THE JOURNAL PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT
Ben E. Espy 1943-2025 Former Ohio State Senator, Attorney, U.S. Air Force
F ormer Ohio State Senator Ben Espy was an esteemed lawyer, public servant, distinguished politician, trailblazer, community leader, friend, husband, and father, who made significant contributions to the city of Columbus and the state of Ohio. Ben E. Espy (Zeta 1963) entered the Chapter Invisible on January 4, 2025. Espy was born to Inez and Bennie Espy on July 12, 1943, in Nashville, TN. Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to San- dusky, OH. After graduating from Sandusky High School in 1961, Espy attended Ohio State University on a foot- ball scholarship, playing under the legendary coach Woody Hayes. He earned a B.A. degree in political science in 1965 and a J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law in 1968. Espy started his profes- sional career as a corporate lawyer for Allegheny Air- lines, Inc. in Washington,
D.C., in 1968. A year later, he joined the United States Air Force, serving as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at Hancock Field Air Force Base in Syracuse, NY. In 1972, Espy returned to Columbus, OH, joining the State Attorney General’s Office, first as the Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division and later trans- ferring to the Division of Criminal Activities. In 1977, Espy established his own law practice, the Espy Law Firm, which he maintained until 2021. In 1982, Espy won a seat on the Columbus City Council, where he served as president pro tempore until 1992. In 1991, Espy unsuccess- fully ran for mayor and, the following year, received an appointment to the Ohio Senate 15th District. He won the election to fill the remainder of the term and a full term in 1994. In the Ohio Senate, Espy served as Assistant Minority Leader (1994-1996) and later as Minority Leader
(1996-2000) before leav- ing the state legislative in 2002. He ran for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006. Ben continued his private practice and served the Ohio Attorney General as special counsel. Espy was a fixture in Ohio State politics, he also served as members of the Colum- bus Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association, National Bar Association, Sigma Delta Tau Legal Fraternity, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Espy was also a Prince Hall Mason and a member of St. Mark’s Lodge #7 as well as a member of the Merry Makers Club, the oldest African American social club in Columbus. A giant among men in Ohio politics, his presence will be missed. Brother Ben Espy is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Rozene Augustus, and Elaine Johnson, and his beloved wife, Kathlynne (née Duffy) Espy. He is survived by four daughters, Elizabeth, Amy (David), Laura (Ste- phen), Lynnette (Ko J), 11
Among Espy’s Achievements and Honors • Founded the Columbus Youth Corps, a summer employment and job readiness program for inner-city youth, which earned recognition as a “Point of Light” from President George H.W. Bush. • Established the annual City of Columbus Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration and March. • Established The Job Show , a Columbus award- winning municipal cable television program that connected job seekers with opportunities. • Ohio Democratic Party Meryl Shoemaker Award • Franklin County (OH) Trial Lawyers Association Legislator of the Year • Ohio Hunger Task Force Legislator of the Year • The Ohio State University’s Distinguished Service Award
grandchildren, and a host of cousins, extended family and close friends. ♦
SPRING 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 79
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