Norman Adams Perry  

Norman Adams Perry born 11 Apr 1890 Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana died Feb 1964 - Broward, Florida Burial Cronw Hill Cemetery Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana the son of Charles Coffin and Capitola (Adams) Perry who also had: James A. and Ruth.

CIVIC CITY TO PARADE RESPECTS TO NORMAN A. (COPY-BOY) PERRY
Even Weather Man Has Change of Heart on Tribe Owner's Birthday -- Proprietor of Indians Listed as One of Baseball's Archangels -- Team Pennant Favorite.

Civic Indianapolis will rise to the glad occasion Tuesday of parading its: respects to Norman A. Perry, a former copy boy on The News, who owns and operates the Indianapolis baseball club, an organization that boasts one of the finest baseball plants in these here United States. So please get this weather fixed.

This parading of respects is an annual custom with our civic bodies, but it does and should take on more gusto when it is done in behalf of a homegrown citizen, because it is pretty generally understood that he who builds a $500,000 baseball plant in this day and age is not one of the persons President Hoover's hoarding commission is looking for.

It seems fitting and proper that the civic city should parade its respects to Mr. Perry merely as a salute due any philanthropist as well as the honor ordinarily accorded the sportsman who runs the home-town ball club.

Editor Perry, as he was called by those who hired him many years ago, is a baseball fan by adoption. There was nothing in his early life to indicate that some day he would sit in a fashionable baseball plant in the American Association, calmly accepting the plaudits of visiting major league baseball writers who would refer to him as the modest young general of our national pastime. When he attended school as the Lew Wallace No. 11 Public School at Thirteenth street and Capitol avenue, he didn't play anything. And yet today, his forty-first birthday by the way, he is up to his chin in the sport that Abner Doubleday started in 1839.

Works Way Through.

Despite the fact that Norman worked through all departments of the Indianapolis Light and Heat Company, organized and personally financed the appliance department of that company, served as its secretary after returning from his war work in the aircraft production department, and ultimately became president of the concern six months after the death of his father, C. C. Perry, in September, 1924, from which he resigned in 1931, he is not much concerned about the finances involved in his present whirl.

They say his park cost $500,000, but when you ask him how much it cost, he answers, "Plenty." If you insist, he, too, insists that it doesn't matter now, "it's paid for." And when you invite him to tell you how much it costs to run his baseball team for one year, you get another, "Plenty," with emphasis a bit firmer on this one. And so you give up and ask him how it all happened that he has taken such an interest in baseball. He owns 962 shares of the 1,000 shares that exist in the stock that comprises his baseball club. The thirty-eight other shares are owned by three Indianapolis business men.

Back in 1927 Norman's brother Jim purchased the Indianapolis team and at that time Norman bought 25 per cent., "just for the fun of it." In 1928, with Bruno Betzel managing the team, and Red Corriden coaching, Jim won a pennant. Then came the tragic airplane accident in which Jim met his death, June 26, 1929.

In October of 1930 Norman bought the 75 per cent, of the stock from the estate of his brother, making a cash purchase of it. Largely on account of Jim, Norman decided he would go along with the baseball team for while.

Gradually he became very much interested, and being interested, he wondered why people did not come to watch his team play. Some one told him people didn't like to go to Washington park. So he decided he would build a new park. His quick step manner of dealing with baseball problems that in any way disturb his business plans have made him the talk of the baseball world. When he decided to build new park he couldn't rest until he was sitting in it watching his team perform.

He couldn't wait until it was completed to open it. For that reason a formal dedication of the park will not be arranged until later on this season, Since the park opened late last season additional improvements have made it one of the nation's beauty spots of baseball. The big league writers who have come through here have gone dippy over it. It's no wonder that our own civic city is more aroused this year than ever before. Perry stadium is something to set axcited and even if you live in New York it seems to be something to write home about.

