Cincinnati History Maker: Dr Steven Reece Sr.
Dr. Steven Reece Sr. Cincinnati Trailblazer & Community Leader
Dr. Steven Reece Sr. Is a trailblazer and history maker. Dr. Reece was the first black chief of staff for Cincinnati’s first black Mayor -Theodore Berry. Dr. Reece has been a civil rights leader and work many national civil rights leaders and worked on the Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 campaigns.
Dr. Reece was the first only black to run for the state Chair of the Ohio Democrat Party and he ran for Congress in the first Congressional District. Dr. Steven Reece Sr. was elected statewide as the Most Worship Grand Master of the historic Prince Hall Masons of Ohio and is a member of Sinai Temple #59 Shriner. For 25 years, Dr. Steven Reece, Sr. was a college professor teaching Blacks In the Cities and Blacks In politics & government at the University of Cincinnati evening college. He has been entrepreneur and black business owner for over 50 years.
He developed and owned one of the largest commercial black owned buildings located in Bond Hill- Reece & Reece Executive Suites that he redeveloped into an entrepreneurship center for local black owned small businesses for 28 years. Dr. Reece owned Cincinnati’s first Black owned banquet & Conference Center called Integrity Hall Banquet & Conference which hosted over 3,000 events, wedding receptions, community events, 3 presidential candidates, and conferences. Dr. Reece started Cincinnati’s first ever traveling talent show and youth leadership and sports development organization called Operation StepUp after the riots in the 60’s.
He later started his owns record label where he produced Barbara Howard On the Rise album. Dr. Steven Reece received the highest the Cincinnati Advertising Clubs Lifetime Silver Medal award for being the first black person to serve on the advertising board and for his 50 year awarding winning advertising, promotions, consulting company; Communiplex Services which produced and televised HBCU Basketball Classic, UC Women’s Basketball, ground breaking ad campaigns hudepohl beer, Cincinnati Bell, Ohio Tourism and more. Dr. Reece was the first black boxing promoter in Cincinnati where he promoted Boxing Hall of Famer the late Aaron Pryor’s first 2 professional fights in Cincinnati’s Convention Center.
Dr. Steven Reece. Sr. has been a trailblazer in women sports as the founder of the Communiplex Women’s Sports Hall of Fame which he started at the advice of his friend the late Olympian Wilma Rudolph. Over 100 national women athletes from across the country were recognized on the televised award ceremony.
He was instrumental in bringing the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four to Cincinnati and his company sponsored Cincinnati’s first girls AAU teams which won the state championships back to back. Dr. Reece, Sr. is a man of faith and has a doctorate for Temple Bible College and serves as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and trustee at New Friendship Baptist. While he has so many historic accomplishment and has helped, hired, and mentored so many in the community, he is most proud of being a black father.
He is the father of Hamilton County Commission Vice President Alicia Reece, Florida State Championship Coach Steve Reece, Jr., and Tiffany Reece Stewart who is the Assistant Director for Cincinnati Recreation and the six grand children and one great grand daughter.
For more info Check out his documentary From the Bottom Up: The Dr. Steven Reece, Sr. Story
