III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 698 

Honoring the dedication of the Ball family to providing college educations 

and celebrating their 100-year legacy at Ball State University. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2022 

Mr. BRAUN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the dedication of the Ball family to providing college educations and celebrating their 100-year legacy at 

Ball State University. 

Whereas, in 1880, the Ball brothers, Edmund, Frank, 

George, Lucius, and William, founded an American manufacturing company to produce wood-jacketed tin cans 

with a $200 loan from their uncle; 

Whereas, in 1884, the Ball family began making glass homecanning jars, the product that made the Ball Corporation 

a household name; 

Whereas the Ball brothers moved from Buffalo, New York, 

to Muncie, Indiana, in 1887; 


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•SRES 698 IS 

Whereas the first glassware was produced in Muncie in 1888, 

and the Ball Corporation led the United States in production of fruit jars by 1900; 

Whereas, by purchasing the land and buildings, the Ball 

brothers rescued Muncie National Institute, which was 

renamed ‘‘Indiana State Normal Institute, Eastern Division’’, and later donated the school to the State of Indiana; 

Whereas, in June 1918, classes began at the new Muncie 

campus to prepare students in east central Indiana to become educators; 

Whereas, in recognition of the generosity of the Ball family, 

the Indiana General Assembly renamed the school as 

‘‘Ball Teachers College’’ in 1922 and ‘‘Ball State Teachers College’’ in 1929; 

Whereas, in 1927, the Muncie Chamber of Commerce proposed a memorial to express gratitude for the generosity 

of the Ball family on behalf of Muncie and Ball Teachers 

College; 

Whereas, by the 1960s, the school had begun to attract faculty from outside the Midwest and students sought majors in business, architecture, and other emerging disciplines; 

Whereas, in 1965, the Indiana General Assembly renamed 

the school ‘‘Ball State University’’, acknowledging phenomenal growth in enrollment and facilities, the variety 

and quality of educational programs and services, and the 

anticipation of the broader role the school would play in 

the future of Indiana; 

Whereas enrollment and funding at Ball State University 

surged with trends across the United States and new faVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:03 Jun 24, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR698.IS SR698

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•SRES 698 IS 

cilities and degree offerings were added, including the 

college of architecture, the human performance lab, and 

the center for radio and television, marked a new period 

of growth, and solidified the shift from a small regional 

teachers’ college to a major State university emphasizing 

‘‘education, research, and service’’; 

Whereas Ball State University continues to produce alumni 

who, in various fields and endeavors, make great impacts 

in Indiana and throughout the United States; and 

Whereas Ball State University and its namesake, the Ball 

family, have played a vital role in education of Hoosiers 

and other individuals throughout the United States: Now 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) acknowledges that— 

3 (A) the philanthropy and dedication to the 

4 Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana, commu5 nity by the Ball brothers and their families has 

6 been and continues to be vital to the economic 

7 development, growth, cultural identity, and rich 

8 history of the community and Indiana; and 

9 (B) the legacy of the Ball brothers, their 

10 families, and Ball State University, with its 

11 education program and service to the commu12 nity, continues to enrich the community, Indi13 ana, and the world; 


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•SRES 698 IS 

1 (2) honors the dedication of the Ball brothers 

2 and their families to providing college educations; 

3 and 

4 (3) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the re5 naming of Indiana State Normal Institute, Eastern 

6 District as ‘‘Ball Teachers College’’ and later as 

7 ‘‘Ball State University’’. 

Æ 


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