Indiana Historical Society

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is a private nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Indianapolis and devoted to documenting and interpreting the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest. Founded on December 11, 1830, it is described as the oldest state historical society west of the Allegheny Mountains and is one of the oldest and largest historical societies in the United States. Its work combines archival stewardship, public history, publishing, education, community support, and cultural programming. The society maintains the William Henry Smith Memorial Library and a substantial research collection that includes photographs, books and pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, sheet music, broadsides, paintings, and historical artifacts. The holdings address subjects ranging from architecture, agriculture, business, transportation, medicine, politics, religion, military affairs, organized labor, and education to the experiences of women, families, ethnic and racial communities, and notable Hoosiers. Selected materials are made available through the society’s digital resources, while researchers can consult the broader holdings at the History Center. In addition to preserving materials, IHS interprets them for the public through exhibitions, lectures, family activities, adult programs, teacher workshops, youth initiatives, and living-history experiences. Its Indiana Experience programming included the “You Are There!” exhibition format, which used costumed interpreters and reproductions or presentations of archival photographs and documents to create interactive encounters with particular moments in Indiana history. The History Center has also hosted exhibitions concerning Indiana businesses, social movements, wartime experiences, the Civil War, civil rights, and the life of composer Cole Porter. The organization supports historical work beyond its own facilities. It provides assistance to local museums and historical organizations, publishes books and periodicals, participates in the National History Day program in Indiana, and appoints and trains the state’s county historians. Its publications have included the long-running popular-history magazine Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, the family-history publication The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections, and the membership magazine IN Perspective. IHS experienced periods of limited activity during the nineteenth century before Jacob Piatt Dunn led a major reorganization in 1886. The society subsequently developed more regular annual meetings, professionalized its historical work, and expanded its relationships with state cultural and educational institutions. Important support from Delavan Smith in 1922 helped establish the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, while later support from Eli Lilly contributed to facilities expansion and institutional development. The society’s publishing program grew substantially during the twentieth century, including a multivolume history of Indiana issued for the state’s 1966 sesquicentennial. In 1999, IHS moved from the Indiana State Library and Historical Building to a new 165,000-square-foot headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. The building contains research, conservation, exhibition, education, performance, hospitality, and event spaces. Following a fundraising campaign launched in 2007, the facility was renamed the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. Renovations completed around 2009–2010 supported expanded interpretive and educational programming. The society remains governed by a board of trustees and operates through divisions including collections, conservation, publications, education and community engagement, development, marketing, and administration. Its membership includes households across the United States, while its primary public mission remains focused on Indiana and the wider historical context of the Old Northwest. Jody Blankenship has served as president and chief executive officer since 2019.

The Indiana Historical Society was established in Indianapolis on December 11, 1830, fourteen years after Indiana achieved statehood. Its founders sought to gather objects and documents that could illuminate the state’s natural, civil, and political development and to encourage the exchange of useful historical knowledge. The Indiana General Assembly granted the organization a charter in 1831. The society had a difficult early existence. The deaths of two important supporters weakened its activity, and only twelve annual meetings were held between its founding and 1886. Its materials were stored in public buildings including the old Indiana State Bank and the former Indiana State Capitol. During this period it functioned more like a small private circle devoted to local historical publication than like the broad public institution it would later become. A major reorganization took place in 1886 under Jacob Piatt Dunn. Dunn restored regular annual meetings and recruited editors, historians, lawyers, librarians, writers, and other professionally interested citizens to strengthen the society’s collections and activities. His effort to admit women in 1888 was unsuccessful, but Eliza Browning became the first woman admitted in 1906. During Dunn’s era, the society also maintained an office in the Indiana State Capitol from 1888 to 1914. Throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, IHS developed a close institutional relationship with the Indiana Historical Bureau, the Indiana State Museum, and the Indiana State Library. From 1924 to 1976, the society’s executive secretaries also served as directors of the Historical Bureau, creating a significant connection between the nonprofit society and state historical administration. This relationship helped circulate historical publications, including the Indiana History Bulletin, to society members. Philanthropy played an important role in the society’s growth. In 1922, Delavan Smith left the organization a substantial financial bequest and a major book collection. These resources supported the creation of the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, which became a central research facility. During the 1940s, director Howard Henry Peckham promoted more professional standards in public history and archival work. Beginning in the 1950s, the society expanded its publication of Indiana history. One of its most significant projects was a multivolume history of Indiana published in 1966 to commemorate the state’s 150th anniversary. Earlier, the society had been associated with The Old Northwest, which received the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1950. Later publishing initiatives included Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections, and IN Perspective. Membership grew from approximately 5,000 in 1970 to approximately 10,000 by 1993. Eli Lilly, a longtime trustee and major supporter, helped finance building additions in 1976. The expansion gave the society dedicated offices and library space and helped distinguish its leadership from that of the Indiana Historical Bureau. Membership later settled at a lower level, with the organization reporting approximately 4,500 member households in the United States in the source period. For many years IHS operated from the Indiana State Library and Historical Building. In July 1999 it moved into a new 165,000-square-foot facility in downtown Indianapolis, on the former site of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. The building included the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, collection vaults, conservation and imaging facilities, classrooms, exhibition areas, a theater, a cafe, event spaces, and the Cole Porter Room. In 2007, the society launched the Campaign for the Indiana Experience and announced a major gift from Eugene and Marilyn Glick. The headquarters was renamed the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. Renovations completed in 2009 led to a reopening in spring 2010 with expanded interpretation and visitor programming. The Indiana Experience included You Are There!, which used living-history interpreters to place visitors inside scenes based on photographs and documents from the collections. Other exhibits explored Indiana companies, wartime and civil-rights history, community life, and the legacy of Cole Porter. Today, IHS combines collection stewardship with public access. Its holdings include large bodies of photographs, manuscripts, printed materials, maps, sheet music, artifacts, paintings, and digitized images. The conservation laboratory treats paper-based materials, manages preventive preservation, monitors storage conditions, prepares custom housings, maintains pest-management practices, and plans for disaster recovery. A board of trustees oversees the institution, which has included departments for collections, conservation, publications, education, community engagement, development, marketing, and administration. Since 2019, Jody Blankenship has served as president and chief executive officer.

