Viola D. Romans

Romans' political activism began with her involvement in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She credited her introduction to the organization to her friendship with Martha McClellan Brown, founder of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union and vice president of Cincinnati Wesleyan College, where Romans was a teacher of oratory at the time.[5][9][10] By 1897, Romans had sought and successfully obtained the role of assistant recording secretary for the Ohio WCTU, the first of many positions she would hold during her tenure with the organization.[11] Known for her proficiency in public speaking, Romans used her background in oratory to deliver persuasive speeches as a national lecturer for the WCTU.[12] She not only spoke for the temperance cause, but as a national lecturer, she also argued for female suffrage, which she viewed as the best means to secure legislation against liquor.[13]

In 1920, Romans, by then vice president of the Ohio WCTU, became the Prohibition Party nominee for United States senator. The Prohibition Party believed that she would get a favorable vote as the WCTU had an estimated 45,000 members in Ohio at the time, but her run for office was ultimately unsuccessful.[14][15]

Romans again ran for office, this time as a Republican candidate for state representative. In 1924, four years after her first unsuccessful Senate run, she was nominated and elected to a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, the first woman elected to represent Franklin County in the state legislature.[2] When asked what pledges she had made during her campaign for office, Romans replied, "The only pledge I made was to endeavor to study impartially all questions as they came to us and as nearly as possible to render my decisions for the common good of all my constituents."[16]

Throughout her tenure in the legislature, Romans used her office to advocate for the welfare of women and children. During the regular session of the 86th General Assembly, she introduced House Bill No. 358, which established educational and vocational training for women confined in the Ohio Reformatory for Women and obtained an appropriation of $100,000 to erect two new buildings -- a 150-bed dormitory and an assembly hall -- as well as $30,000 to put H.B. No. 358 into effect.[8] Governor Donahey signed the bill into law on April 10, 1925.[2][17][18]

Romans won a second term in office in 1926, reelected by a greater majority in both the primaries and general election than she had been in her first election.[17] During her second term, she introduced House Bill No. 210, known later as The Romans Law. It was the first comprehensive legislation for the permanent preservation of the archives of the State of Ohio. Until that point, there were no provisions in the laws of the State for the safekeeping or retention of records; The Romans Law, enacted in 1927, authorized the transfer of documents and historical papers from agencies of the state government to the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection).[17][19]

Ten years after her first run for senate, Romans ran for state senator against fellow Franklin County representative William C. Wendt and incumbent Paul M. Herbert, who was running for reelection to his third term.[20] It was again an unsuccessful run for senatorship, with Romans coming in third for the Republican nomination.[21]