Michael J. Dorrian, who helped change the Columbus skyline as much as any other public official, died yesterday of cancer. He was 61.
Dorrian, who operated a real estate business, left public life in December 1989 when he retired as executive director of the Ohio Building Authority.
Previously, he was a Franklin County commissioner for 15 years. Before that, he was assistant Columbus safety director in the administration of the late M.E. Sensenbrenner for five years.
Dorrian ran unsuccessfully for Columbus mayor in 1983 and for Ohio lieutenant governor in 1978. But from 1968 to 1980, he was one of the most successful vote-getters in Franklin County.
He was the son of a meatpacker-grocer. His family moved to Columbus from Wheeling, W.Va., in 1937.
Dorrian first learned about politics as a youngster on the West Side.
"My best friend was the son of the ward committeeman," Dorrian once said. "Every election, he had to pass out literature before he could play. I helped him so he could get finished faster."
Dorrian graduated from Holy Family High School in 1948 and was named that year's Agonis scholar-athlete.
He studied accounting at Franklin University part time in 1949 and was drafted into the Army, serving from 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War.
After his discharge, he returned to Columbus and resumed studies, this time at Ohio State University. He left in 1954 after buying a construction company.
His younger brother, Hugh, was an employee. Hugh, a certified public accountant, has been Columbus city auditor since September 1969.
In 1963, Sensenbrenner asked Michael Dorrian to head the Building Regulations and Housing Inspection Division in the Safety Department.
"I was sort of an urban affairs guy," Dorrian once said. "I was the one responsible for going out in the streets and listening to problems the people had."
It was his "in-the-street" exposure that prompted him to run for county commissioner in 1968. He and fellow Democrat Harold M. Cooper won two of the three seats in what Dorrian called a "mild upset." They defeated Republicans Jacob A. Shawan and Henry A. Koontz.
Dorrian took a lead role in several major projects during his tenure.
The commissioners built jails, the Hall of Justice and Municipal Courts building, a 1,000-car parking garage, additions to Alum Crest nursing home, the Human Services headquarters, three schools for the mentally retarded, two mental health institutions and the county's animal shelter.
Dorrian and Cooper also led the rebuilding of Cooper Stadium, returning professional baseball to Columbus in 1977 after a six-year absence.
At the Ohio Building Authority, which finances state offices and prisons, Dorrian handled financing and construction of the Riffe Center at 77 S. High St., a $130 million project.
Dorrian said upgrading Alum Crest, the county home, to a certified nursing home was one of his proudest achievements.
During his tenure as commissioner, the county was also involved in establishing the Central Ohio Transit Authority and building the Ohio Center.
"The Ohio Center was something this city desperately needed," Dorrian once said.
"I'll tell you one thing: The time also will soon come when we will need to build a Downtown arena, seating about 18,000 people," he said in an interview in 1983.
An avid sportsman, Dorrian was most active in golf and baseball.
He served on many civic boards and commissions, including the Health Coalition of Central Ohio. The coalition plans to issue an annual Michael J. Dorrian Community Health Service Award, beginning this summer.
Dorrian is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, Anne, Beth, Michael and Joseph; and two grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Maeder-Quint-Tiberi Funeral Home, 1068 S. High St. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1088 Thomas Lane. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery .
Hugh Dorrian said his brother told him about a month ago to send the body to Maeder-Quint because when Mike Dorrian "was down and out and flat broke (as a contractor), Maeder-Quint gave him a contract to build a new front to their building."
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
Date: June 7, 1992
Dorrian, who operated a real estate business, left public life in December 1989 when he retired as executive director of the Ohio Building Authority.
Previously, he was a Franklin County commissioner for 15 years. Before that, he was assistant Columbus safety director in the administration of the late M.E. Sensenbrenner for five years.
Dorrian ran unsuccessfully for Columbus mayor in 1983 and for Ohio lieutenant governor in 1978. But from 1968 to 1980, he was one of the most successful vote-getters in Franklin County.
He was the son of a meatpacker-grocer. His family moved to Columbus from Wheeling, W.Va., in 1937.
Dorrian first learned about politics as a youngster on the West Side.
"My best friend was the son of the ward committeeman," Dorrian once said. "Every election, he had to pass out literature before he could play. I helped him so he could get finished faster."
Dorrian graduated from Holy Family High School in 1948 and was named that year's Agonis scholar-athlete.
He studied accounting at Franklin University part time in 1949 and was drafted into the Army, serving from 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War.
After his discharge, he returned to Columbus and resumed studies, this time at Ohio State University. He left in 1954 after buying a construction company.
