OHIO graduate Gary Nakamoto honored with Bobcat-adorned benches near Baker University Center

Three new bronze benches were dedicated in memory of OHIO alumnus Gary Nakamoto (BGS ’88) on Saturday, June 29. Adorned with bronze statues of life-sized bobcats, the benches stand outside lower Baker University Center, allowing students and visitors alike to enjoy both the playful sculptures and the view over the pond by Emeriti Park. 

Nakamoto was an avid supporter of the University. After graduating high school in Meigs County and attending OHIO, he launched a successful career in the technology sector in Washington, D.C. and served as an Ohio University Foundation Board Trustee (2009-2015). Nakamoto frequently visited Athens to participate in panel discussions, and hosted faculty and student events in his D.C. office. The Bobcat Benches illuminate his time spent with the University and the support that he offered to students and alumni. 

Jennifer Bowie, associate vice president of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and executive director of the Ohio University Alumni Association, shared her memories of Nakamoto, acknowledging his commitment to OHIO. 

“To say that Gary loved Ohio University doesn’t fully capture the depth of his commitment to this special place and to the larger OHIO community. A Meigs County native, he shared with me that he hadn’t thought of himself as a ‘serious student.’ A walk-on Bobcat football player and member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, Gary was an incredible example of how the complete Ohio University experience can shape a life,” Bowie said. “I believe a piece of Gary’s heart always lived in the rolling hills of Athens and Meigs counties and that for him, Ohio University felt like home.” 

The benches, sculpted by Alan Cottrill, were funded through the Gary Nakamoto Memorial Fund, begun by his wife Kelly Nakamoto, Dr. Michael Wells (BS ’88, DO ’93), and Jeff Sturgis (AAA ’88, BS ’88), and supported by friends and family. 

“Being from Meigs County, Gary loved Ohio University and Southeast Ohio,” said Wells, an OHIO graduate and close friend of Nakamoto. “Alan Cottrill captured Gary’s sense of campus involvement, dedication and his ability to always have fun. We want students, alumni and all who visit to enjoy the benches. Taking time to reflect, reminisce, and make more memories.”’

The Gary Nakamoto Memorial Fund now serves as a scholarship fund for students in Meigs County. Through this scholarship, Nakamoto’s passion for supporting students continues to thrive.

Cottrill, who is originally from Muskingum County and today has a well-known sculpture studio in Zanesville, studied at Ohio University Zanesville in the 1970s before successful careers as international entrepreneur and an artist. Today, Cottrill is one of the most prolific monumental figurative sculptors in the world, and his works are on display in his Zanesville studio and around the country, including his 7-foot-tall statue of Thomas Edison in the U.S. Capitol Building.

The Bobcat benches by Cottrill now welcome students and visitors to Ohio University, encouraging them to make the most of their time here. 

“It seems fitting to create a fun, light-hearted gathering place in Gary’s honor,” Bowie said. “I think he’d smile at the bronze statues of life-sized bobcats in various natural poses, nodding to not only OHIO’s mascot but a species native to this special region he called home. I hope everyone who visits continues to be inspired by Gary and the example he set for us all as a Bobcat.”