Mr. Willkie graduated from Indiana University in 1913, taught high school history for a short time, before enrolling at the Indiana School of Law.  Post-graduation, Willkie went to work for his parents’ law firm, but quickly decided to enlist in the United States Army. 

 

After being discharged, Mr. Willkie pursued his career in law while also becoming highly involved with the Democratic party.  In 1920, Willkie joined Akron, Ohio law firm Mather and Nesbitt, after which he became the President of the Akron Bar Association in 1925.  Willkie moved to New York in 1929, and by 1932 was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.  In the following years, Willkie became a rising star within the political elite, and his name was frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the presidential election in 1940.  Willkie changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, and during the Republican National Convention in 1940, he was unanimously chosen as the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Willkie formally accepted the nomination in Elwood, IN on August 17 before a crowd of at least 150,000, the largest political gathering in U.S. history to that point.  Although he was not ultimately successful in his election bid, losing to a third term for Franklin D. Roosevelt, Willkie continued to stay very active in politics with a very strong civil rights platform.

 

After his sudden death in 1944, Willkie has been immortalized in many ways, including the World War II liberty ship SS Wendell Willkie being named in his honor, an 11-story residence hall at Indiana University named Willkie Quadrangle, and in 1992 the United States Postal Service marked the centennial of Willkie’s birth with a 75-cent stamp in the Great Americans series.

Mr. Gerig first began his career as a middle school teacher, but quickly made the transition to working for the local newspaper.

 

Mr. Gerig went on to be appointed as press secretary to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar from 1978-1981, before joining the White House staff under the Reagan Administration. From 1982-1987, he served as a lobbyist and head of the public and governmental affairs department for Merchants National Corporation, now PNC Bank Indiana. In 1987, he collaborated to create Sease, Gerig & Associates.

 

Mr. Gerig earned his degree from Anderson University, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees for more than 30 years. He was chairman of the board for more than 20 years. Always involved in his community, Gerig has been appointed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to the White River State Park Development Commission. He has previously served a variety of organizations, including Christian Theological Seminary, Wishard Foundation Board, Leukemia Society of North America, and Benjamin Harrison YMCA. He also chaired local, national and regional media coverage of the 1987 Pan American Games, which placed Indianapolis on the map as the “Amateur Sports Capital” of the world.

Mr. Bomholt earned both his Bachelor of Science in Education and his Master of Education degrees from Ball State University.  He served as a Social Studies teacher at Elwood High School from 1973-1995, while also coaching multiple sports, most notably Varsity Baseball from 1977-1990.  He then served as the Athletic Director for EHS from 1995 until his retirement in 2005.  He was instrumental, along with Julie Johnson, in the creation of the girl’s softball field and the building of the Max Hoppel Tennis Complex. 

 

Mr. Bomholt has also served his community extensively as a member of the Optimist Club, the YMCA board of directors, the library board of directors, and an active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. 

 

Mr. Bomholt was the recipient of the Junior Achievement Applied Economics Teacher of the Year in 1993, the Olin W. Davis Exemplary Teacher of Economics 1991 and 1997, and the Madison County Service Award from the Athletic Association in 2005.

Dr. Durm is a 2001 graduate of Elwood Community High School and was valedictorian of his class.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame, completed medical school at the University of Michigan, followed by the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed his fellowship. 

 

Dr. Durm was the 2014 recipient of the George and Sarah Jane Fisher Young Investigator Award that is given by the Hoosier Cancer Research Network.  Dr. Durm's practice philosophy is built around providing the highest level of treatment possible to help his patients fight their cancer and improve their quality of life. He has special clinical interests in lung cancer, clinical research, and head and neck cancer. 

 

Dr. Durm serves as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.

Thomas Austin was born and raised in Elwood, Indiana, and has dedicated his entire life to the betterment of his community.  Austin started with Elwood Community School Corporation first as a teacher, then pursued principalship, and retired having served as the superintendent from 1994 until 2010.

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During his tenure as superintendent, Austin guided the district through the remodeling of two elementary schools and the installation of geothermal looping systems at the elementary and high school campus.  Austin was able to uphold the fiscal integrity of the school corporation, maintaining a record of financial stability without deficit, all while fostering positive relationships among staff and within the community.

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Austin has served on the boards of St. Vincent Mercy Hospital Foundation, the Optimist Club, the Elwood Redevelopment Commission, Elwood Community Development Corporation and the Elwood Chamber of Commerce.  Austin also continues to contribute to the growth of students with the Elwood Community School Corporation by continuing to coach golf, a sport he loves.  Austin is a fierce advocate for the school system, and seeks opportunities every day to improve the lives of the students attending Elwood Schools through volunteerism and community service.

