Thomas Abram Hendricks  

Thomas Abram Hendricks b. Birth: May 30, 1893 Peru Miami County Indiana Death: 4 Nov 1964 Chicago Cook county Illinois burial: NOV 7,1964 Section: Sec: 14, Lot: 72 Crown Hill Cemetery Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana

Thomas A Hendricks Chicago Executive is Legal Resident of Culver

1780 East Shore Drive Culver
Editor Citizen:

You asked for it; so here's the duck barrel. The shots are scattered, but some may hit the target

I have played tournament tennis with Bill Tilden, ridden the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with "Howdy" Wilcox and Ralph DePalma in practice trials, seen several generations of race drivers come and go - Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Murphy, Barney Oldfield, Cannonball Baker, Pete DePaola, Wilbur Shaw, and Carl Fisher, creator of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and builder of Miami Beach - all swell guys

I have raced with Harry Nye America’s leading inland sailor; covered the great Ohio River in 1937 with Westbrook Pegler.

My best friend in my boyhood was Cole Porter. His father ran one drug store and my father the other in Peru, Indiana

I rode in America's first "horseless carriage" with Elwood Haynes, the inventor, on one of its pioneer runs. It is now in the Smithsonian Institution.

I survived World War I, including the "Battle of Paris", and lived to cover France and Germany on the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper tour. Also attended the Borbonne.

Jim Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense, was a classsmate and good friend of mine at Princeton - Class of 1915.

I was a member of the "Idle Ward" at the Indianapolis News, with Bill Herschell who inherited Riley's mantle as the "Hoosier Poet". Gaar Williams, cartoonist who was later with the Chicago Tribune and Kin Hubbard, creator of "Abe Martin".

The "Idle Ward" was the first organized tranquilizer. Its motto was, "As work is such a good ting, let's leave some of it for tomorrow".

I was on of Booth Tarkington's boys. Many of the "Penrod" and "Seventeen" stories were about our gang of kids who operated on Pennsylvania, Meridian, and Delaware Streets in the heart of Indianapolis.

Meeting Meredith Nicholson, George Ade, and Senator Albert Beveridge, the Lincoln biographer, were daily occurrences. Beginning as a high school reporter on the Indianapolis Star, I worked on the old Indiana Tines and the Indianapolis News where I wrote feature sports. - including the State Legislature.

Jim Stuart, editor of the Indianapolis Star, was my first boss. Incidentally, more medical executives have worked for Jim than any other newspaperman - Harvey Sethman of Denver, the latte Ray Smith of Indiana, Jim Wagener of Indiana, and Joe Palmer of Indianapolis, among them.

Later at Princeton I knew Woodrow Wilson (he was Governor of New Jersey when I was an undergraduate), and from boyhood and on through the years I have known most of the Indiana politicians - Senator John W Kern, Democratic canidate for Vice President; Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks; Governor Paul V. McNutt; Governor Henry F. Shricker; Vice President Tom Marshall, whose contribution to Americana is, "What America needs is a good five-cent cigar"; Senator Jim Watson and Wendell WIllkie

I served ten years in the Indiana Legislature - one term in the house and two in the Senate. In the Senate I invited and played host to Will Rogers when he addressed the Indiana Senate. It was on that occasion he said, "It gives me great pleasure to address thre grand and glorious Senate of the Sate of Indiana which I understand is the best Senate that money can buy."

In writing and broadcasting sports I was a buddy and confidante of Knute Rockne, George Gipp, the Four Horsemen, and many All Americans, mostly from Indiana, Norte Dame and Purdue were the subjects of many intimate stories. Rockne and Jack and Bill Ingram of the Naval Academy made their arrangements for Notre Dame - Navy games on the front porch of my cottage at Culver

Along with my brother, Blythe, we broadcast what was probably the first basketball game ever on the air. We were one of the pioneer broadcasters of the Indianapolis 500 mile Speedway Race. As an alibi for not being a race driver, my contribution is the poem, "Lady Luck", which has become known as "The Saga of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway" and is reprinted from time to time in Speedway programs.

