Butler University Archives

Butler University History: Did you know that a Butler alum wrote the play "Chicago"?

Maurine Dallas Watkins (1896-1969) was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but grew up in Indiana and attended Crawfordsville High School. During her academic career, she attended Hamilton College, Transylvania University, Butler University (then Butler College), Radcliffe College (Harvard), and later Yale Drama School. Maurine earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Butler University in 1919.

While attending Butler University, she was a part of Kappa Alpha Theta, was an editor for "The Butler Collegian" and studied at the Irvington Campus. Maurine took the leading role of Celia in "Green Stockings" on a twenty-four hours notice for the Dramatic Club, as the lead had to dropout during her senior year.

After graduating from Butler, Maurine went on to teach high school in Indiana, but would spend time writing short stories and attending writing classes. By 1924, Maurine was looking for a position in writing and was hired on at the Chicago Tribune, thus moving to Illinois. This is where her story "Chicago" starts...

During her time in Chicago, Maurine covered the trials and murders of Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan. This caused her inspiration to write the "Chicago" play, but first she moved on from the Chicago Tribune to head east to attend Yale University in 1925. This is where she wrote the play "Chicago," which first debuted in New York City in 1926. The play was an immediate hit, running for 182 performances at the New York City's Music Box Theatre and being selected as one of the 10 best plays of 1927.

Following this hit, Maurine went on to write numerous Hollywood screenplays, including "Libeled Lady," "Search for Beauty" and "No Man of Her Own". Choreographer Bob Fosse approached her in the 1950s about making a musical version of "Chicago," but Maurine refused the offer. It wasn't until after her passing in 1969 that her estate sold the rights of "Chicago" to Fosse. The play "Chicago" would debut as the musical on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and would play for 898 performances before closing in 1977.

Butler University History: The first female graduated from Butler University in 1856!

📜 The Class of 1856 from then North Western Christian University included three graduates, Philip Burns (Nancy's first husband), Nancy E. Burns, and John Kimmons. This post highlights Nancy E. Burns, who is the official first female to graduate from Butler University.

📜 Nancy Elizabeth (McIllrath) (Burns) Atkinson (1837-1924) was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1837. She first attended Bethany College in West Virginia, but she and her future husband Philip Burns were removed from the college and church due to their abolitionist beliefs. In order to make the move to Indiana, her father required her to get married to Mr. Burns, which she did so in 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Burns would graduate from Butler University in 1856. Sadly, her husband would pass away the following year.

📜 Following his death, Nancy would board in the home of Ovid Butler and started teaching English and Mathematics in the preparatory department of the university for several years. In 1862, she married. Mr. A. M. Atkinson of Wabash, Indiana, where should live until his passing in 1899. At this time, she moved to Irvington to be closer to then Butler College and the Missionary Society of her church. She would pass away at her home in Irvington on November 28, 1924 and would be buried at her former home in Wabash, Indiana, beside her husband.

📜 Throughout her life she loved her alma mater and continued fulfilling the ideals of the founding of the university.

🎨 According to the Butler Alumnal Quarterly in 1921, this portrait of Nancy Burns was found in Hawaii. It was lent to the editor by a friend who had been a bridesmaid at the marriage of Mr. Atkinson and Mrs. Burns.

📜 Demia Butler (1842-1867) was the first woman to graduate from the full four-year program from the University. She graduated with the full four-year classical studies program, the first woman to do so in 1862. Prior to her graduation in 1862, women who matriculated through the University took a three-year woman’s program, and the University had not allowed women to pursue the full curriculum.

🐾 Congratulations to Thad Matta on his retirement from the Butler Men's Basketball Team! Here are some photos from the Butler University Archives of Thad Matta during his playing and coaching days at Butler University.

📰 Read more here from the Butler Bulldogs: bit.ly/4cQfIKa

The Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives is closed today for a research trip to the Indiana Historical Society!

Today in History: Butler University played its first basketball game in the Butler Fieldhouse on March 7, 1928, defeating Notre Dame 21-13, in overtime, before 12,000 fans. Since the Fieldhouse was not entirely completed at the time, the building dedication was held at a later date.