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In the words of Mr. Austin, “I want to underscore how important Elwood has been to me and my family’s life,” he said, “and I will give back for as long as I can.”
 

Hubert Richard Merritt earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Elementary Education and School Administration.  Merritt dedicated this education to a career with Elwood Community School Corporation for 39 years.  Merritt served as a teacher, principal, and finally, superintendent of schools.

 

Merritt was deeply devoted to education and the Elwood community.  His words are a simple testament to his philosophy of education, “Stay on the side of the kids, and you usually win.”  He also gave credit to his wife, Raeanna, who encouraged him to be involved in all aspects of Elwood Schools.  

 

Merritt was a member of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Indiana Retired Teachers Association, Rotary International, Elwood Elks No. 368, and a 40-year member of the Elwood Country Club. 

 

Merritt served on the board of directors of several organizations including The Madison County Center for Mental Health, Elwood YMCA, Junior Achievement of Madison County, Elwood Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army, John Hinds Area Vocational Advisory Board, Elwood Community Action Council, Project Promise and Elwood Rotary Club. 

Terri Austin earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Ball State University in 1977 and 1981 respectively.  She then served as a teacher and then administrator for Anderson Community Schools from 1983 until 2001.

 

Austin made the decision to run for the Indiana House of Representatives in District 36, and won her election on November 5, 2002.  She continued to serve in this role until January of 2023.  During her 20 years in the House of Representatives, she served as the Assistant Democratic Floor Leader, the Minority Whip, and the Democratic Caucus Chair from 2021-2023.  

 

During her time serving as a representative, Austin also worked as an Adjunct Professor for Anderson University’s School of Education.

 

Currently, Austin serves on the Advisory Board for the National Conference of State Legislators, as well as continuing her role at Anderson University.  She serves on numerous community service committees, as well as participating in the Anderson Rotary Club, League of Women Voters, and American Association of University Women.  Austin is a member of the Alexandria, Anderson, and Elwood Chamber of Commerce.  She currently serves as the Chair on the Board of Directors for Women in Government, as well as the Director of the Madison County Community Alliances to Promote Education.

Wilfred “George” Dudley graduated from Wendell L. Willkie High School in 1949. As the

first in his family to attend college, Dudley graduated from Ball State University in 1953

with his BS in Education, 1960 with his MA of Education, and went on to achieve his

Lifetime Administrator License.  Dudley proudly served his country in the US Army.

Corporal Dudley’s typing skills were in demand and were valued stateside.

 

Dudley’s first teaching job in La Crosse, Indiana, was teaching industrial arts, which he

loved, and typing, which he did not. He was then recruited by Assistant Superintendent

John Hinds after one year of teaching as an industrial arts teacher. He had a career in

this field which he loved. He was then promoted to Assistant High School Principal.  In

1969, he advanced to principal of Oakland Elementary School and later retired from the

Elwood Community School Corporation after serving as Assistant Superintendent.

 

He loved teaching and students. He was patient and often used teasing and laughter to

connect. He was supportive of teachers and was always a strong advocate for them. He

had an open-door policy and was always respected and never feared. Mr. Dudley loved

his job; he believed in teachers and the power of education to change lives.

 

Dudley was a proud and active participant in the life of the First United Methodist

Church. He supported his community through several service organizations including

the Elks, the Masons, Shriners, Elwood Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis. While

with the Kiwanis, he served as the president of his local chapter along with serving as

Lt. Governor for 2 years and was recognized for 25 years of service with Kiwanis. He

was a strong supporter of the Elwood community.

 

George Dudley was best known for his love of children of all ages. He demonstrated

that love daily with positive thinking, kindness and generosity.

Dr. Robert Helm graduated from Indiana University Medical School in 1984 and completed his medical residency at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Indiana.  Upon graduation, Dr. Helm made the decision to return to his hometown of Elwood to practice medicine and support the citizens of Elwood.

 

Dr. Helm has provided healthcare access and hometown support to his community for over 40 years. He regularly volunteers his services to provide free sports physicals to the students of Elwood Community School Corporation so that those who cannot afford them can still participate in athletics and extra-curricular activities.  Additionally, Dr. Helm has been recognized for officiating wrestling at the local and state level as well as umpiring baseball locally for many years.

 

In addition to his current practice, Dr. Helm also serves as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine for Indiana University School of Medicine.