Throughout the years I have had the pleasure of knowing many editors and publishers. Henry Watterson of the Louisville Courier-Journal; the Wolfes, both the senior and junior members of the "Wolfe Pack" publishers of the Ohio state Journal and the Columbus Dispatch who had a cottage at Maxinkuckee for many years; Julius Adler, Senior and Junior of the New York Times; C. Walter (Mickey) McCarty, editor, Indianapolis News; Gene Pulliam, publisher of the Indianapolis Star and News; Elsey Roberts of the old St Louis Star; and Phil Jackson of the Portland Journal. Incidentally, my father-in-law founded the Kansas City Star along with Nelson.

I was the first newspaperman to become a full-time executive of a medical organization when I was appointed executive secretary of the Indiana State Medical Association in 1924. For 32 years I have been a medical executive, coming to the A.M.A. as secretary of the Council on Medical Service and Public Relations in 1946, shortly after its creation


During the time I was secretary of the Indiana State Medical Association, the Ste Association developed many plans and programs which were adopted nationally. Among them was the Indiana Bureau of Publicity - one of the first to give information on medical subjects "in language the man on the street could understand". I was also managing editor of the State Medical Journal which was the first to bring many modern magazine practices to medical journalism. We were the first to use pictures of living physicians on the front cover and the first to use front page color pictures. We did away with frotn cover advertising, had editorial and personal shorts, used half column cuts, had feature cover stories, and gave prominence to articles on medical economic subjects as well as scientific papers.

We were among the first to have a weekly legislative bulletin during the sessions of the Legislature, keeping the profession in touch with developments at the State House. We set up an executive committee of the State Association which met once a month, held annual county officers medical society conferences.

Out outline of legislative procedures was adopted by a special legislative committee of the A.M.A. and used as a model in the '30's

The Indiana Plan of Preventative Medicine was developed as a constructive program to offset socialized medicine - the first proposal formulated for that purpose.

In the 10 years that I served as the secretary for the American Medical Association Council On Medical Service and Public Relations and the Council on Medical Service, the council has sponsored the first regional conferences, created the first monthly newsletter to the profession, developed annual conference of county medical society officers, held the first A.M.A. public relations conference, developed the original 14-point Program of American Medicine, established the Washington Office, presented the idea for the Student A.M.A., directed the Physician Placement Service and promoted prepayment program throughout America, urged formation of community health councils, local society grievance committees, emergency call systems, and made many studies in regard to indigent care, multiple screening, union health centers, and chronic illness.

I had the longest title of any one worker in and out of Washington during World War II. I was the Executive Consultant for the Directing Board of the Procurement and Assignment Service for Physicians, Dentists, Veterinarians, Sanitary Engineers, and Burses of the War Manpower Commission.

I was the first director of field service at A.M.A. and now am assistant to the executive vice president and general manager

I belong to the Public Relations Society of America where I have served several times as chairman of the nominating committee for the Chicago Chapter and am now chairman of the Eligibility Committee. I am now serving on the national board of directors of P.R.S.A.

I belong to the Rotary Club of Chicago where I have serves as chairman of the Public Relations and Publications Committees and am no chairman of the Rotarian Magazine Committee.

I am a member of the University Club of Chicago where I am on the SPorts and Pastimes Committee.

I am a member of the Literary Club of Chicago.

I belong to the Service Club of Indianapolis and American Legion having served on several of their national committees

I am married and have one daughter and two grandchildren. My daughter Cynthia is Mrs. Robert E. Hollowell Jr. of our Lake Maxinkuckee summer colony

My extracurricular activities are tennis, fishing, sailing, and playing squash racquets, walking on shores of Lake Maxinkuckee, and reading - mostly biographies and history and baby-sitting. I have been a member of several district squash racquets championship teams. Two years ago I was the guest of honor and principal speaker at the Western Squash Association meeting in Indianapolis

The thing that has given me the greatest satisfaction has been the fact that on the sports desk at Indianapolis News I had direct contact with the correspondents from the Indiana colleges. The News was the afternoon paper; so my instructions to these correspondents were, "I am not interested primarily in who won or lost, in scores, or the results of games. They are covered by the morning papers, I am interest in "color" and incidents related to the games; so if you can take a fact and weave a short interesting story around it, it is worth more than all the detailed play by play coverage you can send us."

Among those correspondents were:

At Indiana University - John Stempel, no head of the Indiana School of Journalism and Jimmy Adams who became vice president of Genral Foods.

At Purdue - Steve Hannagan, perhaps America's greatest publicity man.

