o Jared Fogle “the Subway Guy” and now internationally recognized pedophile has become the latest Indy resident to achieve media notoriety. What is it about being born and bred in the center of the Hoosier State that seems to turn people into such a disappointment? When people talk about famous folk from Indianapolis, they always bring up John Dillinger, Jim Jones, D.C. Stephenson, and Gertrude Baniszewski. Now Jared Fogle will be added to that list. One of the things that you have to remember is that Stephenson was from Oklahoma and Jones was from Randolph County, Indiana. So where are all those other evil people from Indianapolis? The fact is they just do not exist. They are phantoms created from ignorance. The real truth is the Indianapolis has produced a great deal more then it’s share of outstanding individuals in the arts, sciences, athletics, business, and politics.
Someone once told me that the only person of literary merit that Indy had produced was poet James Whitcomb Riley. I reminded him of Booth Tarkington and he replied that Tarkington was from another era long gone. I then added Kurt Vonnegut to the list to which he replied “I thought Vonnegut was from New York.” We Hoosiers know that Kurt Vonnegut was one of Shortridge High School’s proudest graduates. We can add Dan Wakefield to that list. Wakefield is one of America’s most accomplished contemporary authors with such books as Going All the Way and Starting Over. He also developed the TV series “James at Fifteen.” Alan Le May is a native son who wrote both the Searchers and the Unforgiven as well as the screenplays for such films as The Adventures of Mark Twain and Reap the Wild Wind. Rex Stout who wrote the Nero Wolfe mystery novels was from Noblesville. John Greene, the acclaimed author of The Fault in Our Stars, is from Indianapolis. That is a pretty impressive list.
When we talk about media notables, we always talk about Dave Letterman and Jane Paule; they have certainly brought a great deal of positive attention to Indianapolis. But what about actress Vivica A. Fox or Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds? They are both from Indy. Brendan Frazier of “The Mummy” film series went to Ben Davis High School. Then there’s Dorothy Meyer, who was a comedic mainstay of television in the 1970s and 80s. Marjorie Main who played Ma Kettle in the movie series was from Acton, Indiana. Abraham Benrubi is a Broad Ripple High grad. Wes Montgomery was one the greatest jazz musicians of all time. African-American composer Noble Sissle was one of the great musical artists of the 20th century. Actor Clifton Webb one of America’s most popular actors in the 1940s and 50s. He was born in what’s now Beech Grove. Connie Booth who was the wife of British actor John Cleese and appeared with in the comedy series Fawlty Towers is an Indianapolis native. Singer and guitarist John Hiatt is from Indy. Recently, singers Adam Lambert and Josh Kaufman have reached national popularity — two more from Naptown. Robert Emhardt who made a career out a career out of playing unscrupulous businessmen, corrupt politicians, and unfeeling bureaucrats was from Indianapolis. Steve McQueen was born in St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, but he spent very little time here. His mother took him back to California when he was six weeks old.
Astronaut David Wolf is a local boy. Sid Grauman who opened the world famous Granuman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood was from Indianapolis. General Walter Bedell Smith, who was Eisenhower’s chief of staff during World War II and famous for his run-ins with Patton was from Indianapolis. Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden was from Indianapolis. United States Vice Presidents Charles Fairbanks and Thomas Hendricks were Indianapolis natives.
If someone asks you “What’s so special about Indianapolis?,” tell them it’s the people, because a lot of special people have come out of Indianapolis.