proposal for what would become the medical school. He also helped establish the Wright State School of Medicine Foundation. He said, “With the bubble oxygenator (the name of his invention), you are dealing with maybe several hundred patients a year. With a medical school, when you get it expanded, you’re dealing with thousands.”

ROBERT C. KEOPNICK (1907-1997) Nationally known sculptor, talented teacher

Robert C. Keopnick, a native Daytonian, was born in 1907 and lived virtually all of his life in the Dayton Region. He was a sculptor of national reputation and maintained a studio in Lebanon, Ohio until shortly before his death. He was a prolific, versatile sculptor who worked in wood, bronze, stone, aluminum, and terra cotta. He studied with Carl Miles, the noted Swedish sculptor. He headed the sculpture department at the Dayton Art Institute for almost 30 years, with the exception of a five-year period during World War II when he worked for the Aeromedical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, helping to design gloves and oxygen masks that made it possible for pilots to fly at ever increasing altitudes. His works are displayed in many states, and he has exhibited in distinguished museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design, and the Dayton Art Institute. At least 17 of his major works are displayed in Dayton. He once remarked that, to his amazement, “I really marked up this world.”

POLICE SERGEANT LUCIUS J. RICE AND POLICEWOMAN DORA BURTON RICE (1876-1939; 1882-1940) Long serving pioneer Police officer and community activist Policewoman

In 1896, when he was 20, Sgt. Lucius Rice moved from North Carolina to Dayton where he met his future wife Dora, a first cousin of the renowned poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. He served in the Ohio National Guard, distinguishing himself at Lake Erie in 1908 and winning government marksmanship medals. After being honorably discharged from the military, he was appointed to the Dayton Police Department. He became the second African-American man to serve on the Dayton police force and was one of the longest serving Dayton Police officers of the 20^th century, serving more than 30 years. He was the first African-American lawman to be appointed a plainclothes detective. He was the first African-American in Dayton to become a police supervisor when he was promoted to sergeant in 1916. During his career, he served with distinction and sacrifice, often working 12-hour days, wounded twice, and then tragically lost his life in the line of duty in 1939.

Dora Rice first played the role of homemaker until her children were older when she became a community activist in her church, serving Wesleyan Methodist Church as treasurer for 20 years and as church organist for over 22 years. Then she chose to join her husband in law enforcement. In 1929 she was appointed to the Dayton Bureau of Policewomen, becoming the first African-American policewoman in Dayton. She served for 10 years before resigning for poor health and died six months after her husband was killed. Sgt. Rice is remembered by the Dayton Police History Foundation as a local legend and his wife as a civic activist and Dayton Police Woman.

JULIA REICHERT (1946- ) Pioneering independent filmmaker and educator

Julia Reichert, a graduate of Antioch, has been called the godmother of the American independent film movement. She is a three-time Oscar nominee. Her film Growing up Female was the first feature document of the modern Women’s Movement. Recently it was chosen for inclusion in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. One of her films (with Steven Bognar) premiered at Sundance and won the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filming. She writes, directs, and produces. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a member of the advisory board of the Independent Feature Project. She is the co-founder of the New Day Films, a 42-year old social issue film distribution co-op, author of Doing it Yourself, the first book on self-distribution in independent film, a professor of motion pictures at Wright State University and a grandmother.

The honorees will be celebrated at a luncheon on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at the Sinclair College Conference Center. Tickets for the luncheon are available on the Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame website, www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com. Also, take advantage of the opportunity to honor your favorite Walk of Fame member during the May 18th Walk the Walk event; for just $150 you will be recognized as a fan, supporter, family member, organization, or company that pays tribute to a particular Walk of Fame member. Since 1996, over 170 outstanding individuals and groups and their contributions to the Miami Valley have been memorialized at the September event and with granite stones on West Third Street in Dayton.

Luminaries of Dayton: David A. Sinclair and Mary Belle Eaker

October 23, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

David A. Sinclair was an early supporter of the YMCA movement. He came to Dayton in 1874 to represent the Hamilton, Ontario YMCA at a conference and was so impressed with the leadership of the Dayton branch that he accepted a position here. He could not understand why Dayton had so many jobless men. After asking local employers for their opinion as to the cause of the problem, the answer would be the lack of skills and training necessary to do the job. David became determined to do something about it. Under his leadership, the YMCA began to offer vocational training classes which eventually grew into Sinclair Community College. Sadly, David Sinclair did not live long enough to see it. Exhausted from efforts to build the first YMCA building at Third and Ludlow Streets, now Dayton City Hall, he died six years before the first college building opened.

David A Sinclair has a sidewalk plaque on Dayton’s Walk of Fame on Third Street near Broadway Street in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District. He was inducted into the Walk of Fame in 1996.

David A. Sinclair was born in 1850 and died in 1902. He is located in Section 113 Lot 54.

A friend helps out to see the project completed.

The Young Men’s Christian Association was probably Mary Belle Eaker’s greatest interest. It was her recreation. She left the Eaker homestead as a site for the proposed new building, explaining her gift as follows: “Much of my life has been passed in this home, and I gladly give it for this purpose, believing that it could be consecrated to no better use, and that the people of Dayton will build upon it a suitable Christian home for our young men.”

It was Mr. Sinclair, as a friend and source of information about the Y. M. C. A. that probably decided the matter. Their friendship was most close and sincere, and through him she followed step by step the growing needs of the Association, and its advance in usefulness.

In 1902, Miss Mary Belle Eaker left her home on the northwest corner of Third and Ludlow to the Association. The new building that was constructed there was the second largest YMCA building in the world and opened in April 1908. It contained six stories and was valued at $500,000.