117th CONGRESS 2d Session |
Honoring the dedication of the Ball family to providing college educations and celebrating their 100-year legacy at Ball State University.
June 23, 2022
Mr. Braun (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
August 6, 2022
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
Honoring the dedication of the Ball family to providing college educations and celebrating their 100-year legacy at Ball State University.
Whereas, in 1880, the Ball brothers, Edmund, Frank, George, Lucius, and William, founded an American manufacturing company to produce wood-jacketed tin cans with a $200 loan from their uncle;
Whereas, in 1884, the Ball family began making glass home-canning jars, the product that made the Ball Corporation a household name;
Whereas the Ball brothers moved from Buffalo, New York, to Muncie, Indiana, in 1887;
Whereas the first glassware was produced in Muncie in 1888, and the Ball Corporation led the United States in production of fruit jars by 1900;
Whereas, by purchasing the land and buildings, the Ball brothers rescued Muncie National Institute, which was renamed “Indiana State Normal Institute, Eastern Division”, and later donated the school to the State of Indiana;
Whereas, in June 1918, classes began at the new Muncie campus to prepare students in east central Indiana to become educators;
Whereas, in recognition of the generosity of the Ball family, the Indiana General Assembly renamed the school as “Ball Teachers College” in 1922 and “Ball State Teachers College” in 1929;
Whereas, in 1927, the Muncie Chamber of Commerce proposed a memorial to express gratitude for the generosity of the Ball family on behalf of Muncie and Ball Teachers College;
Whereas, by the 1960s, the school had begun to attract faculty from outside the Midwest and students sought majors in business, architecture, and other emerging disciplines;
Whereas, in 1965, the Indiana General Assembly renamed the school “Ball State University”, acknowledging phenomenal growth in enrollment and facilities, the variety and quality of educational programs and services, and the anticipation of the broader role the school would play in the future of Indiana;
Whereas enrollment and funding at Ball State University surged with trends across the United States and new facilities and degree offerings were added, including the college of architecture, the human performance lab, and the center for radio and television, marked a new period of growth, and solidified the shift from a small regional teachers' college to a major State university emphasizing “education, research, and service”;
Whereas Ball State University continues to produce alumni who, in various fields and endeavors, make great impacts in Indiana and throughout the United States; and
Whereas Ball State University and its namesake, the Ball family, have played a vital role in education of Hoosiers and other individuals throughout the United States: Now therefore, be it
Resolved,
(A) the philanthropy and dedication to the Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana, community by the Ball brothers and their families has been and continues to be vital to the economic development, growth, cultural identity, and rich history of the community and Indiana; and
(B) the legacy of the Ball brothers, their families, and Ball State University, with its education program and service to the community, continues to enrich the community, Indiana, and the world;
(2) honors the dedication of the Ball brothers and their families to providing college educations; and
(3) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the renaming of Indiana State Normal Institute, Eastern District as “Ball Teachers College” and later as “Ball State University”.