In 1939, at the age of 25, an African-American named Sanford Roan decided to apply to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He had assurances from many in important organizations, including Ohio Governor John Bricker, that the state was eager to hire men of color to various positions. But despite his qualifications, Roan's efforts to join the Patrol in 1940 were met with much opposition within the Division.

During the training, reports were made in newspapers throughout the state that he was made to eat by himself, away from the rest of the class, and other instances of being treated badly. The final straw came, though, after the boxing portion of the training, according to this newspaper account:

"'During the self-defense class, which is held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.,' Roan said 'part of the routine is the sparring bouts that are held daily where the

students usually box in three minute periods. I was given several men to spar with for these periods and then when I almost reached the point of exhaustion, I was matched with a 200-pounder who attempted to make a fight of it,' he continued.

Roan received stitches at a local hospital and resigned from training, despite pleas from many for him to return to the Patrol. Despite its promise to Roan, the governor's office put off making any decisions until after Gov. Bricker's re-election, then ignored Roan's pleas all together.

Nevertheless, after his experience with the Division, Roan became a successful entrepreneur and family man. He married his sweetheart, Lucile Penn Johnson, March 1, 1941, and some years later added two children, Kay and Gary, According to Kay, her father and mother heavily emphasized education for their children - both had college degrees.

Kay said her father never talked about what happened to him during his time at the Patrol's Training Academy. Although she believes it affected him deeply, she points out that he moved on to become a successful businessman in Columbus until his death in July 1965.

Like the Roan family, there have been many who sacrificed and suffered to better the lives for those who followed. Motivating these leaders were characteristics like civic pride, patriotism, pride in family and heritage, and fortitude to overcome obstacles.

In 2009, the number of sworn Patrol personnel belonging to minority groups is about 15 percent of about 1,500 officers, and the atmosphere within the Division is very different than that of 1940. Today, recruitment of minority officers is a focus of the Office of Training, Selection & Standards.

These and others were able to serve with the Patrol as as a result of those like Sanford Roan, who spoke out for the rights of individuals of all races. Roan passed this legacy onto his children, as well. Both of Roan's children continue the family tradition of success - both are college graduates and have successful careers.

REFERENCE INFORMATION
Reels of microfilm, one of which contains Roan's letter to Pres. Roosevelt, the U.S. Attorney General's response, and several articles regarding Roan's unfortunate experiences with the Ohio State Highway Patrol are recorded as a part of the "U.S. Department of Justice Classified Subject Files on Civil Rights, 1914-1949 (ISBN 978-0-88692-765-3)." These reels are a collection mainly of letters to the President written by citizens against the practice of lynching. A large group of the documents deal with the case of the Scottsboro Boys, and others include subjects like the lynching of Claude Neal, race riots, and other civil rights violations. The collection is owned by Lexis-Nexis and are available only four places in the United States (according to State of Ohio Library information as of November 2009): Lexis-Nexis (Bethesda, Maryland); John Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland); a library in Iowa; and The Library of Congress, (Washington, D.C.).