Emmett Conway Sr. Recognized with ODNR Hall of Fame Award

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Deputy Director and State Forester Robert Boyles recently presented the 2013 Hall of Fame award to Emmett Conway Sr.’s family at the Lake Hope State Park Dining Lodge in McArthur. Conway Sr., who passed away in 2009, was a pioneer in forestry throughout his professional life and an expert in regional Ohio history.

“Emmett’s commitment to forestry research and conservation throughout Ohio is unparalleled,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “He was a man of great vision and determination, and his efforts to understand and protect Ohio’s forests will continue to benefit Ohioans for countless generations.”

Emmett Conway Sr. recognized the importance of forestry research and conservation long before many in his field, and he worked tirelessly throughout his career to fulfill this need. His career began as a park forester in Youngstown, but he soon found a home in the vast forest lands of southeast Ohio and served as the forest ranger at Zaleski State Forest and Lake Hope Park, where he oversaw construction of Ohio’s first state park lodge.

“Emmett Conway Sr. continues to inspire foresters to this day,” said Boyles. “He single-handedly inventoried nearly 140,000 acres of state forest land by hiking more than 500 miles of timber inventory lines over the course of a year, and the data he collected more than 60 years ago is still being utilized by our foresters today.”

Conway eventually became superintendent of timberlands for D.B. Frampton and Company in McArthur, which at the time had the largest sawmill in Ohio and owned more than 75,000 acres of land. During his time at Frampton, Conway was instrumental in creating the Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest on 1,800 acres of Frampton property in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, which is now part of the Vinton Furnace State Forest. He started working at Ohio University in 1964, where he worked in research for industrial and tourism planning until he retired in 1976.

He was a lifelong member of the Ohio Forestry Association and was the founder and chairman of the first Paul Bunyan Show in McArthur in 1957. Conway founded the South Central Ohio Preservation Society (SCOPS) in 1966 and was an active tree farmer for 50 years. ODNR also previously recognized Conway as a Friend of the Forest, an award given to individuals who have made significant contributions to forestry.

The event honoring Conway for his efforts in conservation and preservation was hosted by SCOPS at Lake Hope State Park Dining Lodge in Vinton County. His six children attended the ceremony and accepted the Hall of Fame honor for their father.

Other notable recipients of the ODNR Hall of Fame award include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield, the legendary Johnny Appleseed, Ohio-born explorer John Wesley Powell, botanist Lucy Braun and farming conservation advocate Bob Evans.

The ODNR Hall of Fame awards program was established in 1966, and it is a top honor for individuals who have made significant contributions to preserving and protecting the state’s water, soil, woodlands, wildlife and mineral resources.