🗓 Major Anniversaries at Hinkle Fieldhouse 🗓
December 21, 1928: The Fieldhouse was officially dedicated at a game against Purdue University, which the Butler Bulldogs won 28-27. When the Fieldhouse opened, it seated 15,000, making it the largest basketball 'cathedral' for years to come.

1933: The hardwood basketball court, which originally ran east–west, was changed to a north–south orientation to provide additional arena seating and to keep the sunlight, which streamed in from the large west-facing upper windows, out of the players’ eyes.

March 1935: Future Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens ran 60 yards in 6.09 seconds during the Butler Relays intercollegiate event, tying a world record. He had to crash into an improvised barrier of hay bales to prevent his momentum from carrying him into the stands.

1943-45: The Fieldhouse was utilized as U.S. Army and U.S. Navy barracks during World War II. Sailors and Army Air Corps recruits were stationed in the Fieldhouse while attending training courses on campus. Sleeping quarters were constructed in the main gym, and a kitchen and mess hall were also installed.

March 1955: The Crispus Attucks High School basketball team, led by Oscar Robertson, became the first all-Black team in the nation to win a state championship in an integrated tournament.

November 1965: The Butler Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the facility from Butler Fieldhouse to Hinkle Fieldhouse in honor of Butler’s legendary coach and athletic director Paul D. “Tony” Hinkle, who contributed to the University’s athletic success for nearly 50 years.

1986: The final scenes of the movie Hoosiers, loosely based on the 1954 “Milan Miracle” state championship, were filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

For more major events hosted at Hinkle Fieldhouse, visit: https://bit.ly/4b1raQs

Charles Henry DeBow (1918-1968), Tuskegee Airmen ✈️

Charles H. DeBow was a graduate from the first class of Tuskegee Airmen in March 1942, which broke new boundaries. The first five graduates—Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 2nd Lt. Lemuel R. Custis, 2nd Lt. Charles H. DeBow, 2nd Lt. George S. Roberts, and 2nd Lt. Mac Ross—earned their wings on March 7, 1942, marking a key moment in military history. These trailblazers paved the way for more than 900 pilots.

📜 Born in Indianapolis in 1918, DeBow made history in 1942 as one of the first five Tuskegee Airmen to complete training and become an official U.S. Army Air Force pilot. As commander of the 301st Fighter Squadron, he flew 52 combat missions in World War II, including in the historic D-Day operations. Facing both racism and wartime dangers, he carried out his service with extraordinary bravery, becoming a symbol of determination and excellence for generations to come.

After the war, DeBow returned to Indianapolis and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 from Butler University, followed by his Masters of Science in Education in 1953. He would also go on to earn his master's degree from Indiana University. He dedicated the remainder of his career to education and community service, teaching in Indianapolis Public Schools and later at Thomas Carr Howe High School, where he became the school’s first Black educator. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserve for two decades, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, and later worked as a professor of English at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.

📸 This black and white photograph shows (left to right) R.M. Long (instructor), George Roberts, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Charles DeBow, Mac Ross, and Lemuel Curtis.

Image Credit: United States Air Force/Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

📜 Ada B. Harris (1866-1927) graduated from Butler University in 1926 with a degree in education at the age of 60. Before coming to Butler, Harris was known as a civic leader, reformer, educator and entrepreneur who had a huge impact on Indianapolis community and the nation.

Before attending Butler, Ada taught at a segregated school in the Norwood neighborhood on Indianapolis’s southeast side. She was a lifelong educator and would later become the principal at Center Township School No. 5 and at the Harriet Beecher Stowe School IPS No. 64.

Beyond her life as a teacher, Harris was also an inventor. In 1893, Harris filed a U.S. patent for the first comb-style hair-straightening device. She took her prototype to showcase it to investors at the California Midwinter International Exposition in 1894, which was an extension of the World's Fair. The U.S. Patent Office officially approved her request in 1895.

Ada received her public notary license in 1917, which she used to help Black women register to vote and helped push through the women’s suffrage movement. She also challenged local racial prejudice and advocated for the welfare of Black Hoosiers in Indianapolis and across the state.

