the reflector - Frederick D. Hill Archives - University of Indianapolis

THE REFLECTOR PAGE
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4 FEATURE MARCH
27,2002
CENTENNIAL SERIES
University historian completes book in time for U of I centennial
Gretchen Rush
Editor-in-Chief
Tucked away on the second floor of
Krannert Memorial Library, next to the
Writing Lab, is a small office that
contains pictures, letters, minutes and
memorabilia that document the entire
history of the University of Indianapo-
lis. Often overlooked by students, this
office contains black-and-white photos
of Good Hall surrounded only by grass
and yellowed posters promoting a
college named “Indiana Central.” This
office is the University of Indianapolis
Archives, and it is the place where Dr.
Fred Hill worked for 13 years on a
book that covers the 100-year history
of the institution.
In 1989, at the request of President
G. Benjamin Lantz, Hill began
working on what developed into the
current 400-page book, ‘‘ ‘Downright
Devotion to the Cause’: A History of
the University of Indianapolis & Its
Legacy of Service.” The title of the
book was inspired by a quotation from
U of 1’s third president, Irby J. Good.
Because Hill taught more than 20
history and religion courses at U of I
from 1958-1988 and has worked as the
university historian since his retire-
ment, His connection with that history
of the university expands beyond
research. He has participated in more
than 40 years of the history. However,
when Hill started working on the book,
no previous effort had been made to
document the university’s history. As a
result, Hill conducted years of in-depth
research.
Neither Hill nor the former presi-
dent intended for the project to last 13
years or to be finished to coincide with
the Centennial Celebration, but Hill
found boxes of minutes, catalogs and
papers dating as far back as 1905. He
read every page.
“How some of it still happened to
be here, I don’t know,” said Hill. “I
found minutes from 1907 in a vault in
the accounting office.”
In the basement of Esch Hall, Hill
also discovered boxes full of minutes
from various meetings, including an
Indiana Central University (ICU)
catalog from 1905 and an almost
complete collection of an ICU publica-
tion, the Bulletin, dating back to 1908.
President Good’s family also donated
nine or 10 boxes of his papers from his
29 years as president of the university.
The biggest hurdle Hill had to cross
while researching the book was finding
living people who could help document
U of 1’s early years. “I was on
the borderline of survival of people I
needed to talk to,” said Hill.
Twice Hill contacted people
connected to the university, and didn’t
get to discuss the history of the
university with them because they died
within a week of the initial conversations.
His biggest living resource for
the book was Don Carmony. Carmony
was an Indiana Central student and
long-time trustee. Now 92, he enrolled
at ICU as a student at age 15.
“He was the only trustee [still alive]
with the crucial transition from
President Esch to Good,” said Hill.
“He was a tremendous resource to me
on this book.”
The book contains 15 chapters and
three topical essays that cover important
U of I events throughout the past
100 years. Hill’s favorite chapter,
called “Some ‘Good’ Myths Dispelled,”
explains that some rumors told
about President Good are untrue.
Although that is his favorite
chapter, Hill said that Chapter 15,
“The Legacy of Service,” is the climax
of his book because it shows how
strategic plans form and grow throughout
the years.
“It’s an amazing story, with all odds
against us,” said Peter Noot, director
for publications. “Faculty went years
without getting paid, and they were
incredibly patient-and creditors, too.”
Noot has known Hill since the mid-
1970s, when he took Hill’s world
civilizations class. “I’m surprised he
still speaks to me because I was always
really sleepy,” said Noot. “We had
world civ. discussions Friday mornings
at 7:30 or 7:45. It was brutal, but he
always kept things interesting.”
After his undergraduate days, Noot
became the retired professor’s col-
league. Their jobs of historian and
publisher intertwined to complete
Hill’s book, and the two have worked
closely together since November to
prepare the book for publication.
“He has treated me like a colleague
always, and that’s been really a joy,”
said Noot. “He’s done a thousand tons
of work, and I came in at the end and I
put it in the pages.”
Noot said that like his classes,
Hill’s explanations are clear because
he makes connections that allow the
reader to see the big picture as well as
the intricate details.
“While I read the book, the most
fun for me was that it made those early
years in particular more vivid, and I
felt the connection to those early
years,” said Noot. “It made the growth
of the university palpable. You could
almost see the buildings going up.”
Dr. Lynn Youngblood, vice
president and provost and assistant
professor emeritus of math, has known
Hill for 40 years. He, too, had Hill as a
professor-for history of western
civilization and three religion courses.
“He was a true scholar, and yet he
came across as someone who knew
how to relate very well,” said
Youngblood. “Because of the way he
taught his courses, I had a deeper
appreciation for the importance of
history and certainly for the complexity
of religion. I am sure I am a more
rounded individual and a more
cosmopolitan thinker.. ..He was among
the faculty that taught me how to think
without imposing their own personal
views.”
Jay Starks, administrative assistant
for Career Services, worked part-time
as the university’s assistant archivist
from 1994-2001. She interacted with
Hill on a daily basis for seven years.
“I learned so much from him, and I
never once felt like he was telling me
how to do things,” said Starks. “I feel
that the seven years I spent with Fred
every day were probably more valuable
than any college degree I could
have gotten.
“He has this marvelous memory. If
anything has impressed me so much it
is that he can remember dates and
names.. ..We had a timeline, and I
always had to refer to the timeline.
Fred knew the date to everything that
happened here .... without looking it
up-and he was always right.
“He loves this university. I think
it’s really special that Fred is writing
the book because of the devotion he
has to the university.. . .He was all
about making this school a better place
and making his lifetime career here
helping students.”
Hill’s book is currently in printing.
Within the next month, 500 hardback
($20) and 2000 paperback copies ($10)
will be available for purchase in the
university bookstore, online and at
campus events. The Celebration of the
Presidents on May 3 1 will be the first
campus event to showcase the book.
“It would be a crime if anyone else
had written this history,” said Noot. “I
swear he knows each alumnus and
alumna personally, and he remembers
the family connections and where
everybody’s from. It’s just amazing
, , ‘ I
Photo by Gretchen Rush
HE’S DONE IT ALL-Dr. Fred Hill works on his book on the history of
U of I last year. Hill has been with the university since 1958.
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