Two years after her retirement, the Ohio Supreme Court decided to relocate Republican Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor’s portrait from its prominent location in the Grand Concourse to the basement education center.
O’Connor’s portrait will be included in a “Women in the Law” exhibit that will open this spring, according to an Ohio Supreme Court spokesman.
In December 2022, judicial center staff, three Democrats, and O’Connor agreed that the portrait should be displayed in the main hallway on the first floor.
It was a nod to O’Connor’s historic status as Ohio’s first female chief justice and the longest-serving woman in statewide elected office.
However, the three Republican justices at the time, Sharon Kennedy, Pat DeWine, and Pat Fischer, voted against the prominent spot. They argued against making rash decisions about portrait placement or reducing the hall’s aesthetic value.
O’Connor, a lifelong Republican, sided with Democrats on hotly contested redistricting cases. That put her out of her own party.
Lawmakers threatened to impeach her, and the Ohio Republican Party removed her photo from its state headquarters.
Former Democrat Justice Michael Donnelly suggested that the court keep O’Connor’s portrait in the Grand Concourse on the first floor.
“As the first elected female chief justice in our state’s history, she fully deserves to have her portrait in that hall.
Donnelly stated that her legacy is one of advancing the legal profession and preserving the independence of the judiciary for all Ohioans.
He went on to say, “The hall is now completely dominated by males, some of whom cannot compare their achievements to Chief Justice O’Connor’s legacy.” What message does this send to aspiring female legal professionals in Ohio?”
Other historical figures depicted in the Grand Concourse include eight presidents, nine Supreme Court justices, two speakers of the United States House, and former Chief Justice Tom Moyer, who oversaw the building’s restoration and served as chief for 23 years before his death in 2010.
“We have relocated the O’Connor portrait to create excitement for the area where her contributions and those of other trailblazing women of Ohio will be recognized,” according to a court spokesman.