There are 2,108 box seats in the new park, 2,244 reserved grandstand seats 8,000 unreserved grandstand seats and 2,500 seats in the bleachers. The place is built, so Mr. Perry said, to last forever. It looks it, too. Everywhere you turn you see steel or concrete and the structure is modern with a vengeance. Mr. Perry can sit in his offices on the second floor and look into a mirror and see how many tickets have been sold out of the ticket racks in the downstairs ticket office. And about the cnly reason he likes a crowd is that the game is better then and he likes also to see something worth while being appreciated.

Perry stadium has been designed for the comfort of the fans, the convience of the players and effectiveness of the employes.

Having built a perfect park Mr. Perry then decided do a little work on his ball club. According to reports that work has been well done, too. Judging from the activities of the Indians as opposed to the antics of big league opponents the boys this year will be dressed up with some place to go and the stuff to get them there.

In order to stimulate enthusiasm, Mr. Perry invites the ladies to be present free of charge on Mondays and Thursdays and he thinks these two days will be the days selected for night games as soon as the weather comes to. The first night game probably will be the night of the annual 500-mile race at the speedway, although it might be a little earlier as. the team comes home off the road May 22.

Minneapolis 1s the opening day guest and after Ownie Bush takes his Millers away, St. Paul, Kansas City and Milwaukee will play in the new park before the Indians go out on the road to play every team in the league.

While Mr. Perry 1s impatient to complete tasks that seem to fall on his shoulders he does not exert the same pressure on those he employs. He doesn't relish losing but he does not announce that he'll have a winning team or know the reason why. He isn't the type. Maybe that's why the Big League writers like him. He doesn't profess to know baseball up one side and down the other but he has absorbed a generous fund of information on the game considering the time he has been involved.

Aside from baseball he has no particular hobbies. He likes to fish but doesn't have his picture taken with his greatest catches. He smokes a lot of cigars but they don't come wrapped in tinfoil. They are sort of panatella shaped as he is himself.

He plays bridge but will discuss a ball player with you at the same time. He manages to get to a football game every Saturday during the season and doesn't demand seats on the fifty-yard line.

He owns a boat and some automobiles and he has a very attractive home at Lake Maxinkuckee, near his alma mater, where he and Mrs. Perry entertain a great deal. Norman Jr., his son, attends Culver Military Academy when he isn't working out with the Indians or riding a pony at one of the local Made Work Fund polo shows.

Always on Job

His friends, and he has a world of them, call him Norm and he calls them by their first name too. He has always been a hard worker. Now that baseball is his business you can always find him at the ball park during business hours. If they can't locate him when it's time to ride in the parade Tuesday don't think he is pulling a Jimmy Walker.

He just doesn't like to be in the foreground. If they can't even find him to pose for a picture at the home plate when the celebrities are there they might look over along the third base line. He'll be sitting down there with some friend telling the fellow that a big league magnate told him that Hale would be our leading batsman this season. You won't find him in his private box, that's a cinch. He'd probably be out in the bleachers if he could answer the telephone out there. He is one of the few big shots who never yet has asked his secretary to tell callers that one about being in conference.

Incidentally his 1932 ball club is picked to win the pennant so you'll probably be getting your money's worth at Perry stadium this season. The civic city really has something to parade about for baseball's opening day this year.


1964 - feb. 5 - Norman A. Perry dies At age 75

Norman A. Perry, age 75. well-known resident of S94 East Snore Drive, Culver , formerly of Indianapolis and New Augusta, lnd. , died at 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Lago Mar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where the Perrys. had gone Jan. 6 to spend the winter.

Mr. Perry was a former president of the Indianapolis Power and Light Company, owner of Victory Field, and former owner of the Indianapolis Indians baseball club.

The son of the late Charles C. Perry, founder of the Indianapolis Light and Heat Company, predecessor of the present Indianapolis Power; & Light Company, Mr. Perry was educated at Culver Military Academy and Michigan Military Academy. Hebecame president of the utility in 1926, when he was 36 years old, and headed the firm until 1980.

