An open letter to Bill Grimes: Wheeling Hall of Famer

Dear Mr. Grimes,
While listening to your bracing remarks at last night’s Wheeling Hall of Fame induction ceremony, there were moments when I found myself thinking, “Doesn’t this guy realize we already know that?” I’m thinking specifically of your observations concerning Wheeling’s economic decline and your suggestion that recognition of the kind extended by the Hall of Fame might be more usefully and appropriately given to people who stay in the community and whose achievements, or in the case of young folks, potential achievements benefit Wheeling as well as themselves.

I’ll come back to the subject of whom and what we should recognize in a moment, but first I’d like to comment on the forces that landed Wheeling in its present state of distress.

In the late sixties, when I was a teenager, the steel and coal industries were already faltering and other economic forces that would eventually undercut Wheeling’s economy and population were advancing. But, at the time the outward symptoms were mild and none of Wheeling’s vital organs had failed. Then the city’s leadership made a fateful decision. The Downtown Wheeling Associates – the local assemblage of retail business owners – and the City Council decided to resist the development of a shopping mall in the county outside of Wheeling. As a result, the mall went to St. Clairsville, Ohio and, in a comparative moment, Wheeling ceased to be the retail hub of the valley.

It’s an oversimplification to say that Wheeling’s decision to fight the mall was by itself the cause of the city’s decline. Wheeling would have faced immense challenges in any case. But, the city at least would have retained its status as the retail center of the valley. Prosperity would have diminished, but Wheeling's role in the valley might not have.

In a way, it’s unfair that a place should suffer so because of one bad decision. Bigger cities such as Pittsburgh made bushels of equally bad choices, which among other things resulted in that city living in a state of virtual bankruptcy for the better part of three decades even while its downtown gleamed. But Pittsburgh had a vibrant educational and cultural infrastructure and, as importantly, it had the headquarters of companies such as Heinz, PPG, and PNC that continued channeling revenue to Pittsburgh’s metropolitan area from more prosperous parts of the country and the world even during the downturn. Wheeling did not.

Lacking Pittsburgh’s critical mass and the tentacles to reach into other regions, Wheeling didn’t have the same margin for error. It’s an affliction common to small and mid-sized cities whose economies are not well diversified. Before the bio-tech rebound of the 1980’s, the diverse city of Boston struggled but survived while less diversified surrounding “mill towns” such as Lowell, Lawrence, and Fall River were devastated in much the way Wheeling is today. In short, although the severity of Wheeling’s decline wasn’t inevitable, neither is it inexplicable or even unusual.

That brings us to today and your suggestions concerning the appropriate mission and role of the Wheeling Hall of Fame and of the community generally in turning this place around. First, I should acknowledge that, like you, I have not been a Wheeling resident since leaving for college thirty-five years ago and most of the benefits of my prosperity go to the community where I and my company are now located. Still, my ties to Wheeling are strong. My parents live there. In fact, my father, Hal O’Leary, was one of your fellow inductees at last night’s ceremony. So, although my use of the word “we” when referring to the Wheeling community is technically misplaced, it reflects the way I feel.

I agree with you that Wheeling should work assiduously to retain and attract talent by recognizing those whose efforts benefit the city or whose mere promise makes them potential benefactors of the city. But, I must also note that this already happens to a remarkable degree. A five thousand dollar gift to a charitable or civic organization that would earn no more than a listing on page 142 of someone’s annual report in larger cities, is front page news in Wheeling. The same goes for the professional, commercial, and cultural achievements of Wheeling residents pretty much from cradle to grave. But, recognition without opportunity doesn’t get you much.

What Wheeling and West Virginia lack are capital investment and career opportunities that would allow the city and state to retain its many talented high school and college graduates who must go elsewhere to find jobs in the fields in which they’ve been trained.

Both problems are exacerbated by the state’s lack of major population centers that make for desirable communities where companies can find skilled and educated workers. That’s why I would argue that the best and maybe even the necessary way for Wheeling and West Virginia to overcome these hurdles is to start consolidating educational, commercial, and cultural resources in its cities where critical mass can be achieved. As an example, I’ve suggested that both parties would benefit greatly if West Liberty State College (soon to be a university) and it’s three or four thousand students, faculty members, administrators, and workers would relocate to Wheeling where the school could occupy an urban campus.

The effect on Wheeling’s economy would be profound and positive as would the effect on the college’s accessibility and appeal to students both from the region and elsewhere. And, as importantly, the appeal and opportunity that Wheeling offers to workers and investors from outside the region would grow.

Would things of value be lost? Sure. But, prosperity is a game of tradeoffs in which we sacrifice something to acquire something else that we hope and believe will be of greater value in the long run. The same kinds of decisions will have to be made hundreds or thousands of times by the city and state if we’re to crawl out of our hole.

I’ll close simply by saying that I genuinely appreciate the carefully considered comments you sent for last night’s ceremony. They triggered in me and I’m sure a lot of the other folks serious reflection about the factors got Wheeling into its present state and the actions that we hope can get us out. I’m also sorry for this rambling note, but not very, because you inspired it. I don’t know how connected or disconnected you are from Wheeling at this point, but I hope you continue to take an interest, if only a rooting one, because your talents and accomplishments are impressive and, as a fellow emigrant from Wheeling, I can assure you that the place continues to take an interest in us. It’s the way Wheeling and its people are.

Sincerely,
Sean O’Leary