At Notre Dame - Arch Ward and Frank Wallace, who now does the annual football preview for the
Saturday Evening Post.

At Franklin - The late Wayne Coy, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and one of the executive editors of the Washington Post.

At DePauw - Done and Phil Maxwell of the Chicago Tribune and the Hogates - Don and his brother, Kenneth (Casey) who was the publisher of the Wall Street Journal.

Butler - John Heine - composer of the "Butler War Song" and said to be the originator of the first radio quiz program - "Professor Quiz".

I like to think that somehow I implanted the idea with them that there is something more than the mere score in any ball game and that I gave them a human interest slant which may have helped them to be outstanding in their chosen work.

I have been coming to Maxinkuckee for some 60 years; seldom ever having missed a summer two week's vacation at Culver.

I am national president of the Medical Society Executives Association composed of the executive and public relations men who are working in the medical and health fields throughout the nation.

During the year I make some 25 to 50 talks, usually at the request of medical or allied societies, I have been introduced as a "Southern Hoosier", "A Hoosier 'Hot Shot’", bu the greatest compliments in being introduces as "The Gentleman from Indiana" or "Mr. A.M.A.", which is somewhat of an overstatement for any one guy - Tommy (Thomas A. Hendricks)

Editors note: Thomas A Hendricks was named for his great uncle, who was Vice-President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. Governor of Indiana and United States Senator from Indiana.

TOM HENDRICKS SUMMER RESIDENT DIES IN CHICAGO

Thomas A. Hendricks, a summer resident of 1780 East Shore Drive, Culver , died of a heart attack Wednesday, Nov. 4, while playing squash at the University Club in Chicago. He was 70 years of age.

Mr. Hendricks, Indiana sportsman, newspaperman, politician, and a national spokesman for medicine, had been assistant to the executive vice-president of the Continental Casualty Company since September, 1963.

Prior to that he had been a ranking executive of the American Medical Association since 1946. From 1924 to 1946 he was executive director of the Indiana State Medical Association.

He was a graduate of Shortridge High School, Indianapolis, and of Princeton University.

Mr. Hendricks recalled he spent his childhood as one of the Booth Tarkington boys, a gang that included Cole Porter, thelate Hoosier song writer.

Many of Tarkington's Penrod and Seventeen stories were about the Tarkington gang that roamed the near downtown around the turn of the century.

He was a great nephew of Thomas A. Hendricks, former U.S. Senator and Vice-President.

Mr. Hendricks began his newspaper career as a high school reporter for The Indianapolis Starand later went to The Indianapolis News.

There, he once wrote, " I did sports, including the state legislature ."

He worked on the city's newspapers in the era of Meredith Nicholson, George Ade and Senator Albert Beveridge.

As a sportsman he rode at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Howdy Wilcox and Ralph DePalma and played tournament tennis with the great Bill Tilden.

He rode in the country's first horseless carriage with its inventor, Elwood Haynes of Kokomo. Mr. Hendricks, with his brother Blythe, is credited with making the first radio broadcast of a Hoosier basketball game. He also was among the pioneer broadcasters of the 500-Mile Race.

Mr. Hendricks served in France during World War I in the Army and worked there for "Stars and Stripes." He served in the Indiana General Assembly, both in the House of Representatives (1933-35) and the Senate (1935-41 ). He was a Democrat.

He invited the late Will Rogers to address the State Senate and the humorist began his oration by saying " I understand this is the best Senate that money can buy ."

Mr. Hendricks was the first newspaperman to become executive secretary of a medical association and under his leadership Indiana's became one of the most active and progressive in the United States.

He went to the American Medical Association in Chicago in 1946 as secretary to the AMA Council on Medical Services. He later became assistant to the executive vice-president of the association.

Mr. Hendricks commuted between Chicago, where he had an apartment, and Culver , where he kept a summer home.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday i n Flanner and Buchanan Fall Creek Mortuary, Indianapolis. Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Robert Hollowell Jr. of Indianapolis, and three grandchildren.

Peggy Hendricks' Cjecl Endorsed By Eisenhower

Second Term Wager Produces A Novel Local Memento

(Reprinted from the current issue of the Bulletin of the American Medical Association, published in Chicao)

Thomas A. Hendricks, secretary of the A.M.A. Council on Medical Service and his wife, Peggy, caused no end of excitement in the The State Exchange Bank down in Culver, Indiana; in fact, the most excitement and commotion since Dillinger days when gunmen held up this fine old Hoosier institution.

