Nearly fifty years from his birth, Merle is joined at his swearing-in ceremony from one of his teachers from Conneaut High School. Fifty years ahead of her time, this unidentified teacher of Merle’s, lived to see one of her students - a great-great grandson of a former slave, ascend to one of the highest positions in the United States.

U.S. Representative, Charles Vanik can be seen in the middle of this photograph, wearing a bow tie.