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Dr. Ralph Gray Will Receive Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award
Indianapolis—The Indiana Historical Society will present its 2010 Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award to Ralph D. Gray of Bloomington, Ind., at its annual Founders Day Dinner on Dec. 6. The presentation will take place at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
The Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award is made annually to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions over an extended period of time to the field of history and/or the affairs of the IHS. According to one colleague, Dr. Gray’s accomplishments “define a career and lifetime of devotion to the History of Indiana—teaching, research, publications, and public and professional service—all done joyfully with the impeccable character of a gentleman, mentor and scholar.”
Dr. Ralph Gray is a well established author, publishing more than 10 books relating to the history and people of Indiana as well as several articles and reviews in publications such as Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History and the Indiana Magazine of History. He also has a national reputation as a scholar of antebellum America and was the founding editor of the Journal of the Early Republic, which now awards its “best article” prize in his name.
As a member of the faculty at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) for almost 30 years, Dr. Gray has played an important role in disseminating knowledge about his native state to several generations of students and Hoosiers at large. One of his publications, Indiana History: A Book of Readings, is still regularly assigned in college and university classes throughout the state.
Dr. Gray’s contributions to the Indiana Historical Society itself have also been extensive. In addition to almost a decade as part of the IHS Board of Trustees, he also served on the IHS Building Committee during the time the History Center was being planned and has been a member of the IHS Publications Committee for more than 20 years.
For more information on Founders Day, as well as other programs and events of the Indiana Historical Society, call (317) 232-1882. Information is also available at www.indianahistory.org.
Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana’s Storyteller, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, interpreting and sharing the state’s history. A private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation’s premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest and presents a unique set of visitor exhibitions called the Indiana Experience. IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; and provides youth, adult and family programming.
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