Virginia Oldham’s lifelong journey was an incredible inspiration considering the times in which she lived. She seized the opportunities that were given to her and successfully handled the challenges at a time when women weren’t taken into account in the workplace. Virginia lived her entire life in business.
Her first opportunity was at the young age of twelve when her grandfather, prominent lawyer David Oldham, bequeathed her 400 units of rentals, 387 acres of farm land, The Sidney Journal newspaper, and a law practice. The rentals and land became the basis for the Oldham Rentals business she would continue until her death.
Virginia excelled in school and continued her education after Sidney High School at The Ohio State University. She graduated in 1937 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Following college, Virginia returned to Sidney but attempted to enter the Women’s Air Corps to serve her country.
Destiny was going to find another way to tap her talents for her country when she submitted her application to Monarch Machine Tool Company. It was May of 1942, and the company’s president Wendell Whipp was faced with a labor shortage of men due to WWII. His bold solution was to break the gender barrier in factory work. With six years of college and a business background, Virginia was the perfect candidate and was selected as a supervisor or “dean” of women. In doing so, she had to enter a male- only environment to learn all aspects of the tool making process in order to train the new workers. She was the buffer between the women eager to help their country and the men who resisted women in any workplace, especially a factory. The program was a huge success, and in six months over 500 women drew a Monarch paycheck with equal numbers working all three shifts.
In 1948, following WWII, Virginia, along with others in Shelby County, participated in the Neighbors in Action program. She and her mother, Rose became sponsors and pen-pals to a German family by sending supplies and goods from America. She also demonstrated her leadership and service to the community as president of the Altrusa Club in 1948.
And once again, she entered into the primarily male- dominated arena by serving on the City Charter Commission to help write the Sidney City Charter. Virginia then logically stepped into the political arena and ran for Sidney Council beginning in 1955, a position she won for four terms. In 1961, she became the Vice Mayor of the City of Sidney. She received recognition by President Ronald Reagan for her many years of leadership within the Republican Party. Due to her perseverance, Virginia’s accomplished life and amazing journey of 89 years confirmed her to be an outstanding leader with great service to Sidney and Shelby County.