The Century Circle This special section of the Hall of Fame honors those whose lives and

accomplishments during the formative years of Ottawa Hills merit enduring recognition. Century Circle inductees are to be selected by the Hall of Fame committee.

In this inaugural year, we are pleased to salute three men instrumen- tal in the founding and early development of Ottawa Hills.

Ward M. Canaday Industrialist, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Statesman

An instrumental influence in the founding and early growth of Ottawa Hills, Ward Canaday teamed with John North Willys in the development of the Village and in the global growth ofWillys Overland Co. as a leading automo- bile manufacturer. Coming out of the Great Depression, Canaday was a leader among those responsible for devel- oping the Jeep and saving the company from liquidation.

A Harvard graduate, Canaday's life embraced leadership of national adver- tising organizations. He was instrumental in supporting and sustaining The University of Toledo library system. His name graces Canaday Hall on the Harvard campus. His funding and support created the Center for the Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy. President Truman named him co-chairman of the Caribbean Commission. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy valued his leadership on the Virgin Islands Commission, through which he established the Virgin Islands National Historic Site on St. Croix. Business Week featured Canaday on its cover January 13, 1951. His estate, Inlands, remains a French Provincial icon of early Village opulence.

E. H. (Elmer Harry) Close Developer, Visionary - Father of Ottawa Hills

If there had been no E. H. Close, likely there would be no Ottawa Hills. Born in Bellevue, Ohio, Close as the 20th Century unfolded became perhaps the best-known of the more than 150 real estate businessmen in Toledo. He and Paul Harsch, his partner and brother-in-law, grew the E. H.

Close Realty Company through developments such as the Hillcrest Hotel and the Lasalle & Koch building, residential developments across West Toledo and at Bronson Place, and more. By the time he died in 1924, Close had developed more than 5,000 acres and created 10,000 new homes.

But it was his remarkable relationship with John North Willys that defmed his life. In 1914, the auto magnate Willys appealed to Close to find suitable land to build his ideal country estate with waterways and forests. What evolved was Close's visionary proposal to develop not only Willys' estate but a full 1,200-acre tract of land only 20 minutes from downtown Toledo, bounded by two well-traveled thoroughfares, Bancroft Street and Central Avenue. His pro- posal so engaged Willys that "the whole nature of the plan changed to an opportunity so much greater than first contemplated." Willys committed what in 1915 was the massive sum of $2 million to "develop a district whose hills and forests seem to have barred out a despoiling civilization." And, that - with streets, a gardened treatment of Ten Mile Creek, the Willys estate and a state- ly model home on Ridgewood Road - was the beginning of Ottawa Hills.

John North Willys Auto Industry Pioneer and Leader;

Financier of Ottawa Hills Development

John North Willys played a leading role in the founding and development of Ottawa Hills, as well as in the industri- al growth of Toledo and the coming-of-age of the American automotive industry.

A man with an innate genius for business, Willys was an entrepreneur from the age of 10. As a young man, he started his career as a salesman with the Pierce-Arrow Auto Company in Elmira, NY. By 1908, he had acquired the Overland Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, saving it from receivership. The next year, he took control of Toledo's Pope Motor Car Company and com- bined both enterprises in Toledo by 1911. By 1918, the Willys-Overland Company had built the largest auto manufacturing complex in the world. His company was directly responsible for the growth of auto-related industries in the Toledo area.

Willys was involved in a number of local residential developments, most prominently the Village of Ottawa Hills. He joined with E. H. Close to form the Ottawa Hills Company, served as its president and invested $2 million in Ottawa Hills' initial development.

In 1929, Willys became a United States diplomat, named by President Herbert Hoover as ambassador to Poland. In Toledo, both Willys Parkway and Willys Park are named in his honor.

Willys suffered a heart attack while attending the 1935 Kentucky Derby and died later that year. His Ottawa Hills estate, built in 1925, eventually became 19 splendid residential properties known as the Forestview development.

We Proudly Salute Our 2006

Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductees

Edward B. Arenson, Jr., M.D. Medical Director and Director of Neuro-oncology at the Colorado Neurological Institute's Center for Brain and Spinal Tumors

A nationally-recognized pioneer in the challenging field of pediatric oncology, Dr. Arenson, current presi- dent of the Colorado Neurological Society, was one of the leading developers and the medical director of the

interdisciplinary comprehensive treatment and care programs embodied in the Colorado Neurological Institute. The CNI is a leading provider of state- of-the-art programs for all neurological diseases.

