Published: July 15, 2009 12:24 am      

County known for people of substance

Howard County Hall of Fame opens nominations

Elwood Haynes may have produced “America’s First Car,” but the automotive pioneer isn’t the only brilliant person Howard County ever produced.

From renowned artist Misch Kohn to “60 Minutes” reporter Steve Kroft to actor Strother Martin, the City of Firsts can claim ties to dozens of amazing people; what’s equally amazing is that no one seems to have thought of memorializing those people until now.

Next June, the first class of the Howard County Hall of Fame will be inducted at a special dinner.

Before that happens, a group of nine local residents — most with ties to historical preservation — must wade through what promises to be a massive field of nominees.

“We wanted to recognize people who were either born, lived or worked in Howard County, and have significantly affected society,” Craig Dunn, a Civil War historian, said Tuesday.

Nomination forms must be turned in by Sept. 1, and the committee hopes to select the new Hall of Fame’s first class by Oct. 1, Dunn said. The class is expected to be announced by mid-November, he said.

“Howard County is known, good or bad, for a lot of things, and many times they’re not the best things,” Dunn said. “We’ve been called ‘Stoplight City’ or the city that picked on Ryan White, or that blew up the Courthouse.

“But when people realize this is a great place to live and work, and that you can become extremely successful, and that you can do it with a Kokomo background ... they’ll be surprised.”

Dunn said he expects to receive many nominations for individuals both living and deceased. He said the committee also will weigh who it will have the best chance of bringing to Kokomo next June.

Martin, famous (or infamous) for his turn as a sadistic prison boss in “Cool Hand Luke,” uttered one of the most memorable movie lines ever.

“What we have here, is failure to communicate,” Martin explained to the chain-gang prisoners after handing out a savage beating.

The line, which seemed to define the character’s Nazi-style villainy, made Martin a legendary character actor.

But Dunn and his group is pursuing other leads, including Tom Santschi, the silent film-era actor credited as possibly the first film actor to make a living out of playing the villain. Santschi, Dunn said, is the actor best known as the mustachioed, stovepipe-hat-wearing baddie who tied the fair maiden to the train tracks.

Then there’s artist Misch Kohn, born in 1916, in Kokomo, to Russian immigrant parents.

Kohn became a master printmaker, whose murals, painted on the walls of WPA-built post offices, captured the public imagination in the 1930s. Kohn spent 22 years teaching printmaking at the Institute of Design in Chicago. He died in 2002.

Sid Collins, known for years as “The Voice of the 500;” Kent Nelson, founder of UPS, Dr. Emily Craig, world-renowned forensic pathologist, and CNN business reporter Jane King are other famous names with Kokomo ties.

The committee, Dunn said, is looking for people who have lived substantial lives. The Howard County Hall of Fame won’t honor athletes. Athletic contributions are already acknowledged by the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame, Dunn explained.

“We really need people to do the nominating,” Dunn said. “Don’t just assume the person you know will get nominated. They may fall through the cracks.”

Dunn said the Hall of Fame will most likely be housed at the Seiberling Mansion, after the first class is inducted. He said the museum will probably begin a “Wall of Fame” to honor the inductees.

• Scott Smith is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com