We Seek the Threads that Connect the Past & Present to Inspire Others in Their Quests..
People travel great distances, make great sacrifices, and spend vast amounts of time and money searching for the answers to their questions. People from all over the world visit, call, or write to the Archive with questions about their relatives who lived in Stark County, to find a business that was once here, or to view the vast photograph collection. Everyone has a story, everyone has a question. We can help you…
Please visit our Submit Research Request page to begin your experience.
Below are the Biographies of the earnest researchers of the Ramsayer Research Library who give their time freely to people like you.
Judy (Cloud) Pocock
It is my great pleasure to help McKinley Presidential Library with research. I have been volunteering at the library for 15 years. My work began with researching and organizing the genealogies of President and Mrs. McKinley. I help with research on other genealogy questions, local history and organizing and maintaining our collections.
My other great historical pleasure is my work with the Plain Township Historical Society. After my retirement from teaching I became one of the founders of PTHS in 2005. I have served as an officer and librarian for them. We work on history and genealogy for Plain Township.
My husband and I raised, showed, and field-trialed bird dogs throughout our lives. We travelled a lot and had many exciting moments with this hobby.
Currently I take care of my remaining retired horse on my mini-farm. This allows me to contemplate historical and genealogical questions—often the answers find their way to me.
Tom Haas
Tom has lived in Stark County all of his life (except for 1 year in Florida and one summer in Cape Cod).
He graduated from high school in 1968 and from Ohio State University in
1972- B.A. History. He was appointed in 1975 at 25 as the Canton Bicentennial Director by Gervis Brady, Director of the Stark County Historical Center. Tom served during the years 1975 and 1976. Some of his most notable achievements during these years were to help organize a 1976 International Festival and to help organize a Historic Tour of Churches in downtown Canton
After the Bicentennial Year, Brady appointed Tom as the Education Director of the Historical Center.
In 1978 Tom accepted a job as an Account Executive at WHBC Radio, helping clients develop and implement marketing and advertising plans for their businesses. He thoroughly enjoyed the advertising business for the next 32 years.
Tom retired in 2010 and became a McKinley Presidential Library Researcher in 2014 (finally using his history degree).
Carol Krabill McAdow – Researcher, McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to employ my research skills and to enhance my love of history when addressing our many research requests. It is exciting to provide our clients information that they are seeking to answer a question regarding their life. I have been a lifelong voracious reader and history buff. I entered college at the age of thirty five with three children; a profoundly handicapped eight year old daughter, a six year old son, and a three year old daughter. I have often said that I entered college and forgot to quit earning an undergraduate degree and two graduate degrees.
Professionally, I spent forty years in the public schools as a 2nd grade teacher and later as a school psychologist. I retired two years ago from both public school and owner of Step Ahead Tutoring, a center specializing in reading disabilities; i.e. dyslexia. I am extremely grateful for having the opportunity to have been involved with children and to provide information to enhance self-validation.
Personally, I am the parent of three children; two daughters and a deceased son. I have three grandchildren who provide great joy in watching their sports activities especially baseball and learning from an extremely artistic granddaughter. I am a lifelong reader, love to garden, and watch the backyard creatures frolicking in my trees and flower beds.
It is exciting to be involved in the research process provided by the McKinley Presidential Library and provide clients information regarding their history or a particular event of interest to them. Research is like seeking puzzle pieces to complete the picture, an exciting experience and one of great satisfaction to assist people in discovering their history, thereby enriching their lives.
Gary Erdos was born in Akron, Ohio and grew up in Hudson living there until 1970. Then he relocated to Stark County and has resided there ever since.
Gary attended the University of Akron, majoring in Business Administration while also enlisting in the Ohio National Guard.
He became President of Norton Machine Company in 1977 and CEO of Benson Industries in 1983. He was elected President of Northampton Rotary Club from 1976-77 and was also a member of their Board of Directors from 1978-1982.
Gary was Vice President of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce and on their Board of Directors, being part of the Merger Study Committee to explore the annexation of North Hampton Township and the city of Cuyahoga Falls.
Living in Stark County, Gary joined Friends of Pathway, an organization that raises money for Pathway Caring for Children.
He has been involved in Genealogy for 45 years and a member of The Ohio Genealogical Society, doing volunteer work on the 1880 U.S. Census.
Retiring in 2008, Gary now has more time to spend on Genealogy, hiking and being with his wife and grandchildren. Working with the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum has been extremely rewarding.
Thomas E. Grove, Ph.D. – Researcher, McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
Thomas Grove’s primary research interests include regional prehistory and early post- contact history of Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Wayne and Carroll Counties. He is retired after many years of experience in hospital administration, manufacturing, higher education administration/ teaching and archeological work. He holds a bachelor degree in Sociology, graduate degrees in Counseling (M.Ed.) and Organizational Development and Change (Ed.S.) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Archaeology. His archaeological focus is on stone tools, geoarchaeology, zooarchaeology and species adaptation to climate change. In retirement, he is a writer, researcher, photographer, avid traveler and fisherman. He lives in Canton with his spouse Geri.
“ Why?” Because what you seek may be on the next page.
Ramsayer Research Center 