Ralph W. Howard was a dedicated community leader, attorney, and lifelong advocate for The Ohio State University at Marion. An alumnus of The Ohio State University and a life member of both the OSU Alumni Association and the President’s Club, Howard played a pivotal role in establishing and strengthening the Marion campus.
He was instrumental in bringing Ohio State to Marion in 1957 and later chaired the Marion Area Campus Development Fund drive that secured the land for the campus. Howard served on the Ohio State Marion Citizens Council from 1968 to 1984, including a term as chairperson, and represented the Marion campus on the OSU Alumni Advisory Board from 1978 to 1984. In recognition of his longstanding commitment, he became a Life Member of the advisory group and was later named an Emeritus Trustee of the Board in 1994. In 1992, he was honored as a founding member of The Ohio State University at Marion.
Howard and his wife, Joanne, along with their daughters, Diane Howard Rice and Cynthia Howard Raum, were all proud Ohio State graduates. The Howard family demonstrated their support not only through service but also through philanthropy, sponsoring two annual scholarships at the Marion campus—one in fine arts and one in nursing.
Beyond his work with Ohio State, Howard was deeply involved in the Marion community. He founded and served as president of Marion Junior Achievement and contributed his leadership to organizations such as the United Way of Marion County, the Marion YMCA, the Boys Scouts of America, and the Marion Rotary Club. His extensive civic service earned him numerous honors, including the Marion County Outstanding Citizens Award and the United Way Service Award.
Through decades of leadership, advocacy, and generosity, Ralph W. Howard left a lasting legacy at Ohio State Marion and in the broader Marion community.
Established in 1997, past recipients of the Ralph Howard Service Award include:
1997 Ann Bennett
1998 Ted Myers
1999 The Ohio State Alumni Club of Marion County
2000 John Garnes
2001 Alice Galloway
2002 Larry Cline
2003 Ted Babich
2004 Scott Drew
2005 Debby Shade
2006 No Award Presented
2007 Vladimir Steffel
2008 John Keggan
2009 Marge Hazelett
2010 Janet Pry
2011 Ted and Marlene Temple
2012 Evelyn and George Ghearing
2013 Ronald Cramer
2014 Gary and Diana Sims
2015 Arthur (posthumously) and Ann Lowe
2016 Ronald J. Scharer
2017 The Black Heritage Council
2018 Dr. Richard Bradley
2019 Dr. Larry Yoder
2020 OSUM Faculty & Staff
2021 Buckeye Backers
2023 Matt Carbary
2024 Gus Comstock
2025 Greg Rose