The OHSAA is an unincorporated,
non-profit organization founded in 1907. Members of the Western Ohio Superintendents' Round Table had frequently discussed the need of a central organization for high school athletics. In 1906 they passed a resolution to appoint a committee, headed by George R. Eastman, the first President of the Board of Control. The first OHSAA-sponsored state tournament, Track and Field, was held on May 23, 1908, at
Denison University.
Columbus North became the first state champions, finishing ahead of Dayton Steele. Prior to 1925, the Board of Control officers handled duties now associated with the Commissioner. In 1979, OHSAA adopted a bylaw prohibiting out-of-state students from competing in OHSAA-sponsored activities. This rule was affirmed by the
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1985 case
Alerding v. Ohio High School Athletic Association, regarding
St. Xavier High School students from Northern Kentucky.
Commissioners since 1925 • H.R. Townsend (1925–1944) • Harold Emswiler (1944–1958) • W.J. McConnell (1958–1963) • Paul E. Landis (1963–1969) • Harold A. Meyer (1969–1977) • George D. Bates (1977–1980) • Richard L. Armstrong (1980–1989) • Clair Muscaro (1990–2004) • Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D. (2004–2018) • Jerry Snodgrass (2018–2020) • Doug Ute (2020–present) ==OHSAA–sponsored sports tournaments==