Since Indiana joined the Union in 1816, residents and visitors alike
have pondered the essential question: What is a Hoosier? The final
answer may never be determined, but there are, at least, ways to
understand the Hoosier character. It was African American pilots taking
a stand for equal rights. It was a speech by a presidential candidate
that helped keep peace on a tragic night. It was the triumph and near
tragedy involving a Mercury Seven astronaut. And it was a sacrifice that
ensured a crucial American victory in the Pacific during World War II.
As Kurt Vonnegut once said, I don't know what it is about Hoosiers, but
wherever you go there is always a Hoosier doing something very important
there. Award-winning biographer Ray E. Boomhower tells us why.