This week in Indiana’s history …
1910 – The Carnegie Corporation approved a $30,000 grant for the construction of a public library in Vincennes. The offer was increased to $35,000 when a suitable lot was procured at the corner of Seventh and Seminary Streets. Local architect J. B. Bayard designed the structure in the style of Collegiate Gothic Revival. The library was dedicated in 1919 and continues to serve the reading public after more than a century.
1919 – A group of farmers got together at the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis to organize the Indiana Federation of Farmers’ Association. Their goal was to promote farming and agricultural programs and issues. John G. Brown of White County was elected the first president of the organization, along with a 10-member board of directors. Now known as Indiana Farm Bureau, the association serves all 92 counties.
1921 – Vivian Carter was born in Mississippi. Her parents soon moved to Gary, where she graduated from Roosevelt High School. She became a popular disc jockey, starting with radio station WJOB in Hammond. She and her husband, James Bracken, founded Vee-Jay Records, taking the name from their initials. The first successful record company owned by African Americans, the label featured such popular artists as Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, Dee Clark, the Spaniels, and the Four Seasons.
1951 – Mary Rieman died in Indianapolis at the age of 92. She was one of the last surviving witnesses to the funeral of Abraham Lincoln at the Indiana Statehouse. At the age of six, she was with her family on April 30, 1865, when the Lincoln funeral train arrived in Indianapolis. She had clear memories of standing in the cold rain with thousands of others as they made their way into the Statehouse rotunda to view the body of the fallen President.
1960 – Senator John F. Kennedy came to the office of Secretary of State John R. Walsh at the Indiana Statehouse. He filed papers to be included on the ballot for the upcoming presidential primary election. Included were required petitions containing the signatures of more than 5,000 Indiana voters. Kennedy made many visits to the state in his subsequent campaign for President.
1979 – Michigan State defeated Indiana State in the NCAA basketball championship game in Salt Lake City. Earvin “Magic” Johnson led the Spartans against Larry Bird and the Sycamores. It was one of the most-watched games ever on television. The contest caught the attention of the nation and sparked an interest in college basketball which led to what has become known as “March Madness.”