All Distinguished Alumni?

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the exceptional achievements of Indiana State University alumni. Since it was created fifty years ago, over 200 alumni have been honored with this award. Browsing the files, some familiar names jumped out at me. Birch Bayh Sr. (father of a US senator) was recognized for his contributions in health and physical fitness. Dr. Paul S. Rhoads (Rhoads Hall’s namesake) was recognized for medical education and research in infectious diseases. While reading through the names, ISU’s most renowned alumni was suspiciously absent. Larry Bird was not listed among the Distinguished Alumni. If anyone demonstrated distinguishable qualities for ISU, it was definitely Larry Bird. It saddens me that once again Indiana State has shunned the largest billboard for their campus.

The Decades of Union Hospital: Part 3

1980’s: An employee day-care facility opened. State licensed, it continues to give children an optimal learning environment. In 1989, the Hux Cancer Center, Transitional Care Unit, Sports Medicine, and Outpatient Physical Therapy Centers opened. These new centers reflected the medial needs of the population. Cancer and sports medicine were quickly taking the medical spotlight that once belonged to polio and influenza.

1990’s: The hospital had developed into the largest medical center between Indianapolis and St. Louis. Their regional referral center served a fifteen-county area in Indiana and Illinois. Union Hospital was serving 11,000 inpatients per year and more than 150,000 outpatients.

2000 - PRESENT: In 2004, Union kept with Terre Haute tradition. The hospital sanctioned the destruction of its two oldest buildings, constructed in 1909 and 1922. Three years later, Union began a 178 million dollar expansion and renovation project. A five-story, 500,000 square foot building was added, which connected to the original hospital. This project was one of the most extensive construction projects in Terre Haute’s history. Completed in early 2010, the new hospital was nicknamed the “airport terminal” for medical care. Its title referrers to its immense size and the very modern window design adorning the front of the building.

In a little over 100 years, Union Hospital has grown from a simple twenty-bed sanitarium with seven doctors to a colossal 340 bed complex with nearly 3,000 employees. One can only imagine the immense changes that will occur in the next one hundred years.

The Decades of Union Hospital: Part 2

1940’s: During World War II, many of the doctors and forty-seven of the nurses at the hospital traveled with the armed forces, helping to set up military hospitals and mend the wounded. Although it is unclear where the doctors and nurses were stationed, it is certain that their expertise was essential.
1950’s: The medical staff at the center was treating more than 11,000 cases a year. Union Hospital was reveling in the post–World War II economic boom. Renovations to the hospital continued, boasting a 250 bed capacity by the end of the 1950s.

1960’s: The Training School for Nurses closed in 1965. Only four years later student nurses once again filled the halls. Indiana State University built the Nursing Clinical Education Building for the hospital. In exchange for the building, staff educated students in the field of nursing. Luckily, these nurses no longer lived above a power plant, unlike their predecessors. One year later, Union Hospital also began training doctors. IU’s School of Medicine, located on ISU’s campus, supplied the doctors for the program. Union Hospital opened the Family Practice Center residency placement and training for future family physicians.

1970’s: Union Hospital began a four-phase building expansion program. All administrative functions took place in the 1922 building, while all patient care occurred in the new complex. The new space allowed the institution to develop into a center for experimental research and specialized training.

The Decades of Union Hospital: Part 1

When an institution is as old as Union Hospital, it contains a lot of history. In the next few blogs, I will be exploring the growth and history of Terre Haute’s largest hospital.

1892: The Terre Haute Sanitarium was opened on 7^th and Scott Streets by Doctors Benjamin F. Swafford and Leo J. Weinstein. Weinstein dreamed up the idea of a second hospital in Terre Haute. Before the Sanitarium, the city’s only medical facility in was St. Anthony Hospital, which couldn’t accommodate the large population. In 1895, the medical facility was renamed Union Home for Invalids. The name signified collaboration between religious groups caring for the sick.

1900: Johanna Baur, head nurse for the hospital, organized the Training School for Nurses, which remained open until 1965. The school eventually served as a training ground for nursing students at Indiana State University.

1909: A $40,000 three-story brick structure replaced the original wooden structure. The new hospital boasted seventy-five beds and an operating room. A power plant was also constructed, with the upper two stories designated as housing for nurses. Many of the employees were not paid well, but were given room and board as compensation for low salary and long shifts. I can only imagine how exhausted a nurse would be in order to sleep with a power plant one floor below.

1922: Terre Haute was in the midst of its golden age. The hospital was admitting twice as many patients as it was in 1900. To properly accommodate the growing community, Union Hospital built another six floor addition.

After only 30 years, Union Hospital had already made its mark on Terre Haute. A modern facility, Union had proved it had staying power in the medical world. The Depression, World Wars, and influenza epidemic arriving in the coming decades would only prove their commitment to health and community.

What Dome?

Upon researching the history of St. Benedict Church, I discovered its picture taken before 1930. Surprisingly, there was a giant dome displayed behind its magnificent towers. Since I drive by this church every day, I knew this dome was no longer part of the building. What happened to the dome of the church?

The answer to the question begins with the church’s creation. German immigrants decided to establish a parish for the city’s sizable German Catholic population. October 1864, the original building facing Ohio Street was blessed and dedicated as St. Benedict Church.

In 1872, it became apparent that a larger structure would be needed to accommodate the growing congregation. Differing opinions and insufficient funds delayed blueprint approval for over twenty years.

On October 4, 1896, the cornerstone was finally laid; eighteen months later, construction was complete. The structure stood 130 feet long and 60 feet wide. The iconic dome was topped by a statue of Saint Michael, the Archangel.

As I know from my daily drive, the dome and its angel would not last forever. At noon on July 30, 1930, disaster engulfed the church. Painters working on the dome evacuated after a fire ignited in the rafters. Firefighters rushed to the scene, but hoses were unable to shoot water into the dome to staunch the flames. Onlookers witnessed the magnificent dome become ash and the statue of Saint Michael crash into the basement. Only the sturdy outside walls of the church survived the inferno.

Parishioners decided to rebuild, despite the fact that Terre Haute was enduring the Great Depression. In less than two years, the church reopened. Unfortunately, the dome was not replaced due to the economic restraints of the congregation.

Driving by the church every day, I now understand the sacrifices people made to rebuild their church. Instead of letting it die in the Depression, the congregation eliminated their visual icon to keep their house of faith alive.