Frank B. Sollars

Inducted: 1989

Frank B. Sollars served humanity worldwide by his devotion to encouraging and promoting the use of cooperatives by all people and all organizations. His outstanding leadership at local, regional, national, and international levels has greatly strengthened and expanded the usefulness of cooperatives. He served as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, on the board of directors of his regional cooperative, and as chair of both the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and the National Cooperative Business Association. He sparked and led the efforts to establish the National Cooperative Bank, defended it from early attackers and, as its chair for nine years, led it to the important place it holds in the cooperative community. Sollars has always promoted cooperatives in all of his contacts, including those with the International Cooperative Alliance. Hosting cooperators from around the world at his farm in Ohio, Frank has made international cooperation a practical reality.