A statue of Fremont's Rutherford B. Hayes, America's 19th President, is among the candidates being considered by a special Ohio committee to represent the state in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection.

Each state gets two statues in marble or bronze of deceased citizens who are known for their  "historic renown or for distinguished civic or military service."   Hayes, who fought as a Union officer in the Civil War and later became President, certainly meets that criteria.

Ohio is currently represented by statues of President James A. Garfield and by Ohio Gov. William Allen. However, the state General Assembly has decided they want to replace Allen's statue because of the Democrat's opposition to President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War and his toleration of slavery. The cost of the replacement is borne by each state, or rather its taxpayers.

A six-member committee created under Senate Bill 277 with bipartisan support is traveling around the state, visiting hometowns and doing research into several replacements for Allen now under consideration.  Committee Chairman Senator Mark Wagoner (R., Ottawa Hills), Senators Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) and Karen Gillmor (R., Tiffin) and three other members will visit the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont on Dec. 18 to learn more about the late President and to meet with direct descendants who will be present.

Besides Hayes, others under consideration for a statue in the U.S. Capitol by the National Statuary Collection Study Committee include: U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley and William Howard Taft; inventor Thomas Edison of Milan, Cincinnati Reds baseball player Dummy Hoy, a deaf professional player; Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, who battled U.S. troops during the War of 1812; Olympic track start and Ohio State grad Jesse Owens,  Toledo Congressman James M. Ashley, who battled for approval of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, and suffragette Harriet Taylor Upton.

Dayton natives Orville and Wilbur Wright,who made the first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C.,  have been removed from consideration since only one person can be selected to join President Garfield.

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