Mr. Perry had been a director of the Union Trust Company and the Indiana National Bank, president of the Illinois Realty Company, and vice-president of the Perr-Rich Corporation, all of Indianapolis.

In 1927 he served the first of two consecutive terms as president of the Columbia Club in Indianapolis. He had been a member of the Indianapolis Athletic Club. Highland Golf and Country Club, Woodstock Club, and University Club.

Mr. Perry was also a member of Indianapolis Mystic Tie Masonic Lodge No. 39S, and the York and Scottish Rite bodies. Murat Shrine, the American Legion, and the Elks Lodge. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps in World War I .

Mr. Perry assumed ownership of the Indianapolis baseball club after his brother, James Perry, the previous owner, was killed in an airplane crash in 1929. He built Perry Stadium, now known as Victory Field, in Indianapolis, in 1931 as a memorial to his brother, He sold the Indians in 1941 but retained ownership of the ball park.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Llewellyn H. Perry; a son, Norman Perry Jr., Tucson, Arizona stepson. James B. Millikan of Indianapolis: a sister, Mrs. William C. Griffith of Indianapolis and 1206 East Shore Drive. Culver; four grandchildren; and a great grandchild.

Services are being conducted at one o'clock this afternoon, Feb. 5. at Flanner & Buchanan Fall Creek Mortuary, Indianapolis, and burial will follow in the Indianapolis Crown Hill Cemetery - Culver Citizen

married 1910 Mae Neighbors b. 16 Nov 1890 Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana d. 28 Apr 1968 Tucson, Pima County Arizona. Burial Eat Lawn Palms Cemetery Tucson, Pima coutny Arizona daughter of John Henry Neighbors and Harriet C. Riley

1917-1918 they resided at 2853 Talbott Ave, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana.

Their child was:

Norman Adams Perry Jr. born 23 Apr 1915 Indianapolis, Marion Indiana and died 13 Apr 1969 Tucson, Pima, Arizona. Burial Eat Lawn Palms Cemetery Tucson, Pima coutny Arizona. He married m. 10 Jum 1939 Rosemary O'Neall born 21 Jul 1916 Crawfordville, Montgomery, Indiana died 30 Aug 1983 Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Flordia daughter of Walter Hugh and Dorothy A (Munford) O'Neall they divorced and Rosemary remarried 29 Jul 1950 Bernardsville, New Jersey widower Edwin John Beinecke, Jr. who had married Margaret Haggerty.
Norman Adams Perry III
Lynn W. Perry (daughter)

Norman married 2nd 3 Oct 1941 - Richmond Virginia Llewellyn Hereth Birth: 30 Jul 1902 - Indianapolis, Indiana Death: 4 Apr 1988 - Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana she married 1st married 1st Gaylord Millikan daughter of Edwin Grant Hereth & Lulona Elizabeth Wanner

Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014
Name: Llewellyn Milikan[Llewellyn Hereth]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 39
Birth Date: abt 1902
Marriage Date: 3 Oct 1941
Marriage Place: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Registration Place: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Father: Edward G Hereth
Mother: Lulona Wanner
Spouse: Norman A Perry
Spouse Gender: Male
Spouse Race: White
Spouse Age: 52
Spouse Father: Chas C Perry
Spouse Mother: Capitola Adams

Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Name: Llewellyn Hereth Perry[Llewellyn Hereth Hereth]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 85
Birth Date: 30 Jul 1902
Birth Place: Indianapolis, Indiana
Death Date: 4 Apr 1988
Death Place: Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, USA
Marital Status: Widowed
Father: Edward G Hereth
Mother: Lullona Wanner

By this there is a possiblity that he built the Owen J. Bush Stadium in Indianapolis:

Indianapolis used to have a great treasure. There was an old-time ballpark, Owen J. Bush Stadium, and in the 1980s.

In 1823, Fielding Geeter bought some land for growing corn for $309 from the federal government. The land has only changed four times. Geeter sold to Charles Rauh who sold to Norman A. Perry in 1931.

