About Us

History

The Foundation for Ohio River Education is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. We were originally founded in 2003 as the ORSANCO Educational Foundation under the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO).

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) was established on June 30, 1948 to control and abate pollution in the Ohio River Basin. ORSANCO is an interstate commission representing eight states and the federal government. Member states include: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The birth of our organization truly began with the purchase of the PA Denny - an historic sternwheel paddleboat. This vessel was built in 1930 in Charleston, WV as a towboat (called the Scott) for the Louisville District Army Corp of Engineers. In 1954, the Scott was sold to Howard Powell and moved to Guntersville, AL.

19 years later (1973), the Scott was purchased by Pete Denny, who took her back to West Virginia and began transforming her into an excursion boat. When Pete passed away in 1975, a good friend and philanthropist named Lawson Hamilton became the new owner. He changed the name from the Scott to the PA Denny in honor of his friend and finished renovating her into a sternwheeler. The PA Denny then traveled as an excursion boat on the Kanawha River in Charleston, WV, until 2003.

In 2004, the PA Denny was purchased by the Foundation for Ohio River Education and brought to her current home in Newport, KY, where she was transformed from an excursion boat to a floating classroom. Today, the PA Denny contains four fully-equipped science stations. Educational voyages for Greater Cincinnati area students began in 2005 with the launch of our high school program, and continue today.

Lawson Hamilton, who passed away in November of 2007, was so impressed with the success of the PA Denny as a "river lab" that he forgave FORE's remaining debt on the vessel. His generosity is greatly appreciated!

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