Introduction
What do Vice President Richard Cheney; U.S. Senator Richard Lugar; Neil Armstrong, first astronaut to walk on the moon; Tom Brokaw, TV personality; Roger Ebert, Pulitzer Prize winner for literary criticism and movie critic; and Michael Jordan, professional basketball player, have in common? They all attended a boys' state program.Hoosier Boys State is a hands-on experience in state and local politics and government. Delegates to Hoosier Boys State learn about the organization and function of political activities in a two-party election system. Many of the young men attending the program will hold an elective office within the government of the Fifty-first State (HBS) at the state and local levels. Some will serve in an office of a political party. Each year certain HBS
government office-holders visit with elected officials of the Vigo
County and Terre Haute area. Delegates may choose to attend
special schools in:-
law enforcement conducted by members of the Indiana State
Police force
-
law from legal scholars including a practicing attorney
-
legislature with a member of the Indiana General Assembly
- military careers from active duty service personnel and members of the service academies
- and broadcast journalism from professors at Indiana State University
Indiana State University and the American Legion provide opportunities for scholarships and free tuition credits to many HBS participants.
Each year, HBS Director
Steve Bowman and his staff invite professional guest speakers whose presentations are motivational, entertaining, and informative. These speakers have come from the offices of the governor, the secretary of the state, senators and representatives from the Indiana General Assembly and the United States Congress. Additionally, approximately forty colleges and universities conduct a college fair exclusively for HBS participants. The program receives over 700 young men who have just completed their junior year in high school. The Program is open to every high school in Indiana
as well as home schooled students who have completed a junior
year equivalency. Many schools provide candidates for the HBS program each year. These delegates are often involved in every type of extra-curricular activity and athletic competition possible in their communities. What is the cost of this tremendous opportunity to delegates? Nothing, it is free! This program is sponsored by The American Legion. History of The American Legion
Boys State Program
The creation of the concept of the Boys State program is credited to Mr. Hayes Kennedy, who in 1935 was a teacher at the Loyola University of Law in Chicago and Americanism Chairman of the Illinois Department of The American Legion.Mr. Kennedy was concerned about a project underway at the time called "Young Pioneer Camps," which was being promoted by the Communist Party to show the uselessness of Democracy, and which advocated the virtues of the communist system. Mr. Kennedy felt that a counter movement should be started among the ranks of the nation's youth to stress the importance and value of our democratic form of government and maintain an effort to preserve it. The Illinois Department of The American Legion approved Mr. Kennedy's project; and in June 1935 the first "Boys State" in the nation was held on the Illinois State Fairgrounds (History of Boys State, Max E. Blessing, 1977).From that beginning in Illinois in 1935, the program swiftly spread among other American Legion Departments. By 1941, 34 states were conducting a "Boys State" program. Currently 49 states conduct American Legion Boys State programs. Hawaii is the only state that does not have a program.What is Hoosier Boys State?
Hoosier Boys State is a week-long learning experience in the operation of our Democratic form of government, the organization of a political party, and the practical application of the knowledge gained from both.IT'S A WEEK TO SHAPE A LIFETIME!During the week of Hoosier Boys State, delegates learn many facets of the political system; from selecting a precinct committeeman to drawing up a platform, adopting caucus rules and selecting nominees for Governor of Hoosier Boys State.Delegates learn how government operates at the city, county, and state level as well as the duties of the office holders associated with each level. Opportunities are available at HBS to heighten delegate's awareness and to broaden
their skills through special schools including law, broadcasting, speech, legislature, military service career and law enforcement. Each is conducted by select members of the Hoosier Boys State staff whose expertise in their respective areas is well established.