Founder of the programs specializing in childhood cancer, hemophilia and sickle cell anemia while he was director of pediatric hematology and oncology at Albany (NY) Medical College, Dr. ARenson has taught and practiced in Denver, CO since 1988, concentrating on pediatric and adult patients with tumors of the central nervous system.

Widely published, Dr. Arenson espouses a partnership treatment philos- ophy with patients that he describes as allowing for "humor, creativity. unconventionality and advocacy." He is the developer ofthe "Reel" Project which provides fishing expeditions for male cancer patients.

In partnership with like-minded medical practitioners, Dr. Arenson pio- neered the alliance that created a single, comprehensive care and treatment program for all Rocky Mountain region patients with central nervous sys- tem tumors. In its first year, 1996, that program, based at Swedish Hospital treated some 30 patients. This year, it will treat at least 150 patients.

Dr. Arenson is a 1963 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School. He and his family live in Littleton, CO.

Christine Brennan Award-winning Sports Journalist, Television Commentator, and Author

Christine Brennan was the first full-time woman sports writer at The Miami Herald and the first woman to cover the Washington Redskins as a staff writer for The Washington Post. She has also covered eleven consecutive Olympic Games, starting with the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Her column in USA Today makes Brennan the most widely-read female sports columnist in the nation.

Brennan is an on-air commentator for ABC News and ESPN, reporting for the networks from the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics from venues throughout the world. She is also a commentator on NPR's Morning Edition, and has appeared on a variety of network and cable television shows, including Nightline, ESPN's SportsCenter, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and NBC's Today Show.

The author of five books, Brennan has won the Women's Sports Foundation's journalism award four times - and was twice named one of the nation's top 10 sports columnists by The Associated Press Sports Editors in the category of the nation's largest newspapers. Her many addi- tional honors include membership in the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Journalists' Hall of Fame. Her latest book, Best Seat in the House, has gained wide acclaim for its remarkable portrayal of a father/daughter rela- tionship.

A 1976 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School, Brennan was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1995; and into Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement in 2004. She is a member of Northwestern's Council of One Hundred, a mentoring pro- gram for women.

Brennan is a nationally-known speaker who gives more than a dozen talks annually to colleges and institutions. She currently lives in both Washington, D.C. and Ottawa Hills.

Jon Hendricks Internationally-acclaimed Jazz Musician

One of the world's favorite jazz vocalists, Jon Hendricks is known as the "Father of Vocalese" for his innovation of the art of setting lyrics to instru- mental jazz arrangements.

A native of Newark, Ohio, Hendricks moved to Toledo at the age of four and was soon singing solos at Warren AME Church, where his father was minister. He got his professional start singing in local night clubs and on the radio with the great Art Tatum, his neighbor and men- tor. His distinguished career includes six years with the legendary vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross; sold-out club dates and frequent per- formances on British television while living with his wife and five chil- dren in London; and appearances in French and British films.

Back in the United States, Hendricks worked as jazz critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and taught classes at California State University and the University of California. A piece he wrote for the stage about the history of jazz, Evolution of the Blues, ran an unprecedented five years in San Francisco and another year in Los Angeles. His acclaimed televi- sion documentary, Somewhere to Lay My Weary Head, received Ernrny, Iris and Peabody Awards.

In 2000, Hendricks was named Distinguished Professor of Jazz Studies at The University of Toledo, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of the Performing Arts. In 2004, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor during the D-Day Jazz Festival celebration in France.

He and his wife, Judith, live on Brookside Road in Ottawa Hills.

Cleveland O'Neal III Award-winning Filmmaker/Television Producer

A member of the Ottawa Hills High school class of 1974, Cleveland O'Neal III followed his dream to write and produce multicultural films that impart valuable messages to youthful audiences about char- acter, personal integrity and family values.

