Peg Board

In Memoriam
Bill Hudnut ’50: The People’s Mayor
Darrow School was saddened
to learn of the recent passing of
one of the School’s most accomplished
alumni, William H. “Bill”
Hudnut III, Class of 1950, the
longest-serving mayor (1976–92)
in Indianapolis history. He died
on December 18, 2016, at the
age of 84.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio,
the 6-foot-5 Hudnut’s passion
for leadership blossomed on the
Mountainside, where he was
class valedictorian and a star of
the basketball team.
At Princeton he was a Phi
Beta Kappa scholar, and
earned a master’s degree in theology
from Union Theological Seminary in
New York City before becoming an
ordained minister. In his first bid for
political office in 1972 he defeated a
four-term incumbent to win a seat as
a member of the 93 rd United States
Congress.
When Hudnut was first elected
mayor in 1975, Indianapolis was an
economically depressed Rust Belt
city. Over the course of 16 years, he
laid the groundwork of a plan to boost
economic development, business, and
construction, turning the city into a hub
for conventions and sporting events.
“The vision I have for Indianapolis
is a city that is both economically
competitive and compassionate toward
urban and human problems,” said the
gregarious Hudnut, known affectionately
as “the people’s mayor.”
In perhaps his crowning achievement,
he spearheaded construction of the
“Hoosier Dome” football stadium in
1982, and then persuaded the Baltimore
Colts to move to Indianapolis in 1984
when construction was completed.
Hudnut’s tenure saw the city’s
downtown complete more than 30
In 2014, the city of Indianapolis dedicated a life-sized
bronze statue of its former mayor, William “Bill”
Hudnet ’50. His figure is posed sitting on a park
bench, and is inscribed with the title, “Mayor Bill.”
major building projects, including renovations
and expansions to Monument
Circle, Indianapolis Union Station, the
Indiana University School of Medicine,
and the Indiana Convention Center.
After his final term he relocated to
Chicago, and later to the Washington,
D.C., area. He was elected mayor of
Chevy Chase, Maryland, serving from
2004 to 2006.
In 2015, Hudnut was one of several
former mayors who wrote a public letter
amid uproar over a religious objections
law signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Hudnut and other mayors said the law
threatened to undo efforts made since
1967 to “build an inclusive, caring and
hospitable city.” Pence and lawmakers
later approved changes to the law.
A statue of Hudnut sitting on a bench
was erected in downtown Indianapolis
in 2014. Current Mayor Joseph Hogsett
called for all state and county officials
to fly flags at half-staff during the week
following Hudnut’s death.
Bill Hudnut is survived by his wife,
Beverly, and four children.
—Editor’s note: Alan Mayers ’50
contributed to this article.
Oran Kelley ’60
Oran Allen Kelley, 72, of Hampstead,
NC, died on September 25,
2012, at New Hanover Regional Medical
Center. Classmate Mike Terry ’60
writes: “Oran and I both grew up in
Worcester, MA, but we did not know
one another until Darrow. I followed
my brother, Ed ’58, entering Darrow
as a freshman in the fall of 1955.
When I returned sophomore year, I
was assigned a room in Wickersham
with Bob Warner ’60, Dennis Walker
’60, and Oran. (Quite the foursome!).
He and I became friends that year,
and remained so through graduation.
He was a fun guy, a very good soccer
goalie, and a three-year member
of the varsity hockey and baseball
teams. After graduation, though, we
went our separate ways, and our
paths did not cross again until our
50 th reunion at Darrow. It was great
to see him again. We shall miss him.”
Owen Kelly ’60
Owen Kelly passed away on August
30, 2016. Classmate Bob Warner
’60 writes: “Owen came to Darrow
in our junior year. He was a ‘townie’
from Pittsfield, but he boarded at the
School. In his senior year, he lived
with Mike Terry ’60, Tom Atkin ’60,
and Don Woytowick ’60 on the top
floor of Hinckley House. Owen went
on to graduate from Norwich University
and to serve in the U.S. Army. He
never married. He lived in Florida for
the past four decades, and was reclusive.
Owen never came to any of our
Reunions, until the 50 th in 2010, but
his coming then showed that his time
with us was still a precious memory
for him. In spite of that history, the
remarkable thing about Owen was his
financial commitment to Darrow, most
recently making a $50,000 gift to the
Legacy Society.. Each and every year
he was one of the most consistent
donors in our class. He clearly had a
quiet loyalty and love for Darrow.”
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PEG BOARD FALL/WINTER 2016–17