The story goes back to some weeks ago when Mrs. Hendricks bet A.M.A. President Elmer Hess that President Eisenhower would not run again. The came the President's announcemnet that he would seek another term. Mrs. Hendricks promptly sent a $5 check in payment of the wager to Dr. Hess. In turn Dr. Hess endorsed the check to Dwight D. Eisenhower, marking it as a "campaign contribution" and sent it on to the President with a note stating that he (Dr. Hess) hoped this would be an initial campaign contribution for the second term race. In due time the check came back to the Culver bank signed as follows:
To the Republican National Commitee - Dwight D. Eisenhower


The President's writing and signature on the back of a $5 check caused no end of talk and comment in the bank for days.

The check is now a souvenir in the Hendricks household, and Tom says he well fram and hang it over the fireppplace of his summer home at 1780 East Shore Drive in Culver.

Editor's note: Tommy Hendricks' great Uncle, Thomas A. Hendricks, for whom he was names, was successively Governor of INdiana, U. S. Senator from Indiana, and Vice-President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. He died in 1885 while Vice-President and was the first person to be buried in Crown HIll Cemetery at Indianapolis.

m. 1924 Margaret C. "Peggy" Millis Cothrell born Dec. 11, 1900, at Evansville, Vanderburgh county Indiana Death: Feb 23 1964 Chicago, Cook county Illinios burial: 11/07/1964 Section: 14 Lot: 72 Crown Hill Cemetery Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. daughter of Erastus L. Cothrell and Mary Ellen McDougall

Mrs. T Hendricks Summer resident, Dies In Chicago

Mrs. Margaret Hendricks, age, 62, of chicago and 1780 East Shore drive Culver died Sunday evening in Chicago following an extended illness.

Mrs. Hendricks and her husband, Thomas A. Hendricks, have been summer residents of Culver for many years.

Surviving with her husband are a daughter, Mrs. Robert Hollowell of Indianapolis and three grandchildren.

Funeral services are being held today at the Flanner and buchanan Mortuary in Indianapolis and interment will be at Indianapolis. - 26 Feb 1964 Culver Citizen

Indianapolis rites Held For Peggy Hendricks

Mrs. Margaret C. 'Peggy' Hendricks, well-known Lake Maxinkuckee summer resident of 1780 East Shore Road, died Sunday, Feb. 23 at presbyterian-St Lukes hospital in Chicago after an exteneded illness.

Mrs. hendricks, with her husband, Thomas A. hendricks, resided at 1518 Outer Drive East Apts., 400 East Randolph street, Chicago.

born Dec. 11, 1900, at Evansville, Mrs. hendricks was the daughter of E. L. Cothrell, co-founder of the kansas city Star and a former realtor in Indianapolis. She graduated from Tudor Hall, Indianapolis, and Bradford Junior College and Bennett College in New York.

An enthisoatice member of Culver 's macinkuckee Yacht club, Mrs. hendricks also held membership in Chicago's junior League and Wapsi Valley Tennis Club; the Woodstock club of Indianapolis; and was also a former member of the Indianapolis League.

Surviving with her husband are a daughter, Mrs. Robert Hollowell Jr. of Indianapolis; a sister Mrs. Charles Mayer of Indianapolis; and thre grandchildren,J ulie,Lauri and Thomas Henricks Hollowell, all of Indianpolis.

Services were held at 1 p.m. Wedensday, feb. 26, at the flander-Buchanan Mortuary in Indianapolis. Burial was made at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis 4 March feb 1964 Culver Citizen

They had:

Cynthia H. Hendricks Birth: Oct. 5, 1927 Indianapolis Marion County Indiana Death: Jun. 29, 2009 Indianapolis Marion County Indiana Burial: Crown Hill Cemetery Indianapolis Marion County Indiana married c 1946 Robert Ertal "Bob" Hollowell, Jr Birth: Oct. 10, 1926 Indianapolis Marion County Indiana, Death: Aug. 31, 2012 Indianapolis Marion County Indiana Burial: Crown Hill Cemetery Indianapolis Marion County Indiana son of Robert E. Hollowell and Juanita Marie Baumgartner