[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF E.E. WARD MOVING AND STORAGE COMPANY LLC OF COLUMBUS, OHIO

 Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate and 
pay tribute to the E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company LLC of 
Columbus, OH, for 122 years of service to the great State of Ohio. 
Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Congressional Black 
Caucus recognized the E.E. Ward Company as the oldest African-American-
owned business in America.
  The Ward family has longstanding roots in Ohio dating back before the 
Civil War. From 1842 to 1858, John T. Ward was a conductor on the 
Underground Railroad which ran through Columbus, and the Ward home was 
a well-known stop. During the Civil War, John T. Ward received 
government contracts to haul munitions, supplies, and equipment for the 
U.S. Army.
  After the Civil War, John's son, William Ward, began working for his 
father, and then he went to work for the Union Transfer and Storage 
Company. At Union Transfer, he moved up through the ranks serving as 
teamster, work supervisor, foreman, and rate clerk. In 1881, William 
Ward rejoined his father John T. Ward and together they founded the 
Ward Transfer Line, a wagon transportation business in downtown 
Columbus.
  Since 1881 the company has evolved and changed with the times. In 
1889, the company changed its name to E.E. Ward Transfer and Storage 
Company, when the youngest son, Edgar Earl Ward, assumed management of 
the company. He was 18 years old. Twenty-five years later, in 1914, the 
company began its shift to motorized moving and retired its last horse 
in 1921.
  Over the years, E.E. Ward has performed moves for schools, museums, 
libraries, business, and homes. In the 1950s, the E.E. Ward Company was 
awarded two notable contracts in Columbus--from the Steinway Piano 
Company and the Franklin County Board of Elections. During the course 
of those contracts, it is estimated that the company moved over 900,000 
pianos and hundreds of voting machines to various precincts in 
Columbus.
  The Company's Chairman Emeritus is Eldon W. Ward, the grandson of 
William Ward. He joined the company in 1945 and retired 51 years later 
in 1996. Mr. Eldon Ward has been recognized as an accomplished business 
leader and is admired by many. He was inducted into the Ohio Corporate 
Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame in 
1992. Under his leadership, the E.E. Ward Company received the National 
Torch Award of Marketplace Ethics from the Better Business Bureau.
  As a community leader, Eldon Ward served on the boards of over 40 
community organizations, including the local chapter of the American 
Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the Chamber of Commerce. He served 
as board president of the Columbus Foundation, the Franklin County 
United Way, and the Central Ohio YMCA, which was renamed the Eldon W. 
Ward YMCA in 1991.
  Today, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Company is an agent of Bekins Van 
Lines and provides local and interstate household goods relocation 
services and a variety of logistics services to residential, government 
and corporate customers. The company focuses primarily on residential 
and business moves and storage.
  The longevity of the E.E. Ward Company is the result of its 
commitment to excellent service. The current owners, Brian A. Brooks, 
president and godson of Eldon Ward, and Otto Beatty III, co-owner, 
recently purchased the company. Both are in their early thirties. They 
have chosen to carry on the entrepreneurial torch of their parents and 
grandparents and are wonderful examples to other young business owners. 
In fact, the company was recently awarded the 2002 Super Service Award 
from Angie's List, a consumer and household rating company.
  Brian Brooks and Otto Beatty are privy to a wealth of experience and 
wisdom from family members and community members. Like their forebears, 
they focus on providing excellent service to their customers and giving 
generously to their community. Their dedication and commitment is a 
shining example of good corporate citizenship, something we need more 
of throughout America.
  I am pleased that this year the King Arts Complex in Columbus will be 
the recipient of a beautiful painting by famed Columbus Artist Aminah 
Lynn Robinson that illustrates the history of the company and the Ward 
family's role in the Underground Railroad. We shall all pay tribute to 
people like the John T. Ward family who helped America's enslaved 
citizens gain freedom. That is why in my first year in the United 
States Senate, I co-sponsored the bill to provide Federal funding to 
the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the only 
national center of its kind in the country. I hope the painting about 
the Ward Family will inspire people of all ages to learn more about the 
significant role of the Underground Railroad in our history.
  Recently, on the occasion of Ohio's bicentennial, I reminded a joint 
session of the Ohio General Assembly in Chillicothe that our 
forefathers delivered for us and now the future of our great State is 
in our hands. Throughout Ohio's history, the Ward family has made major 
contributions to the quality of life by creating jobs and opportunities 
for countless Americans and we should all be grateful for their hard 
work and dedication.
  I believe Brian Brooks's and Otto Beatty's ancestors would be very 
proud of their work today. With the two of them at the helm of the E.E. 
Ward Moving and Storage Company, I think its future will be bright for 
many years to come.
  I wish the E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company the best of luck in 
all of its endeavors and I look forward to congratulating them on many 
successes in the future.

                          ____________________