Founded by Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes in 1966 during a ceremony at the Perry Monument at Put-In Bay, the Association of Ohio Commodores has been in existence for over 46 years. Named for the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, Governor Rhodes established the Executive Order of the Ohio Commodores (which encompasses membership in the Association) to honor 60 Ohio businessmen who accompanied him on Ohio’s first international trade mission. Since then, over 300 men and women have been appointed to the Executive Order of the Ohio Commodore as recognition of their contributions to economic development in their communities, and to the State of Ohio.