History of the Treasurer's Office

Proudly serving Ohio for more than 200 Years

Before Ohio became a state there was a public official managing the public's money.  John Armstrong of Marietta served as Treasurer-General for the Northwest Territory from 1796 to 1803.

Armstrong was appointed to the post by Congress, a role taken over by the Ohio Legislature in 1803. The legislature relinquished that power in 1851, when the treasurer became an elected official. Just like today, the treasurer back then was responsible for collecting and safeguarding most of Ohio's taxes and fees and managing state investments.

Although the role of the treasurer has remained the same, the scale of the office has increased dramatically since the mid-19th century. The Ohio Treasury handled only about $6 million in total public funds in the late 19th century. As of Fiscal Year 2020, the office was custodian for more than $232 billion in financial assets, and managed an investment portfolio that exceeds $29.8 billion.

The Treasury was located in the Ohio statehouse from 1861 until 1974, when it was moved to its current location in the Rhodes Office Tower in downtown Columbus. Records show that it took a day and a half and 180 trips to move about $9 billion in securities from statehouse vaults to the Treasury's new offices.

The original office, located just inside the west entrance of the statehouse, was restored to its 19th-century appearance during the capital building's recent renovation. It is still used for ceremonial Treasury events.

Past Treasurers:

 

Robert Sprague 2019-Present	Josh Mandel 2011-2019	Kevin L. Boyce 2009-2011	Richard Cordray 2007-2009
Jennette B. Bradley 2005-2007	Joseph T. Deters 1999-2005	J. Kenneth Blackwell 1994-1999	Mary Ellen Withrow 1983-1994
Gertrude W. Donahey 1971-1983	John D. Herbert 1963-1971	Joseph T. Ferguson 1959-1963	Roger W. Tracy 1951-1959
Don H. Ebright 1939-1951	Clarence Knisley 1937-1939	Harry S. Day 1931-1937 (Second Term)	Edwin A. Todd 1930-1931
H. Ross Ake 1929-1930	Bert B. Buckley 1927-1929	Harry S. Day 1923-1927 (1st Term)	Rudolph W. Archer 1919-1923 (Second Term)
Chester E. Bryan 1917-1919	Rudolph W. Archer 1915-1917 (First Term)	John P. Brennan 1913-1915	David S. Creamer 1909-1913
Charles C. Green 1908-1909	William S. McKinnon 1904-1908	Issac B. Cameron 1900-1904	Samuel B. Campbell 1896-1900
William T. Cope 1892-1896	John C. Brown 1886-1892	Peter Brady 1884-1886	Joseph Turney 1880-1884
Anthony Howells 1878-1880	John M. Millikin 1876-1878	Leroy Welsh 1875-1876	Isaac Welsh 1872-1875
S.S. Warner 1866-1872	William Hooper 1865-1866	G.V. Dorsey 1862-1865	A.P. Stone 1857-1862
William H. Gibson 1856-1857	John G. Breslin 1852-1856	Albert A. Bliss 1847-1852	Joseph Whitehall 1835-1847
Henry Brown 1823-1835	Samuel Sullivan 1820-1823	Hiram M. Curry 1817-1820	William McFarland 1803-1817
John Armstrong 1796-1803