The City of Upper Arlington and the Upper Arlington Historical Society will hold the “2020” Wall of Honor Ceremony at 3 pm, Sunday, June 6, 2021 at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road. Considerate of COVID protocols, this is an invitation-only event.
To be considered for the Wall of Honor, a person must meet three criteria: He or she must be deceased; must have lived in Upper Arlington for part of his/her life; and must have made a significant contribution to the city, the state and/or the nation. Honorees are recognized via permanent bronze plaques on the “Wall of Honor” located on the plaza in front of the Municipal Services Center.
Our 2020 Inductees:
The City and UA Historical Society are pleased to announce that Kenneth (Ken) Thompson and Linda Gold Readey has been selected for induction onto the Wall of Honor in 2020; due to the pandemic, the ceremony has been rescheduled for 2021.
As the City’s first Parks & Recreation Director and over his 26-year tenure, Ken Thompson nurtured and expanded the parks network, amenities and offerings, with much of his legacy still enjoyed by residents today. He led efforts to develop Fancyburg, Northwest and Lane Road parks. Notable programming accomplishments included formation of the Senior Center; the Northam Park clay tennis courts; cooperative efforts with the Schools to assume management and ultimately ownership of the community’s three outdoor pools; formation of the Cultural Arts Commission; development of street tree legislation and the formation of a parks & forestry program; and the launch of the first Therapeutic Recreation Program in Central Ohio.
UA was fortunate that Linda Readey brought her light to our community. As the founding Executive Director for the UA Community Foundation, Linda put in place a framework that made the foundation’s first major gift — the Amelita Mirolo Barn at Sunny 95 Park — possible. Linda had a long and distinguished record of service to the community. She served two terms on the Board of Education, was a Leadership UA graduate, a member of the Upper Arlington Rotary Club, Director of Promote UA, and a Board member for First Community Church.
Note about 2021: Since the 2020 induction ceremony was delayed, then ultimately cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will now honor the 2020 inductees – Ken Thompson and Linda Readey — on June 6, 2021. We hope to resume our regular nomination process next fall.