An Indiana newspaper that won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana will be honored at a dedication ceremony for the paper’s historical marker.
A public dedication ceremony for the state marker commemorating the Indianapolis Times is scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 11 in Indianapolis.
The marker will be dedicated in the green space just east of the Westin Hotel between Maryland and Washington streets.
The HSPA Foundation Board of Directors granted $1,000 to replace the damaged historical marker for The Indianapolis Times.
“It seemed a small price to pay to allow citizens of Indiana to learn about the role an Indiana newspaper played in making our state a better place to live,” said Karen T. Braeckel, HSPA Foundation director.
More than a history lesson, the marker displays The Times’ role as watchdog of government.
The newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 1928 for exposing the Ku Klux Klan, received a national award for its work on behalf of the mentally ill in 1955, exposed state highway scandals in the 1950s and errors in crime statistics in 1962.
The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony for the historical marker that commemorates the crusading newspaper and its 77 years of service to the state. Former staff members of the Times will join in the event.
The marker reads:
“The Indianapolis Times (originally published as the Sun in 1888) moved to this site in 1924. In the 1920s, it led a crusade against the Ku Klux Klan, exposing the Klan’s influence in Indiana politics and spurring investigations into corrupt state elections.
For this public service, the Times won journalism’s highest award, the Pulitzer Prize, in 1928. Times advocated for the benefit of the public: organized Clothe-A-Child campaign during the Great Depression; won national award for its work on behalf of the mentally ill (1955); and identified jobs for the unemployed (1961). Exposed state highway scandals (1950s) and errors in crime statistics (1962), leading to better police patrol. Ceased publication in 1965.”
State historical markers commemorate significant individuals, organizations, places and events in Indiana history. These markers help communities throughout the state promote, preserve and present their history.
For more than 95 years the Indiana Historical Bureau, an agency of the state of Indiana, has been marking Indiana history. Since 1946, the marker format has been the large roadside marker, which has the familiar dark blue background with gold lettering and the outline of the state of Indiana at the top. There are about 500 of these markers across the state.
For more information, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau’s website at www.IN.gov/history or call (317) 233-8940.
