MOUNT VERNON — As the first anniversary of Karen Buchwald Wright’s death approaches, her influence remains deeply felt in Mount Vernon, throughout Knox County, across Ohio and around the nation.
Her love for this community — and the lasting impression she made through business leadership, civic commitment and personal generosity — continues to shape the place she called home.
A newly released book, Books and the Founding Fathers and Their Influence on America Today, adds to that remembrance with a chapter dedicated to Wright and her legacy.
Written by Dr. Timothy G. Nash, and Dr. George H. Nash, the chapter places her story among those of consequential American entrepreneurs whose vision and perseverance created an impact far beyond the companies they led.
“The first chapter in this section is the story of the preeminent American entrepreneur and billionaire, Karen Buchwald Wright, who, along with her father, established the Ariel Corporation, the world’s largest producer of natural gas compressors. Under Buchwald Wright’s leadership, the Ariel Corporation rose to national and international heights.”
That rise brought global recognition to a company rooted in Mount Vernon, but Wright’s legacy cannot be measured by business success alone. Her example demonstrated how entrepreneurial achievement can remain closely connected to community, creating opportunities and inspiring service at the local, state and national levels.
In a deeply personal passage, Dr. Nash reflects on the friendship he developed with Wright while working on the book:
“I have many heroes. Some are teachers, some are athletes, some are entrepreneurs, some are writers…several of them have stories…and just a few have songs. For the third time in my life, I have not been able to get Brian’s Song out of my head for almost a month, as another friend—someone I never had the privilege of meeting in person, whose friendship I value among my most cherished, and with whom I talked for hours and hours over the phone and exchanged lengthy emails for more than a year—died after a 13-year heroic battle with cancer on October 15, 2025. Her name is Karen Buchwald Wright, and I met her through her wonderful husband, Tom. I had asked Tom if Karen might consider talking with me for a chapter in a book I am working on about Great American Entrepreneurs. Tom said that might be fun and he would ask her. She said yes, and the conversations began…”
Those conversations now help preserve Karen’s voice and illuminate the humanity behind her achievements. One year after her passing, Mount Vernon remembers not only what Karen Buchwald Wright built, but also what she believed in: hard work, excellence, innovation and a steadfast commitment to people and place. Her influence lives on in the city she loved, the county and state she helped strengthen, and the national story of American enterprise she helped define.
Her husband, Tom Rastin, will honor her life and legacy by continuing steadfast in the model she represented which was to give without hesitation, improve the lives of everyone you meet, and show leadership with a firm, yet gentle hand. He remains unwavering in his commitment to see her beloved hometown of Mount Vernon Ohio grow and prosper.
(Below is the chapter dedicated to Karen Buchwald Wright.)