Ralph Regula
Ralph Regula was born in Beach City, Ohio on December 3, 1924. He attended local public schools and after two years in the Navy, he graduated from Mt. Union College in 1948. He taught in the elementary and secondary schools and served as principal over a ten year period. Graduating from McKinley School of Law, he practiced law in Navarre.
Ohio State Board of Education
From 1960 to 1964 he served on the Ohio State Board of Education. Serving in first the Ohio House from 1965, and the Ohio Senate from 1967 he was responsible for bills funding five Technological Colleges in the State. Later in Congress, he would develop the Super Computer Research network through Ohio's Universities, schools, hospitals and businesses and enabling the pursuit of minors in supercomputing at several sites.
Ralph Regula School of Computational Science
An outreach of Ohio State Super Computer Center, the program now called the Ralph Regula School of Computational Science offers degrees through colleges and universities statewide. He also increased funding for education, teacher training, and Pell Grants. Elected to the U.S. House in 1973, he cosponsored with John Sieberling the bill creating the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and while serving on the House Appropriations Committee from 1982 to 1987, he pushed funding for Cuyahoga National Park, and later the Railroad serving it.
Protection of the Everglades
He had a great role in pushing legislation protecting the Everglades. And he brought funding for fuel cell research to the 16th District (Stark State) making it a National Center for Research. He increased funding for research in cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. He worked with Democrats and Republicans to develop the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.
First Ladies Library
In 2001 he was able to get the First Ladies Library declared a National Historical Site. One of his favorite roles was his continual submission of bills to prevent the removal of President McKinley's name from the country's highest mountain. His intervention brought the National Defense Metals Technology Center to Stark State in 2007. He retired in 2009.