Due to changing teaching demands and new qualification requirements, Harris attended Butler University at a later stage in life. After graduating from Butler, she briefly took a teaching job in Rockville, Indiana before passing away in 1927 from a stroke.

📰 Credit: The Indianapolis Star/INSPIRE/Newspaper.com/Butler University

🎶 Clara Reese Kirk (1922-2008) graduated from the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music in 1942, which is now known as Butler University's School of Music within Butler University Jordan College of the Arts. Clara served as the "Official Colored State Accompanist" for the State of Indiana during her junior/senior year in 1941.

🎹 During Clara's life, she had two extraordinary opportunities as a pianist. The first musical highlight was the opportunity to play alongside W.C. Handy, who is referred to as the Father of the Blues. Another noteworthy appearance was the opportunity to play the grand piano in the White House for Mrs. Bess Truman, wife of President Harry Truman.

🎶 Clara would go on to have a 37-year career in teaching at the Indianapolis Public Schools.

📜 Ida P. Hagan (1888-1978) is the first known Black woman to earn a degree in pharmacy at Winona Technical Institute (later merged with Butler University) and the first known-licensed Black female pharmacist in the state of Indiana.

📜 Ida Hagan was born in 1888 in Huntingburg, Indiana and raised in a log cabin at the Pinkston Settlement, a free Black community west of Ferdinand in southern Indiana. She would go on to become the first known Black woman in Indiana to become a registered pharmacist in 1909 and only the 16th black female pharmacist in the nation.

📜 Ida studied under Dr. Alois Wollenmann and completed a pharmacy home-study course through Winona Technical Institute. Her graduation year is unknown, but most likely occurred in either 1908 or 1909. In 1909, Winona Technical Institute ran into financial difficulties and would shut down until its merger with the Indianapolis College of Pharmacy in 1914. Due to the closure, the records of Winona Technical Institute are murky during this time period. Ida Hagan is not listed as a graduate in the later Indianapolis College of Pharmacy records that cover the Winona time period. This is a great example of someone being left out of the official record, by mistake, or not, or simply by the fact that information on the Winona Technical Institute is limited due to original records either not existing or not being preserved due to the closure.

📜 In addition to working as a pharmacist, Ida served as a postal clerk for eight years, starting with her appointment at the age of 16. Following the passing of her mentor Dr. Alois Wollenmann, she was appointed acting postmaster for the Town of Ferdinand (first woman in the state). In her spare time, Ida learned to speak German fluently to better communicate with the residents of the town. She eventually moved to Indianapolis, Gary, and finally Detroit, Michigan by 1930. In addition to her work as a pharmacist, she was actively engaged in promoting workers and civil rights.

⏳ Winona Technical Institute (1904-1909) -> Indianapolis College of Pharmacy (1914-1951) -> Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (1951-Present)

📰 Information and research by the Ferdinand Historical Society, Indiana Historical Bureau , Glenda Steele, Dr. John Clark, Butler University, and others.

Did you know that the Butler University Archives is home to several collections and photographs of U.S. Presidents? 🇺🇸

📜 Archival Materials 📜
➡ Lincoln Court Note, 1842
➡ MSS 018 Abraham Lincoln Research Collection (Lincolniana)
➡ MSS 076 Robert Dunn Photobook featuring U.S. Presidents William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Benjamin Harrison and Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks

📜 Fun Facts 📜
➡ Hinkle Fieldhouse has hosted U.S. Presidents Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush over the years. In 2008, then U.S. Senator Barrack Obama did stop by Hinkle Fieldhouse's parking lot for an impromptu appearance.
➡ The Butler Football team visited the White House and President Hoover in 1931 (pictured here).
➡ Butler University President John Young served as our first university president from 1856-1858, back when we were known as North Western Christian University. In 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln appointed Young as the U.S. Consul to Ireland, a position he held until 1866.

