Charles J. Reymann Scholar

Charles J. Reymann was born in 1936 in Akron, Ohio, the fourth child of Charles P. and Mary Reymann. It was obvious early in Charles’ life that he was a born leader. He served as president of both his eighth-grade and senior high school classes at St. Sebastian Grade School and St. Vincent High School in Akron. He also excelled in football at St. Vincent High School and became an excellent swimmer and scuba diver. In 1957, he married the great love of his life, Charlene Ochs. In 1959 their daughter, Elizabeth, the first of three children, was born while Charles was a student at the University of Notre Dame.

During his years at the University of Notre Dame, Charles worked in a South Bend steel mill. In 1960, he received a Juris Doctorate from the Law School at Notre Dame. Upon passing the bar examination, Charles went into private practice in Akron, first with Gene Salem and later with Robert Linton. Charles and Linton later merged their law firm with the law firm of Slabaugh, Walker, Pflueger, Roderick and Myers. In addition to helping many people in his practice of law, Charles did a great deal of charity work. During the years that Charles practiced law, he and Charlene were blessed with two sons, Charles IV and John.

In 1967, Charles and his cousin, Gilbert Reymann Jr., founded the Reymann Foundation with Charles laying the legal groundwork. The Foundation is a charitable foundation named for Charles’ and Gilbert’s grandparents, Charles and Salome Reymann. Among other things, the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation sponsors group homes for the mentally challenged and also awards scholarships in the field of special education at The University of Akron.

For several years, Charles served as a member of the Atlantic Foundry Company board of directors. In the year before his death, 1976, he ascended to the vice presidency of the company. He was very active in his church, finding time to teach in the parish school of religion and serving in the religious retreat movement. He was a humanitarian, a community leader, and regarded by his colleagues as an overall outstanding individual. He had a great love of adventure and the outdoors, which no doubt lead to his untimely death while duck hunting at the age of 41.

Following Charles’ death, the Reymann family and Foundation saw fit to establish The Charles J. Reymann Scholar award in the special education department to honor his life and his good works.

The Charles J. Reymann Scholar fund was established in 1979 by the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation in loving memory of Charles J. Reymann, who was an Akron community business leader and devoted family man. This educational fund provides a special grant to an outstanding special education major student who is desirous of pursuing graduate study or further enrichment in service to special education. Election of The Charles J. Reymann Scholar is made by the Scholarship Committee for the College of Education.

In addition to its financial provision, the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation will fund an appropriate plaque to which will be affixed engraved plates bearing the names of Charles J. Reymann Scholars. The plaque will be placed in a conspicuous location in the College.