Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts and Letters from the University of Findlay on Oct. 8, honoring her statewide campaign to put books in the hands of Ohio’s youngest readers. The degree was conferred during a ceremony at the university’s Mazza Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of original picture-book artwork.
UF President Richard Ludwick credited the first lady with building Ohio’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library into the largest program of its kind in the nation — mailing a free book every month to every child under five in all 88 counties. He also cited her statewide Storybook Trails initiative, which places picture-book story walks at Ohio state parks and interstate rest stops.
Trustees the Rev. Lance Finley and Gulshan Mehta performed the hooding, joined by Ludwick and UF President Emerita Katherine Fell. The ceremony drew literacy advocates and university leaders celebrating a partnership that has made Ohio a national model for early-childhood reading.
The honor caps a years-long effort supporters say has reached hundreds of thousands of Ohio families. University officials said the doctorate recognizes not just a program, but a sustained push to make reading a birthright for every Ohio child.
