One of the strongest and most outspoken advocates for St. Charles is Dr. Daniel L. Rankin III whose ties with the school began as a freshman in the fall of 1949. And today, 55 years later, Dan continues his loyal devotion to St. Charles as an active member of the school’s advisory board on which he has served since 1976. Early in his board membership, Dan applied his strength and energy to help steer St. Charles through lean financial times and low enrollment. He helped to restore financial stability enabling St. Charles to bolster its lofty status as one of Ohio’s premiere preparatory schools.

Even before he became a board member, Dan actively worked to help St. Charles regain enrollment that was lost in196l-1969 when, contrary to founding Bishop James J. Hartley’s strategic plan and policy, the school was restricted only to students who were interested in, or thinking about, becoming priests.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of several determined and distinguished alumni, St. Charles was reopened for general enrollment in the fall of 1969. But the school’s partial closure had left a sour taste among alumni and others. Rankin was among those who set about to repair the lingering damage. He and revered faculty member John Rectenwald undertook the tedious task of compiling an alumni mailing list, which had faded from sight because of long neglect. Their goal was to reach out to graduates to win their financial support for the school, which was confronted with grave financial problems. Among other things, “Doc,” as Rankin is widely known, organized several functions both at St. Charles and on his farm to regain alumni confidence to help rebuild enrollment, which in 1968 had plummeted to 65 from a high of 350 in 1961.

Dan in 1969 founded and was elected the first president of the St. Charles Booster Club to generate needed funds to provide equipment for the restored athletic program. Later, he served as co-chairman with the late Tom Keys ’34, sports editor of the former Columbus Citizen-Journal daily newspaper, in raising funds to build in 1983 the multi-purpose building as an addition to the campus gymnasium.

His proudest accomplishment, Dan said, was being a member of a three-man committee that in 1985 selected Dominic J. Cavello ’64 to be St. Charles principal. The first layman to hold that important position, Cavello is serving his 20th year as principal.

Dan graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 1959 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1961. He has a private dentistry practice in Hilliard, Ohio. Dan served more than 20 years on the board of ADD (Aid to the Developmentally Disabled). He is a member of St. Agatha Parish where he served as president of the Home School Association and was founder and president of the booster club.

Dan and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 47 years and have six children, including five sons who are St. Charles graduates. Their children are Peggy Wilamosky, Dan IV ’76, Mike ’77, Terry ’80, Tom ’82, and Tim ‘83. The Rankins have 19 grandchildren, two who graduated from St. Charles -- Dan V ‘96 and Michael ‘03, and one great-grandchild. Other Rankin family members who are St. Charles graduates include Robert Koerner ’58, a brother-in-law, and Robert J. Koerner ‘85, a nephew whose brother, Patrick, also attended St. Charles. There’s a possibility that Dan and Nancy soon could have five grandsons and two nephews attending St. Charles at the same time!

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