Hoosier History Live

(February 23, 2019) For several decades, each mayor of the Hoosier capital has had a relationship with the  University of Indianapolis  once his term in office has ended.  Greg Ballard , who was elected to two terms as mayor of  Indianapolis , is no exception; he currently serves as a Visiting Fellow at UIndy. On this show, former Mayor Ballard describes his new role, reflect on his terms as mayor...

(February 16, 2019) Even though  Close Encounters of the Third Kind  was considered a blockbuster after its release in 1977, many Hoosiers may have forgotten its connection to Indiana. No scenes were filmed in the state, but the central characters were described as residents of  Muncie . In a scene played for laughs in  Brother from Another Planet  (1984), the protagonist, an alien who doesn't spe...

(February 9, 2019) Even with renewed, widespread interest in family history research - and the explosion of genealogical tools in recent years - challenges remain for those researching African American ancestry. Many of the challenges involve ancestors who were enslaved during the 19th century and earlier. As Hoosier History Live salutes  Black History Month , Nelson's studio guest is one of India...

(February 2, 2019) The rivalry during the early 1900s between two lavish hotels in the southern Indiana towns of  French Lick  and  West Baden  is almost as well known as the mineral waters they sold - marketed, respectively, as  Pluto  and  Sprudel  water. Far less remembered: The small towns also were archrivals on the basketball court because, until a consolidation fraught with controversy duri...

(January 26, 2019) He's been called the most consequential Indiana governor in state history. And a towering bronze statue of  Gov. Oliver P. Morton  stands in front of the  Indiana State Capitol  building. But Morton - an ally of  Abraham Lincoln  who came close to being the Republican nominee for U.S. president in 1876 - was a controversial figure. Critics have contended that Morton (1823-1877)...

(January 19, 2019) Both before he became a household name nationally and after he was a famous public figure,  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr . made trips to Indiana. How those visits during the 1950s and '60s unfolded, where Rev. King stayed and other details, are the focus of our show that aired two days prior to  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day . In February 1968, Dr. King spoke at  Manchester Colle...

(January 5, 2019) To kick off the 11th year of Hoosier History Live with flair, we spotlight the impact of an Indiana architectural trail-blazer who had both pizzazz and spunk. Beginning in the 1950s, when women home builders were a rarity,  Avriel Shull  designed and built  mid-century modern  homes in  Carmel ,  Indianapolis  and other cities. National periodicals eventually distributed the hous...

For its final show of the year, Hoosier History Live has established a tradition that, while not as time-tested as Champagne toasts and renditions of "Auld Lang Syne," is enlightening, enjoyable and reflective. We take the opportunity to look at various dining trends, restaurants and nightspots - bygone, current and recently revived - with two of our favorite in-studio guests. This time, we also t...

    Across the Indiana landscape during the 1960s, there may not have been much surf and sand of the sort celebrated in the music of The Beach Boys. But there were plenty of garage bands, rock and roll concerts by national touring groups and jam-packed venues for the music that was captivating Hoosier teenagers during the era. At center stage for much of the era that we will explore during this en...

(December 8, 2018) For 60 years in  Indianapolis , a signboard has been showcasing weekly puns and wordplay submitted by the general public and employees of  OneAmerica , formerly  American United Life Insurance  (AUL). A pun on the marquee of the  signboard at the 38-story One America Tower  in downtown Indy during Halloween season: "Swiss and Gouda screamed when they saw the Muenster." Since the...

A master decoder of secret messages from foreign governments wouldn't seem to have any connection to an early advocate for free kindergarten. Or to a columnist who offered insights about the challenges of running a farm. The link between the three people: All were Hoosiers who became pioneering figures in their endeavors. And, during the course of the Hoosier state's history, all three made an imp...

Hoosier History Live takes a look at covered bridges; their history and social significance.  Joining host Nelson Price in studio are Margaret Smith of the Indiana Covered Bridge Society and Larry Stout, who helped lead the restoration of the historic Moscow Covered Bridge.

(October 13, 2018) With percussion instruments that included a makeshift washboard and a stage routine punctuated by comic banter between their musical numbers, they were nationally known entertainers from the 1920s through the mid-1940s. The Hoosier Hot Shots  were regulars on  National Barn Dance , one of the most popular radio shows in the country, broadcast on  WLS-AM  in Chicago. They were fe...