Tessa Sweazy Webb-Founder of Ohio Poetry Day

Side A: Born in 1886 on a farm near Logan, Tessa Sweazy Webb was a teacher at the Hocking County Children’s Home where she began writing poetry. By 1924 she had become well known across the state and nation for her published works. Under Webb’s successful leadership and effort, the Ohio legislature passed a resolution in 1938 calling for an annual state observance of Ohio Poetry Day. Webb’s work in Ohio was responsible for all fifty states observing Poetry Day. She received the Ohioana Award in 1942 for Window by the Sea, chosen as the best book of verse by an Ohio poet. In 1961, the Ohioana Library issued a citation citing her devotion to making Ohioans aware of Ohio Poetry Day. Webb died in 1979 in Logan at the age of 93. Side B: Same