Who was James Preston Poindexter?
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An 1887 portrait of the Rev. James Preston Poindexter, from "Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising" by William J. Simmons. Photo: Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images
The namesake of Columbus' newest museum was an "exceptional leader" who built "a progressive legacy in Columbus," per a sign outside the building.
Catch up quick: The Rev. James Preston Poindexter was born in Richmond in 1819 and moved to Columbus in 1838.
- He's known for being a longtime Baptist pastor and Underground Railroad conductor, but his impressive resume doesn't stop there.
Zoom in: Poindexter was elected our city's first Black city council member in 1880 and first Black school board member in 1884.
- He advocated for integrated classrooms and equal opportunities for Black students and teachers many decades before systemic desegregation.
The intrigue: Also an entrepreneur who owned a barbershop across from the Statehouse, Poindexter was "a barber to all, from presidents to Pullman porters."
Later, he became a trustee for the state School for the Blind and for Wilberforce University, a historically Black university near Dayton.
- He was also a delegate to the 1876 Republican National Convention and a respected writer for the Ohio State Journal.
Poindexter lived to be 87. He died in 1907 and is buried at Green Lawn Cemetery.
- His last words, reportedly: "I have served God, my country and mankind to the best of my ability."