Mary Ellen Hinamon Withrow (born October 2, 1930) is an American activist and former politician who served as the 40th

Treasurer of the United States The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...

from March 1, 1994 to January 20, 2001 under President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

. She also was Treasurer when the $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes were redesigned in the 1990s.

Biography

A native of

Marion County, Ohio Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,359. Its county seat is Marion. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1824. It is named for General Francis "The Swam ...

, Withrow served as the

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

of her home state of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, a position to which she was elected in 1982, 1986, and 1990. Before that, she was elected Treasurer of her native

in 1976 and 1980. This makes her the only person to have held the post of treasurer at all three levels of government — local, state and national. Withrow began her career in public service in 1969 as the first woman elected to the Elgin Local School Board in Marion County. As Ohio's Treasurer, Withrow instituted new programs, achieved record earnings, and was nationally recognized for her efficient management. Withrow was a

Presidential Elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

for Ohio in 1992 and a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention from Ohio. She again served as a member of the Ohio delegation at the

2004 Democratic National Convention The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter (now the TD Garden) in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts for president and Senator John Edwards from North ...

Recognition

Withrow is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award from the Treasury's Joint Financial Management Improvement Program for financial excellence and improvement in government, and the nation's "Most Valuable State Public Official" by City & State Newspaper in 1990. She has been the president of several Treasury-related associations, including the National Association of State Treasurers, and the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers.

Activism

Withrow is an activist for

women in government In many countries, women have been underrepresented in the government and different institutions. This historical tendency still persists, although women are increasingly being elected to be heads of state and government. As of October 20 ...

and is a member of the board of directors of Women Executives in State Government, an inductee into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame and a recipient of a Women Executives in State Government fellowship to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

. Following her retirement from office in January 2001, Withrow became active in the US Treasury's historical society. Withrow's collection of personal documents, photographs, awards and personal papers are housed at the

Marion County Historical Society The Marion County Historical Society is located in Marion, Ohio, United States. In addition to operating Heritage Hall, a comprehensive museum dedicated to the preservation of Marion County Ohio history, the Society also operates the Rinker-How ...

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 census, slightly down from 36,837 at the ...

. She has appeared in television ads supporting Ohio's Issue 3 casino proposal. She is also quoted extensively in newspaper advertisements and direct mailings of by Federated Mint LLC and Lincoln Treasury. These advertisements use her former title to give legitimacy to questionable items.

Legacy

Marion City Schools announced in September 2019 that it would be naming two new schools after Withrow - Mary Ellen Withrow Middle School Academy and the Mary Ellen Withrow High School Academy.Marion City Schools names schools in honor of Withrow
Retrieved September 7, 2019

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Withrow, Mary Ellen 1930 births Living people Harvard University people People from Marion, Ohio State treasurers of Ohio Treasurers of the United States 1992 United States presidential electors Women in Ohio politics County officials in Ohio Ohio Democrats Clinton administration personnel 21st-century American women