The City of Upper Arlington and the Upper Arlington Historical Society will hold the 2022 Wall of Honor Ceremony at 3 pm, Sunday, May 22, 2022 at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road.
Our 2022 Wall of Honor Inductees Are:
DON DODRILL
Donald Lawrence Dodrill (August 28, 1922–March 27, 2017) was an important contributor to the cultural arts of Upper Arlington and Central Ohio for over 50 years. He was a co-founder of the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival in 1966, an event that has grown to become the City’s signature event. Mr. Dodrill exhibited at the Festival for 45 years, taught watercolor and drawing classes for the City’s LifeLong Learning adult education program for more than 20 years, and provided graphic design expertise for the Parks & Recreation Department’s early publications. He was one of the founding members of the Upper Arlington Art League in 1973, and for years was an active exhibitor, award winner and supporter of the league’s fall and winter show. Mr. Dodrill also served on the Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission, including a three-year term as Chair, and as Co-Chair of the Visual Arts Committee. Over the years, Mr. Dodrill played an important role in the development of cultural arts activities for the broader community, including his active participation in and support of the Central Ohio Watercolor Society, Ohio Watercolor Society, American Watercolor Society, Bexley Area Art League, Ohio State Fair, and the German Village House and Garden Tour. In partnership with his wife, Winifred, Mr. Dodrill’s advertising and graphics firm – Dodrill Design Studio – created graphics and advertisements that appeared in newspapers, trade magazines and brochures in support of scores of local businesses and organizations. He and Winifred also operated the Windon Gallery in Grandview, supporting local and regional artists. Over the course of 50-plus years, Mr. Dodrill painted hundreds of watercolors covering a wide range of subjects for both private collections and public viewings, examples of which were represented in his book, The Transparent Touch (Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1989). Donald Dodrill left his children, grandchildren and many others whose lives he touched with a lifelong appreciation of the visual arts.
ROBERT WAGNER
Dr. Robert W. Wagner (November 16, 1918–February 7, 2011) was a professor, historian and producer/director of cinema and photography. He developed his love of history and interest in photography due to the influence of his father, who was a photographer of note in Columbus. Mr. Wagner dedicated his life to teaching and mentoring hundreds of artists, photographers and filmmakers throughout a career that spanned more than 70 years. A nationally recognized documentary filmmaker, Dr. Wagner led and developed the Department of Photography and Cinema at The Ohio State University (OSU) into one of the most respected teaching institutions in the U.S., with much of his photography and film work now found in the annals of recorded OSU history, including the 1950 “Snow Bowl,” which resulted in his initiation as an Honorary Member of TBDBITL. Dr. Wagner served as head of the film school at the University of Southern California and later served on the Board of the American Film Institute. He could call many Hollywood Stars friends – bringing Charlton Heston and legendary film directors Frank Capra and George Stevens to Ohio to speak with his students. Locally he collaborated with the early Columbus TV stations and worked with many of the live personalities and executives. Dr. Wagner received many lifetime awards, including the Ohioana Library Award, Eastman Kodak Lifetime Achievement Gold Medal, American Film Institute Service Award, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Distinguished Service Award, and International Congress of Schools of Cinema and Television Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a lover of everything Upper Arlington, serving on the Cultural Arts Commission, and writing and producing the 1980s film documentary Portrait of an American Town – Upper Arlington. He also contributed photographs and research to the first edition History of Upper Arlington, and was a member of the 1976 UA Bicentennial Committee, as well as establishing the UA Photographic Society.
To be considered for the Wall of Honor, a person must meet three criteria: He or she must be deceased; must have lived in Upper Arlington for part of his/her life; and must have made a significant contribution to the city, the state and/or the nation. Honorees are recognized via permanent bronze plaques on the “Wall of Honor” located on the plaza in front of the Municipal Services Center.