His younger brother, Hugh, was an employee. Hugh, a certified public accountant, has been Columbus city auditor since September 1969.
In 1963, Sensenbrenner asked Michael Dorrian to head the Building Regulations and Housing Inspection Division in the Safety Department.
"I was sort of an urban affairs guy," Dorrian once said. "I was the one responsible for going out in the streets and listening to problems the people had."
It was his "in-the-street" exposure that prompted him to run for county commissioner in 1968. He and fellow Democrat Harold M. Cooper won two of the three seats in what Dorrian called a "mild upset." They defeated Republicans Jacob A. Shawan and Henry A. Koontz.
Dorrian took a lead role in several major projects during his tenure.
The commissioners built jails, the Hall of Justice and Municipal Courts building, a 1,000-car parking garage, additions to Alum Crest nursing home, the Human Services headquarters, three schools for the mentally retarded, two mental health institutions and the county's animal shelter.
Dorrian and Cooper also led the rebuilding of Cooper Stadium, returning professional baseball to Columbus in 1977 after a six-year absence.
At the Ohio Building Authority, which finances state offices and prisons, Dorrian handled financing and construction of the Riffe Center at 77 S. High St., a $130 million project.
Dorrian said upgrading Alum Crest, the county home, to a certified nursing home was one of his proudest achievements.
During his tenure as commissioner, the county was also involved in establishing the Central Ohio Transit Authority and building the Ohio Center.
"The Ohio Center was something this city desperately needed," Dorrian once said.
"I'll tell you one thing: The time also will soon come when we will need to build a Downtown arena, seating about 18,000 people," he said in an interview in 1983.
An avid sportsman, Dorrian was most active in golf and baseball.
He served on many civic boards and commissions, including the Health Coalition of Central Ohio. The coalition plans to issue an annual Michael J. Dorrian Community Health Service Award, beginning this summer.
Dorrian is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, Anne, Beth, Michael and Joseph; and two grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Maeder-Quint-Tiberi Funeral Home, 1068 S. High St. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1088 Thomas Lane. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery .
Hugh Dorrian said his brother told him about a month ago to send the body to Maeder-Quint because when Mike Dorrian "was down and out and flat broke (as a contractor), Maeder-Quint gave him a contract to build a new front to their building."
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
Date: June 7, 1992
Michael J. Dorrian, who helped change the Columbus skyline as much as any other public official, died yesterday of cancer. He was 61.
Dorrian, who operated a real estate business, left public life in December 1989 when he retired as executive director of the Ohio Building Authority.
Previously, he was a Franklin County commissioner for 15 years. Before that, he was assistant Columbus safety director in the administration of the late M.E. Sensenbrenner for five years.
Dorrian ran unsuccessfully for Columbus mayor in 1983 and for Ohio lieutenant governor in 1978. But from 1968 to 1980, he was one of the most successful vote-getters in Franklin County.
He was the son of a meatpacker-grocer. His family moved to Columbus from Wheeling, W.Va., in 1937.
Dorrian first learned about politics as a youngster on the West Side.
"My best friend was the son of the ward committeeman," Dorrian once said. "Every election, he had to pass out literature before he could play. I helped him so he could get finished faster."
Dorrian graduated from Holy Family High School in 1948 and was named that year's Agonis scholar-athlete.
He studied accounting at Franklin University part time in 1949 and was drafted into the Army, serving from 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War.
After his discharge, he returned to Columbus and resumed studies, this time at Ohio State University. He left in 1954 after buying a construction company.
His younger brother, Hugh, was an employee. Hugh, a certified public accountant, has been Columbus city auditor since September 1969.
In 1963, Sensenbrenner asked Michael Dorrian to head the Building Regulations and Housing Inspection Division in the Safety Department.
"I was sort of an urban affairs guy," Dorrian once said. "I was the one responsible for going out in the streets and listening to problems the people had."
It was his "in-the-street" exposure that prompted him to run for county commissioner in 1968. He and fellow Democrat Harold M. Cooper won two of the three seats in what Dorrian called a "mild upset." They defeated Republicans Jacob A. Shawan and Henry A. Koontz.
Dorrian took a lead role in several major projects during his tenure.
The commissioners built jails, the Hall of Justice and Municipal Courts building, a 1,000-car parking garage, additions to Alum Crest nursing home, the Human Services headquarters, three schools for the mentally retarded, two mental health institutions and the county's animal shelter.
Dorrian and Cooper also led the rebuilding of Cooper Stadium, returning professional baseball to Columbus in 1977 after a six-year absence.
