Our Origins: Eldon Ward

We have been retracing our roots to share our rich history. Since before the Civil War, Columbus mover E. E. Ward Moving & Storage has been providing relocation services to Columbus, Ohio. If you haven’t already, be sure to check-out our other origin stories on our blog.

Born in 1914, Ward was the grandson of William S. Ward, one of the initial founders of the Ward Transfer and Storage Line and witnessed some of the greatest advancements in history. He started in the business at the age of 5 when he would clean and feed the company horses and learned to drive the company truck at the age of 8. He graduated from the College of Business Administration of Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and transportation economics. In addition to his dedication to his career goals and community, he was also committed to physical fitness. In 1941, he was named Ohio’s champion weight lifter and held the Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky title.

He joined the family business in 1945. Eldon went on to own the business. Under his leadership, E. E. Ward Moving & Storage was decorated with numerous awards, including being named the oldest continuously-owned, minority-owned business in the United States. Ward earned the YMCA Service Award, the George Meaney Award, Jefferson Award, and the Defense Construction Supply Center Black History Award, along with dozens of other awards.

Perhaps our most decorated owner to date, Eldon Ward was sure to give back to his community. He served on more than 40 boards, including the United Way, the Columbus Foundation, and the American Red Cross. He was also president of the board of the Columbus YMCA. In the 1990s, Eldon was named the first black chairman of the Columbus Foundation. He and his wife, Elsie, established a fund with the Columbus Foundation that continues to give back to the Columbus community.

In 1991, Eldon was inducted into the Ohio Corporate Hall of Fame and the East Side YMCA was renamed The Eldon and Elsie Ward YMCA, in honor of the couple’s dedication to the YMCA. In 1996, he retired and moved to Arizona with Elsie.

With more than 50 years of service to E. E. Ward, we look towards Eldon with admiration and gratitude. His accomplishments are unparalleled. Eldon’s leadership made it possible for E. E. Ward to continue to grow and develop a great relationship with our community.