Perry owned the American Association (Triple-A) Indianapolis Indians and he planned to build a ballpark here. The only things on this tract of land were an old house and a well. The house was torn down but the well became part of the baseball park.

Built in 1931 by owner Norman Perry, it was based on Wrigley Field in Chicago down to the ivy on the red-brick walls, but without the upper deck.

This task was accomplished so well that Bush Stadium was used in the filming of the move Eight Men Out, about the 1919 Black Sox scandal [Chicago .White Sox scandal].

This park was originally named Perry Stadium (1931 - 1942) after owner Norm Perry's brother James. It was renamed Victory Field (1942 - 1967) in honor of the United States World War II victory, and finally named Owen J. Bush stadium after a native son who achieved fame as a player for the Detroit Tigers who returned home to be president of the Indianapolis Indians.

In 1967 the land was purchased by the City of Indianapolis, owner number four. When the city bought the stadium in 1967, it was named in honor of the Indians President and the former roommate of Ty Cobb. Before their string of championships in the 1980s, Bush Stadium hosted franchises for all three Triple AAA leagues: the defunct American Association, the International League, and, what were they thinking, the Pacific Coast League.

This stadium was used by the following minor leagues. All times are the Indians unless noted.

• American Association, 1931 - 1962
• International League, 1963
• Pacific Coast League, 1964 - 1968
• American Association, 1969 - 1996
Sluggers Roger Maris and Hank Aaron both played here, though Aaron played for the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns.

Memorable Moments:

• 1950 Negro American League East Division Pennant
• 1943 Negro World Series, Game 5
• 1987 Pan-American Games

Since then, their cartoon Indian logo has been replaced by a politically correct Native American blanket, and a new $18 million-dollar ballpark, Victory Field, designed by HOK, the same people who designed Camden Yards and Jacobs Field, has replaced Bush Stadium. With their resume it must be a topnotch park.

After the Indians moved out July 3, 1996 it was turned into the 16th Street Speedway which housed midget car races. It is now abandoned.

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Norman A. Perry also backed an southwest of Culver airport.

The Perry House occupies the property known as Peeples Point, which affords a sweeping view of the lake at one of the highest points of its shore. Perry was the son of Charles Coffin Perry, who, with Daniel Marmon, started the company which would eventually become Indianapolis Power and Light. Norman Perry became president of Indianapolis Power and Light in 1926. He was a director of several banks and other companies, and owner of the Indianapolis Indiana.

...1889...The year before, the Marmon-Perry Light Company had supplied the first Edison electric light service to the Park Theater.

In 1890 Marmon-Perry opened a lighting and central steam heating plant in a barn at 121 Monument Circle, and the residence became the city's first to use only incandescent lights.

In 1892 another round of mergers saw the consolidation of the Marmon-Perry Light Company and the Indianapolis Brush Electric Light & Power Company into the Indianapolis Light and Power Company. This firm took over the contract for street lights in West Indianapolis from Nordyke & Marmon, and the new utility erected an office building at 46-48 Monument Circle.

Such corporate start-ups and consolidations continued to flourish in the first decade of the twentieth century. Utilities Power & Light Corporation, a holding company, formed Indianapolis Power & Light in 1926 to consolidate and run the properties of the Indianapolis Light and Heat Company and the Merchants Heat & Light Company, which included a radio station that was sold in 1939. Several other heating and lighting companies with similar names formed during this time, and after a complicated succession of mergers, the Indianapolis Power & Light Company emerged in October of 1926. Norman A. Perry took the helm of this new venture, which began operations in 1927.

Indianapolis Power & Light completed an operating center at 1230 West Morris Street in 1928. Three years later the company reached a milestone with the construction of two generating units at the Harding Street station and a 132,000-volt loop around Indianapolis. In 1931 the company began providing Indianapolis residents and businesses with high-pressure steam through a contract with Eli Lilly & Company....

Although few survive today, landscape architect Jens Jensen designed numerous other private estates in Indiana including the estate of: Norman Perry {Culver }. Found on the "Riverdale Project" websiter