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Former House Speaker William G. Batchelder III remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 1, 2022
Whether they knew him as a legislator in the Ohio House of Representatives or as a judge, colleagues of former Republican House Speaker William G. Batchelder III say he carried out his duties with integrity and demonstrated compassion toward those impacted by the outcomes.
Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Donna Carr described Batchelder as an “incredible individual,” with “a keen intellect” and “a wonderful sense of humor.”
The two served on the 9th District Court of Appeals together for about six years.
“As a judge, he took his role very seriously,” said Judge Carr. “He loved the Constitution and was very, very protective of people’s rights.”
Batchelder’s son William Batchelder IV echoed Carr’s sentiments.
“The two main things about my dad were that he was interested in everything and he liked helping people,” said his son William Batchelder IV, an associate professor of history at Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania.
“We had a house full of books on all types of subjects and he did not just read them; he applied what he learned in every area of his life.”
While Batchelder was passionate about public service, he was first and foremost a family man, said his daughter Elisabeth Akers.
“No matter how busy he was, he would make time to attend scouting events and ballet recitals,” said Akers. “He included us in everything he was doing. He took us to Columbus with him; let us join him on the House floor and let us help him vote.
“He was a good man, who believed strongly in family and faith and passed that on to his children,” said Akers. “He was very involved with his grandchildren and provided advice and encouragement to his children as parents and married couples.”
On Feb. 12, Batchelder passed away peacefully at Western Reserve Masonic Home in Medina after a long illness. He was 79.
“Dad was the type of person who felt good when everyone around him was doing better,” his son said. “He did not have an inflated opinion of himself. He felt it was the work and not who was doing it that was important.
“He encouraged his children to read big books on difficult subjects,” he said. “He would always say, ‘If you have a goal, you should push yourself to learn about it by reading and speaking with other people who are knowledgeable on the subject.’
“He loved history, especially Roman history, the American founding and medieval history and our family vacations almost always involved a visit to a historical site. He’s the reason I do what I do today. I am a medievalist by training.
“He was larger than life and it’s hard to wrap my mind around him not being here,” he added.
“One of things I remember most about Bill was his pleasant disposition,” said Judge Carr. “He was always in a good mood; you could hear him whistling down the hall or singing ‘Amazing Grace.’ He had a beautiful voice too.”
Born on Dec. 19, 1942, he was the eldest of the late Eleanor (Dice) and William G. Batchelder Jr.’s five children.
Batchelder grew up in the city of Medina, graduating from Medina High School in 1960.
He met his wife Judge Alice Moore Batchelder (now on senior status at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals) at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he majored in history. The two were married in August 1966 and had two children.
After earning his law degree at the institution now known as The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, he returned to Medina and joined the family law firm Williams and Batchelder.
Batchelder was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968, just months after filing to run for the Ohio House of Representatives.
While he was stationed at Fort McPherson in Georgia, his wife ran his campaign and after he was elected the Army gave him an honorable discharge, allowing him to take his seat as the freshman representative for Medina County. At the time of his swearing in, Batchelder was the youngest state representative in Ohio’s history.
“Serving in the Ohio House of Representatives and becoming speaker were childhood dreams of my dad’s and my mom was his greatest supporter,” said Akers. “When he was first elected, he promised her he would never cast a vote that was not based on principle and he never did.”
For the bulk of his nearly 40-year legislative career, Batchelder occupied a place in the Republican minority.
His daughter said her father was known for his “barn-burner” speeches and was a staunch advocate for limited government, low taxes, small business and pro-life causes.
He introduced and sponsored legislation banning partial-birth abortions and worked closely with the Diocese of Cleveland to create and implement school choice legislation, which ultimately led to an Ohio Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of school voucher programs.
During the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s, Batchelder worked closely with then Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste to draft complex legislation to remedy the situation. As it turned out, he did not vote for his own legislation after concluding it went against the free market principles he espoused.
Later, he successfully sponsored legislation for the elimination of the Ohio estate tax, established the Ohio National Guard Scholarship and instituted the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review to reduce bureaucracy in the state.
Always an advocate for the right of those in the minority to have their voices heard, in 1983 Batchelder appeared on the House floor wearing a dog muzzle after he was prohibited by the majority leadership from participating in debate on the floor.
Although he tackled many statewide issues, his daughter said he never forgot the community where he grew up, focusing on issues that improved opportunities for residents living in Medina County.
He played a key role in establishing the Joint Vocational School (now Medina County Career Center) and later worked to fund its fire tower. He also facilitated the location of the John W. Brown National Guard Armory in Medina County.
A champion for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Medina County Patrol Post was named in his honor upon his retirement.
