Conrad was elected Secretary of State in 1970 and re-elected in 1974. He lost a race for governor in 1980 and became the co-chairman of the Indiana for Carter Committee. He worked for Melvin Simon and Associates, an Indianapolis developer of shopping malls, and was influential in rebuilding downtown Indianapolis and in the city's sports development. He died in 1990. The Mary Lou Hoover Conrad Music Scholarship provides renewable awards to incoming freshmen entering the School of Music.
Preference is given to students majoring in keyboard and voice.
Mary Lou, a Fort Wayne native, earned a degree in business education and library science. She was actively involved in politics and her husband's campaigns. She was a librarian for the Lawrence Township schools, a volunteer for public broadcasting, and vice president of national sales for Personal Shopper Services for 20 years. She died in 1999. Return to Top University Relations Appoints Director Heather S. Shupp, former associate marketing director at Indiana University, began her position as executive director of university relations at Ball State July 1.