Founder and president/CEO of Connection III Entertainment Corp., Hollywood, CA, O'Neal created "The Garage Club" - a popular multi- ethnic TV series for children; and the teen drama "What About Your Friends?" - a CBS Schoolbreak Special exploring diversity in African- American cultures. The latter film won two Ernrny nominations and an NAACP Image Award, and was followed by a sequel, "What About Your Friends?: Weekend Getaway."

O'Neal also teamed with his younger brother, Brian, in the early 1990s to create and produce "Phat Beach," the first Hip-Hop beach movie in motion picture history. Other films include "Christmas at Water's Edge." a 2004 holiday feature for television.

In 1995, while serving as an inspirational speaker for aspiring minor- ity students at The University of Toledo, O'Neal received proclamations from Mayor Jean Youngen and Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner in recog- nition of his outstanding success as a television producer. He was again honored by Mayors Youngen and Finkbeiner in 1997; and by Mayor Youngen and Toledo Mayor Jack Ford in 2002.

Currently, O'Neal creates, produces and distributes "Made in Hollywood," Connection Ill's nationally-syndicated weekly TV series, airing in most major markets. A spin-off of the series, "Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition," launches this year.

O'Neal lives in Los Angeles, but makes frequent visits to his mother, Brunetta, in Ottawa Hills.

Willard I. Webb III 1925-2002

Banker, Philanthropist and Civic Leader The late Willard 1. Webb III retired as chairman of

Ohio Citizens Bank (predecessor to National City Bank) after 43 years of service to the bank his grand- father helped found.

Bill began his banking career as a teller in 1947. He held various positions in most of the operations and lending departments within the bank, progressing from assistant secretary to vice president. He was named president in 1964, took on the additional role of chief executive officer in 1970, and, in 1972, was elected chairman of the board. He served as both CEO and chairman for the next 15 years, overseeing the merger of Ohio Citizens Bank with National City Corporation in 1982. He served on the National City Corporation's board of directors from 1983 to 1987.

Bill led Ohio Citizens Bank to be among the first, locally as well as nationally, in introducing leading-edge products and services. He opened Toledo's first drive-through bank at the comer of Jefferson and Erie in 1952, and, in 1975, installed eight automatic teller machines at the Churchill's Supermarket at Starlite Plaza, creating the first fully-automated branch. Always ahead of his time, Bill was one of the first to introduce the idea of banks issuing credit cards, and led the bank to be the first in the area to seek a merger partner.

Numerous organizations also benefited from Bill's leadership and guid- ance. He served as president of United Way, the Toledo Symphony and Kiwanis Club of Toledo, and served on the boards of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the Toledo chapter of the American Red Cross, the Lucas County unit of the American Cancer Society, and Crestview of Ohio, Inc. He was chairman of the board of Flower Hospital, served as a director of Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio, and was a trustee of the Toledo Museum of Art and The University of Toledo Corporation.

Bill and his wife, Janet (Wenner), were both members of the Ottawa Hills High School class of 1943. Mrs. Webb currently lives in Naples, Florida.

Jean W. Youngen 1924-2004

Ottawa Hills Mayor and Civic Leader

The first woman ever elected to Ottawa Hills Village Council (1977), the first woman elected Village Mayor (1987) and the longest-serving Mayor in Village history (1987-2003; 4 four-year terms), Jean W. Youngen epitomized the spirit of service to others.

She was a daily fixture at the Municipal Building, helping guide vil- lage affairs, and exemplified what her colleagues admiringly called "her quiet, steady, insightful and ever-optimistic sense of community leader- ship." She guided the village through turbulent episodes and tranquil times with the same sense of graceful balance that allowed her to seek out the good in any person or situation. At the conclusion of her final mayoral term, the community saluted her by naming the Municipal Building in her honor.

Her influence led to the successful publication of the acclaimed his- tory book, A Promise Kept: A History of the Village of Ottawa Hills.

In her professional career, Jean was a Vassar College graduate with a master's degree from the Yale University School of Nursing. She was head nurse for Yale Medical Center's neurology program and was a dis- tinguished teacher of surgical nursing at the University of Connecticut.

In the community, Jean was president of Toledo's Visiting Nurse Service, president of The Academy of Medicine Alliance, and a board member of Lourdes College, Swan Creek Retirement Center, the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio and Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of governments.

Upon her death, she was saluted as "one who could find satisfaction in helping others. That was her whole life story."