***This is not a comprehensive list of archival materials and fun facts***

Celebrating Black History Month at Butler University: Gertrude Amelia Mahorney

Gertrude Amelia Mahorney (circa 1863-Unknown) is the first documented Black graduate of Butler University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in 1887 and a Master of Arts in 1889, attending the university’s Irvington campus.

Gertrude Mahorney came from a remarkable family. She was born in Indianapolis during the Civil War. Her father, John Todd Mahorney, was born in Pennsylvania and was an author, inventor, labor leader, politician, and social activist. He was noted as being the first African American Democrat in Indianapolis and was a founding member of the Western Association of Writers. When he died in 1890 of consumption, Butler president Allen R. Benton assisted in his burial service. Gertrude’s mother, Ann Elizabeth Mahorney, was the daughter of Jared Gray, a prosperous Chicago merchant, who was active in the antislavery National Negro Convention Movement.

Gertrude’s parents came to Indianapolis during the early years of the Civil War, and her father established an ornamental hair and wig business on Illinois Street. Gertrude was the third of four siblings, but siblings Emma and George died as children, leaving Gertrude and her younger brother, John Joseph as survivors.

Her father frequently traveled overseas, and in 1877 he took his family to England for a year of study. The Mahorney's lived in London’s East End and were exposed to people of diverse backgrounds. Upon the family’s return to Indiana, they moved to Irvington in 1879 so that Gertrude and her brother could attend Butler University.

When Gertrude graduated in 1887, she presented her essay “Two Portraits” at commencement, which compared Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Sumner, a writer whom her father had written a biography of. She was praised as one of the best speakers among the 18 in her class. Gertrude then obtained a master’s degree in 1889, the same year that her brother John obtained his bachelor’s degree. John Joseph Mahorney briefly worked as a surveyor, and sadly died following a brief illness in 1892.

After graduation, Gertrude taught briefly at the Sumner School in Leavenworth, Kansas. Moving back to Indianapolis, she taught elementary grades and German in two IPS “colored schools,” the Charles Sumner School No. 23, and the William D. McCoy School No. 24. Gertrude took a leave of absence to care for her dying mother, who passed away in 1904. In 1906, Mahorney left to study in Pittsburgh and teach at Avery College & Trade School in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. After spending a few years away, she would return to Indianapolis around 1908 or 1909.

She left Indianapolis once again in September 1910 to become the lead teacher at the Ohio Street Colored School in Rockville, Indiana. Depending on enrollment, over the next four years, Gertrude was often the only teacher at the school.

While Gertrude was in Indianapolis, she translated German stories and articles into English for papers like The Indianapolis Sentinel. It may seem odd that a Black woman of her time would be interested in the German language, but research into Gertrude’s family background indicates that she had a Prussian step-grandmother in Chicago, and this might be where her interest came from.

We lose track of Gertrude in 1915, around age 52. The last known correspondence with her takes place with Butler president Thomas Carr Howe, as she was seeking assistance in selling property that the family owned in the Irvington neighborhood. The return address of Detroit, Michigan on the letter is the last piece of evidence of her whereabouts that we have.

As far as we know, she was never married and did not have any children. Her parents and three siblings are buried in Crown Hill, and there is space for her in the family plot that remains empty.

But until further evidence is found, the story of Gertrude Amelia Mahorney is unfinished.

Today in History: On this day in 1937, the first Six Day International Bike Race at Butler University took place inside Hinkle Fieldhouse (then known as Butler Fieldhouse). 🚴

🚴 The banked wooden track was constructed inside the fieldhouse, which was stated to be one of the fastest in the country at that time. The race lasted for 11 hours and 45 minutes, ending at 2:15 a.m. each day. Riders rested in bunks arranged in the infield of the track between races, and a reported 30,000 spectators attended over the course of the six-day bike race.

🇩🇪 The race was won overall by the German team, which competed 1,535 miles around the track and defeated the American team via the tiebreaker. In the last 30 minutes of the race, the German team took a one lap advantage over the Americans and held the most sprint points from the competition, giving them the outright win. Bike competitors from Belgium, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, and the United States competed in the Six-Day Bike Race.

📸 The Indianapolis Star/INSPIRE/Newspaper.com