Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame names first class

Indiana DNR Release:

The Indiana Natural Resources Foundation today announced the charter class for the Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame, a group that includes a U.S. president, Indiana’s first state forester, a noted author, the recognized father of the Indiana state park system, and several academicians, philanthropists and environmentalists.

“These inspired and passionate people worked to conserve our wild and historic places,” said Bourke Patton, executive director of the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation. “We are excited to honor their contributions in a way that will inspire us all to work harder to protect our irreplaceable treasures.”

The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals, living or deceased, who have made extraordinary contributions to the conservation and preservation of natural, cultural and historical heritage. The inaugural class includes:

– Leila (Lee) Botts, a key player in passage of the Federal Clean Water Act and the planner and founder of the Indiana Dunes Environmental Center.
– Lynton Caldwell (1913-2006), an Indiana University professor who was one of the principal architects of the National Environmental Policy Act and an advisor on environmental matters to the U.S. Senate and the United Nations.
– Reynold (Rey) Carlson (1901-1997), former chair of the Indiana University Department of Recreation and Parks Administration, where he developed the outdoor recreation education curriculum.
– Bill and Gayle Cook, industrialists and philanthropists, who played major roles in the restoration of West Baden Springs and French Lick Springs hotels.
– Charles C. Deam (1865-1953), Indiana’s first State Forester, whose interest in botany resulted in a collection of 78,000 plant specimens from across the state and the discovery of 25 new species.
– Tom (1923-2004) and Jane (1929-2003) Dustin, founders of ACRES, Indiana’s first private land trust, and advocates for the Clean Water Act and federal wilderness protection.
– The Efroymsons, an Indianapolis family who over four generations provided philanthropic support for natural and historical conservation efforts.
– President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), who while in office used the General Public Lands Reform Act of 1891 to establish 17 national forest reserves totaling 13 million acres and lay the foundation for today’s national forest system.
– Marion Jackson, a distinguished author, naturalist, conservationist and professor emeritus of ecology at Indiana State University.
– Richard Lieber (1869-1944), whose visionary leadership established Indiana’s state park system in 1916 as a model for the rest of the United States. Lieber also was the first director of the Department of Conservation, predecessor to the Department of Natural Resources.
– Eli Lilly (1885-1977), who founded and endowed the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, which led to the establishment of Angel Mounds State Historic Site and Conner Prairie.
– Sally Reahard (1908-2003), an Indianapolis philanthropist who single-handedly preserved thousands of acres across Indiana and along the East Coast through her donations to The Nature Conservancy.
– Rev. Damian Schmeltz, an educator, scientist and theologian who assisted Alton Lindsey of Purdue University in completing an inventory of Indiana’s natural areas and later served more than 30 years on the Indiana Natural Resources Commission.
– Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924), a prolific author who drew on experiences growing up near Limberlost Swamp and Wildflower Woods in northeast Indiana to write 12 novels and seven nature books, including Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost.
– J. Maurice Thompson (1844-1901), author of the seminal book on archery, The Witchery of Archery, and co-founder of the National Archery Association, the governing body of Olympic-style archery in the United States.

More information on the inductees appears in the September-October issue of Outdoor Indiana magazine, available at most major bookstores. To obtain a subscription to the magazine, go to OutdoorIndiana.org.

The inductees will be honored during a banquet Sept. 25 at The Garrison at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. The Natural Resources Foundation and the Indiana Wildlife Federation are co-hosts of the event.

Ticket prices begin at $60. For information, visit www.IndianaNRF.org or contact Patton at (317) 234-5447 or bpatton@dnr.IN.gov.

The Hall of Fame ceremony coincides with the Hoosier Outdoor Experience scheduled for Sept. 26-27 at Fort Harrison State Park. The free, family-friendly event features more than 50 hands-on outdoor activities and “experiences” for visitors to try. For more information on the Experience, go to hoosieroutdoorexperience.IN.gov.