At the Ohio Building Authority, which finances state offices and prisons, Dorrian handled financing and construction of the Riffe Center at 77 S. High St., a $130 million project.
Dorrian said upgrading Alum Crest, the county home, to a certified nursing home was one of his proudest achievements.
During his tenure as commissioner, the county was also involved in establishing the Central Ohio Transit Authority and building the Ohio Center.
"The Ohio Center was something this city desperately needed," Dorrian once said.
"I'll tell you one thing: The time also will soon come when we will need to build a Downtown arena, seating about 18,000 people," he said in an interview in 1983.
An avid sportsman, Dorrian was most active in golf and baseball.
He served on many civic boards and commissions, including the Health Coalition of Central Ohio. The coalition plans to issue an annual Michael J. Dorrian Community Health Service Award, beginning this summer.
Dorrian is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, Anne, Beth, Michael and Joseph; and two grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Maeder-Quint-Tiberi Funeral Home, 1068 S. High St. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1088 Thomas Lane. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery .
Hugh Dorrian said his brother told him about a month ago to send the body to Maeder-Quint because when Mike Dorrian "was down and out and flat broke (as a contractor), Maeder-Quint gave him a contract to build a new front to their building."
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
Date: June 7, 1992
Dorrian, who operated a real estate business, left public life in December 1989 when he retired as executive director of the Ohio Building Authority.
Previously, he was a Franklin County commissioner for 15 years. Before that, he was assistant Columbus safety director in the administration of the late M.E. Sensenbrenner for five years.
Dorrian ran unsuccessfully for Columbus mayor in 1983 and for Ohio lieutenant governor in 1978. But from 1968 to 1980, he was one of the most successful vote-getters in Franklin County.
He was the son of a meatpacker-grocer. His family moved to Columbus from Wheeling, W.Va., in 1937.
Dorrian first learned about politics as a youngster on the West Side.
"My best friend was the son of the ward committeeman," Dorrian once said. "Every election, he had to pass out literature before he could play. I helped him so he could get finished faster."
Dorrian graduated from Holy Family High School in 1948 and was named that year's Agonis scholar-athlete.
He studied accounting at Franklin University part time in 1949 and was drafted into the Army, serving from 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War.
After his discharge, he returned to Columbus and resumed studies, this time at Ohio State University. He left in 1954 after buying a construction company.
His younger brother, Hugh, was an employee. Hugh, a certified public accountant, has been Columbus city auditor since September 1969.
In 1963, Sensenbrenner asked Michael Dorrian to head the Building Regulations and Housing Inspection Division in the Safety Department.
"I was sort of an urban affairs guy," Dorrian once said. "I was the one responsible for going out in the streets and listening to problems the people had."
It was his "in-the-street" exposure that prompted him to run for county commissioner in 1968. He and fellow Democrat Harold M. Cooper won two of the three seats in what Dorrian called a "mild upset." They defeated Republicans Jacob A. Shawan and Henry A. Koontz.
Dorrian took a lead role in several major projects during his tenure.
The commissioners built jails, the Hall of Justice and Municipal Courts building, a 1,000-car parking garage, additions to Alum Crest nursing home, the Human Services headquarters, three schools for the mentally retarded, two mental health institutions and the county's animal shelter.
Dorrian and Cooper also led the rebuilding of Cooper Stadium, returning professional baseball to Columbus in 1977 after a six-year absence.
At the Ohio Building Authority, which finances state offices and prisons, Dorrian handled financing and construction of the Riffe Center at 77 S. High St., a $130 million project.
Dorrian said upgrading Alum Crest, the county home, to a certified nursing home was one of his proudest achievements.
During his tenure as commissioner, the county was also involved in establishing the Central Ohio Transit Authority and building the Ohio Center.
"The Ohio Center was something this city desperately needed," Dorrian once said.
"I'll tell you one thing: The time also will soon come when we will need to build a Downtown arena, seating about 18,000 people," he said in an interview in 1983.
An avid sportsman, Dorrian was most active in golf and baseball.
He served on many civic boards and commissions, including the Health Coalition of Central Ohio. The coalition plans to issue an annual Michael J. Dorrian Community Health Service Award, beginning this summer.
Dorrian is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, Anne, Beth, Michael and Joseph; and two grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Maeder-Quint-Tiberi Funeral Home, 1068 S. High St. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1088 Thomas Lane. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery .
Hugh Dorrian said his brother told him about a month ago to send the body to Maeder-Quint because when Mike Dorrian "was down and out and flat broke (as a contractor), Maeder-Quint gave him a contract to build a new front to their building."
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
Date: June 7, 1992
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