History of Hoosier Boys State
The Indiana Department of The American Legion's first "Boys State" program was held in 1937 in the field house of Butler University with over 500 delegates in attendance. The delegates elected Lloyd Wampler as the first Hoosier Boys State Governor.Since 1937, Hoosier Boys State has been conducted annually with the exception of 1945 when WWII restrictions forced a suspension of activities. Hoosier Boys State has had many "homes" since that first session at Butler University. Those institutions which have hosted Hoosier Boys State include: 1937
Butler University1938-1941
Indiana State Fairgrounds1942-1955
Indiana State School for the Deaf1956-1968
Indiana University1969-present Indiana State UniversityEach year over 700 of the finest young men in the State of Indiana attend Hoosier Boys State. Since it's inception in 1937, over 60,000 individuals have experienced the Hoosier Boys State program. Some notable Hoosier Boys State alumni are:Frank O'Bannon, Former Governor State of IndianaRichard Lugar, United States SenatorPaul S. Mannweiler, Speaker of the HouseDr. Joseph Allen, Former NASA Astronaut Phil Sharp, Former United States Congressman Lee Hamilton, Former United States Congressman Joseph Hogsett, Former Indiana Secretary of StateHon. Randall Sheperd, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme CourtBrian Lamb, President of the "C-Span" TV network.Terry Lester, Actor "The Young & the Restless"Hon. Brent Dickson, Associate Justice of the Indiana Supreme CourtBirch Bayh, Former United States SenatorEdward Simcox, Former Indiana Secretary of State
Brian Bosma, Former Speaker of the House
Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana
Hoosier Boys State Governors:
1937Lloyd Wampler Gosport1938Dick Urbine Fort Wayne1939Dick Freeman Crawfordsville1940Ed Langas Fort Wayne1941Roy Grimmer Jr.Fort Wayne1942Edward MaddenGary1943James Garrison Franklin1944Henry Hales Gary1945No Hoosier Boys State1946Don Bitsberger Fort Wayne1947James R. Harris Boonville1948James B. Little Evansville1949Charles Lanham Evansville1950Richard Fowler Bloomington1951Ned Lampkin Indianapolis1952Max Stackhouse Warsaw1953Robert Smithson Tipton1954Primus Johnson East Chicago1955Stuart Holcomb West Lafayette1956John Flannigan LaGrange1957Reed StewartBrazil1958Benjamin Coleman Gary1959Stephen K. SmithLafayette1960Victor Clark Columbia City1961Thomas Cooper Merom1962Mike Valentine Warsaw1963Ron ClarkIndianapolis1964David Long Indianapolis1965James Kiefer Lafayette1966Terry Lester Indianapolis1967Stephen Judah Vincennes1968Bruce HattonVincennes1969Gregory GrayGary President, American Legion Boys Nation1970Gerald TrotterIndianapolis1971Harry McNaught Logansport1972John KendrickJeffersonville1973Mike McGrawMonticello1974Fred Reese Jr.Anderson1975David ShellitoMishawaka1976Kevin Trewartha Indianapolis1977David NewbyPlainfield; became Vice President, American
Legion Boys Nation1978Christopher DavisIndianapolis1979John Brown Lafayette1980Scott D. Himsel Jasper1981Fred Brown Indianapolis1982Mike Shaw II Rushville1983Delray Brooks Michigan City1984Brian Boykins Indianapolis1985Joseph D. Howard Converse1986Alfred Weems IIIHammond1987Gavin H. Inglis Indianapolis1988Richard P. Church Wabash1989James M. SeeneyTerre
Haute199019911992Jerome P. McCluskeyBloomington1993J. Nick Geimer New Haven1994Wayne M. Lashua Kingsford Hts.1995Rinzer Williams III Gary1996Kem Footman Indianapolis1997Jason Parks Merrillville1998Justin Jordan Fort Wayne1999Napoleon Harrington Indianapolis2000John Meyer Greenwood2001Barry Tyler Jr. Hammond2002Ivan Dremov Indianapolis2003Robert A. Patton Terre Haute
2004Robert
Bloss
Robert
Bloss
2005 Matthew Schrimper
Nashville
2006 Darrell Comer,
Jr. Indianapolis
2007
Ivan Chernoskutov Angola