• 2019

  Jody Blankenship appointed president and CEO

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The board appointed Jody Blankenship to lead the organization.

• 2010

  Renovated History Center reopened

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The center reopened with expanded Indiana Experience programming and new visitor offerings.

• 2007

  Campaign for the Indiana Experience launched

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  IHS launched a campaign to support new interpretive programming and facility improvements.

• 1999

  Opened current downtown Indianapolis headquarters

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society moved into a new 165,000-square-foot facility, later known as the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

• 1976

  Facilities expanded with Eli Lilly support

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Support associated with Eli Lilly enabled additions that gave the society expanded dedicated office and library space.

• 1966

  Multivolume Indiana history published

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  IHS issued a major multivolume history of Indiana in connection with the state’s sesquicentennial.

• 1950

  The Old Northwest receives Pulitzer Prize recognition

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society’s historical publishing work included The Old Northwest, which won the Pulitzer Prize for history.

• 1922

  William Henry Smith Memorial Library established

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  A bequest from Delavan Smith provided funds and books that supported the creation of the society’s major research library.

• 1906

  First woman admitted

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Editor Eliza Browning became the first woman admitted to the society after an earlier admission effort had failed.

• 1886

  Reorganization under Jacob Piatt Dunn

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Jacob Piatt Dunn reorganized the society, strengthened recruitment, and reestablished regular annual meetings.

• 1831

  State charter granted

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The Indiana General Assembly granted the organization a formal charter.

• 1830

  Indiana Historical Society founded

  [1]Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Indianapolis-area leaders established the society on December 11 to collect and preserve materials relating to Indiana’s history.

A statewide historical authority and public-history institution that connects archival preservation and scholarly research with accessible exhibitions, education, publishing, and community engagement.

• Research library and archives · 1922

  William Henry Smith Memorial Library

  The society’s principal research library provides access to books, pamphlets, manuscripts, photographs, maps, sheet music, broadsides, and other materials concerning Indiana and the Old Northwest. Researchers can use the collections on site, while selected materials are searchable through the organization’s digital resources.

• Public-history program · 2007

  Indiana Experience

  The Indiana Experience is an interpretive framework for presenting Indiana history through exhibitions, multimedia, documents, photographs, and participatory programming. Its You Are There! format uses trained costumed interpreters to create interactive encounters based on historical evidence.

• History magazine · 1989

  Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History

  A popular-history magazine covering Indiana and Midwestern people, events, communities, and material culture. It is designed to make historical research and interpretation accessible to a broad readership.

• Genealogy publication

  The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections

  A family-history publication supporting genealogical research and connections among people investigating Indiana families and related historical records.

• Collections conservation

  Conservation laboratory

  A specialized facility for stabilizing, cleaning, repairing, and housing paper-based collections. Its preventive work includes environmental monitoring, integrated pest management, storage planning, and disaster preparedness.

• 2007Campaign for the Indiana Experience

  Indiana · United States

  A fundraising and institutional-development campaign supporting renovations, new interpretive programs, and a more immersive visitor experience at the society’s Indianapolis headquarters.

  Outcome. The headquarters was renamed the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, renovated, and reopened with expanded Indiana Experience programming.

  Source

• 2007

  Shift toward immersive public historyStrategy

  Background

  The society sought to broaden visitor engagement beyond conventional archival and exhibition formats.

  Action taken

  It launched the Campaign for the Indiana Experience and developed interpretive formats such as You Are There!

  Aftermath

  The renovated center reopened in 2010 with interactive living-history and other expanded public programs.

  Source

• 1999

  Move to a dedicated downtown history centerStrategy

  Background

  The society had previously operated from the Indiana State Library and Historical Building.

  Action taken

  IHS opened a 165,000-square-foot headquarters in downtown Indianapolis with library, archival, conservation, exhibition, education, theater, and event facilities.

  Aftermath

  The move created an integrated public-history and research complex that became the society’s principal home.

  Source

• 1886

  Reorganize the society and restore regular annual meetingsStrategy

  Background

  The organization had held relatively few annual meetings during its first decades and had operated with limited activity.

  Action taken

  Jacob Piatt Dunn reorganized the society and broadened participation among historians, editors, lawyers, librarians, and writers.

  Aftermath

  The reorganization helped establish a more durable and professionally oriented institution.

  Source

1. 1Indiana Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Indiana Historical Society official websiteindianahistory.org