“My dad was very involved in local organizations in Medina County,” said Akers. “He presented commendations at Eagle Scout courts of honor, attended church socials, kept in close touch with township trustees and clerks and listened to the concerns of the Farm Bureau and other groups.”
In 1998 Batchelder was elected to the Medina County Court of Common Pleas.
“Dad refused to be a full time legislator so he remained part of the family firm right up until he took the bench,” said Akers. “His favorite area of practice was probate law because it allowed him to work closely with his clients and get to know them.
“Despite all of his success, he was never caught up in himself. He was always driven by his desire to help people.”
Not long after taking his seat on the common pleas bench in 1999, Batchelder was appointed to the 9th District Court of Appeals by former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft. He was elected to the seat in November 2000.
During his time on the appellate bench, Batchelder was a visiting judge at the 5th, 8th and Eleventh districts and the Ohio Supreme Court. He also served as presiding judge at the 9th District.
“Bill was a very good presiding judge, who came up with a lot of great ideas,” said Judge Carr.
“During the time we were colleagues, my children were small and at Christmastime after I did my Black Friday shopping, Bill would let me hide my children’s toys in his closet,” said Judge Carr. “As they got older and I stopped doing that, he would jokingly ask if everything was alright at home because there were no toys in his closet. He was a lot of fun to be around.”
C. Michael Walsh, court administrator at the 9th District Court of Appeals said Batchelder was “a very thoughtful judge” who strove to achieve “just decisions.”
The two first met when Walsh was the assistant director for the legal clinic at The University of Akron School of Law.
“We had an internship program at the legal clinic and we placed a number of our law students at the court,” said Walsh. “Judge Batchelder was wonderful with our students. He enjoyed talking to them and sharing his experiences. What really stands out in my mind about Judge Batchelder is the way he could find and bring out the best in anyone.”
Later when the court administrator position became available Batchelder reached out to Walsh to let him know about it.
“I do not know what he saw in me that made him think I would be a good court administrator but I’m so blessed that he believed I could do the job,” said Walsh. “My only disappointment is that he retired from the bench shortly after I started.”
In 2006, Batchelder was re-elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, serving as chairman of the Insurance Committee (2007-2009) and later as the Minority Leader of the House Republican Caucus (2009-2010).
He spent his final four years in office (2011-2014) as Speaker of the House, only the second representative from Medina County to do so to date.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor worked closely with Batchelder during his time as House Speaker on issues related to the judiciary.
“Bill was very supportive of the judiciary,” said Justice O’Connor. “He was a pleasure to work with and converse with. Anytime you spoke with Bill, it was a collegial experience even if he did not agree with you.
“He was a decent man and a very successful lawyer, who had a passion for public service.”
Upon learning of Batchelder’s passing, Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) issued the following statement, which reads in part: “With a quick wit, a brilliant legal mind, and deep institutional knowledge, Speaker Batchelder was a skilled legislator and persuasive orator. He knew both the process and the art of law making. He had deep faith in our country and its citizens, great reverence for our Constitution and unwavering respect for the rule of law…
“Whether he was working in the ‘People’s House’ to solve the great challenges of the day or in mentoring a new legislator or young staffer, his impact was positive and lasting. He was a compelling role model. Friendly and approachable, he regarded legislative colleagues as his brothers and sisters, his staff like his family. He worked hard to maintain honest, fair relationships with members from across the aisle and with Ohioans from all stations of life.
“Through the laws he authored, the relationships he built, and the friendships he sustained, he has left an indelible mark on the history of the Ohio House of Representatives and the State of Ohio.”
After leaving the House for the second time, Batchelder served on the board of JobsOhio, a project he envisioned and initiated while Speaker. He was also on the boards of the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University and Western Reserve Historical Society.
He served as The Edwin Meese III Distinguished Fellow at The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational think tank whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.
In a press release, Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute stated, “Ohio Speaker William G. Batchelder III graced all of us with his insight, wit, and leadership as the standard bearer of intellectual and personal integrity and he embodied conservative principles in action.”
“You meet very few people who accomplish the difficult goal they set out to achieve in childhood,” said William IV. “Even fewer do so while still managing to prioritize family, friends and colleagues. Dad did all of that while maintaining his principles; his was a life well lived.”
A funeral service was held for Batchelder on Feb. 18, followed by interment at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Batchelder is survived by his wife Alice; children William (Xela) Batchelder IV of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and Elisabeth (Matthew) Akers of Doylestown, Ohio; grandchildren Eilidh, Sophie, William V and James Batchelder and Eleanor, Matthew, Bethany and Mary Ruth Akers; his siblings Barbara Massie, Drew Batchelder, Kathryn Cashman and John Batchelder as well as cousins, uncles and other extended family members.