Ohio State Highway Patrol -- History

Colonel George Mingle was born August 16, 1899, in Sweetser, Indiana. Educated in Michigan, Col. Mingle progressed through the 11th grade before entering the U. S. Navy where he served five years and attained to the rank of gunner's mate 2nd class.

Shortly after the world war, Colonel Mingle moved to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where he later served as a deputy sheriff and ran an unsuccessful campaign for the sheriff's position in the mid-1920s. Colonel Mingle submitted his application for the new Ohio State Highway Patrol on April 13, 1933. Five months later, the five-foot, eight-inch recruit entered training at Camp Perry to become one of the original 60 Highway Patrolmen.

Colonel Mingle's early record is highly indicative of Col. Black's belief that no one should become too familiar in any particular area of the state. His first assignment was Ravenna, where he served about two and one-half months. He then served five days at Medina before taking the rank of lieutenant and transferring to the Sidney District Headquarters, where he remained for another two and one-half months. After that, he served three and one-half months at Findlay, then two months at Massillon, before transferring to Columbus in November 1934. The colonel once remarked that he might well have quit had he not been able to settle in Columbus with his wife and young son.

While at Columbus, Colonel Mingle progressed to Colonel Black's second-in-command at the ranks of captain and major-inspector. A proven officer early in his career, he was sent to Florida in the 1930s to assist in setting up a highway patrol using Ohio as a model.

Colonel Mingle assumed leadership of the Ohio Highway Patrol at a most trying time in division history. War needs had depleted the patrol's ranks to only 161 officers, hardly enough to keep up with legislated tasks and extra wartime duties. With the help of the newly-formed Highway Patrol Auxiliary, which Colonel Mingle was instrumental in forming, the division was able to meet its responsibilities until the war end and a rebuilding program was begun.

During Colonel Mingle's tenure as superintendent the 40-hour work week was established with compensatory time off for holidays worked; the division added aircraft to its enforcement efforts; the present 10-district jurisdictional structure was set up; and the Hartman Farm south of Columbus became the patrol's training academy for nearly 20 years.

Under Colonel Mingle's leadership the Highway Patrol successfully regained wartime personnel losses, began a program for constructing permanent division-owned post and district headquarters buildings, and established itself as one of the best rated and most effective traffic law enforcement agencies in the country. His contributions to the heritage of the Ohio State Highway Patrol are in evidence throughout the organization.

After his retirement in 1957, Colonel Mingle went on to serve as city manager in Portsmouth, Ohio, and later at Del Ray, Florida. He also worked as an investigator for former Ohio Attorney General William Saxbe.