Ohio Pen - City Inducts Five Champions into the Columbus Hall of Fame

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Mayor Andrew J. Ginther inducted the late Judge William H. Brooks, Barbara Fergus, the late Clarence Lumpkin, Rick Pfeiffer and the late Dr. Wilburn H. Weddington into the Columbus Hall of Fame on May 20, 2025.

The City of Columbus Hall of Fame honors outstanding individuals who, through exemplary accomplishments, have gained national recognition for themselves and have brought credit to this city.

A consummate civil servant and civil rights advocate, William Henry Brooks was a native of Columbus, Ohio, a graduate of East High School and The Ohio State University College of Law. Brooks began his legal career at a time when African Americans were denied opportunities in business, housing and professions. In addition to his many contributions to civic life in Columbus, Brooks maintained a part-time private law practice, often representing the underserved. He was the first African American to serve on the Franklin County Municipal Court.

Barbara K. Fergus has spent her life building — building businesses, building opportunities for women and girls, building a thriving arts and culture community, and building a future brighter than she found it. A pioneer in business, Barbara co-founded Midwestern Auto Group, helping establish it as the world's largest collection of European and luxury automobiles. Yet the true engine of her influence has always been her belief in people — and her unshakable conviction that leadership must be nurtured, broadened, and passed forward.

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Born in Nashville, Georgia in 1924, Clarence Lumpkin grew up in a time and place dominated by overt and oppressive racism. He never stopped fighting for social and racial justice. He joined the federal lawsuit to desegregate Columbus City Schools in 1978. He bent city leaders' ears until they separated storm and sanitation sewers and stopped flooding area basements. He nearly singlehandedly kept the proposed new highway – 670 – from splitting Linden in half as originally planned. And, while he never backed down from a worthy fight, he always argued his case respectfully and courteously.

Richard Pfeiffer was raised in Columbus. In 1982, Pfeiffer was elected to the Ohio Senate where he served for nine years until he was elected in 1991 as the first judge of the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court, a position he held for eleven years before becoming Columbus City Attorney. In November 2003, he was elected to finish an unexpired term. Subsequently, he was re-elected three times, with his last term ending December 31, 2017.

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Dr. Wilburn Harold Weddington, Sr., exhibited a lifelong dedication to education and community service. His most impactful work unfolded during his tenure as a family physician in Columbus, alongside his role as a faculty member at The Ohio State University Medical Center, becoming the first African American physician to achieve the rank of full professor at the medical school. He actively served the Near East Side community through his medical practice on Mt. Vernon Ave., where he delivered babies and supported families.

"We are delighted to induct these five Columbus champions into the Hall of Fame," said Mayor Ginther. "Each of them has contributed to the well-being, growth and diversity of our city. I cannot thank them enough for lifting up the City of Columbus and its residents."

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