History of the State Treasury
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 2017, the office managed more than $224 billion in financial assets, including an investment portfolio that exceeds $21.5 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 State Treasurers:
Josh Mandel
2011-Present
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 H. Knisley
1937-1939
Harry S. Day
1931-1937
Edwin A. Todd
1930-1931
H. Ross Ake
1929-1930
Bert B. Buckley
1927-1929
Harry S. Day
1923-1927
Rudolph W. Archer
1919-1923
Chester E. Bryan
1917-1919
Rudolph W. Archer
1915-1917
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 Whitehill
1835-1847
Henry Brown
1823-1835
Samuel Sullivan
1820-1823
Hiram M. Curry
1816-1820
William McFarland
1803-1816
John Armstrong
1796-1803