Celebrating the extraordinary

Howard County Historical Society inducts six into Hall of Legends

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For the past 15 years, the Howard County Historical Society has recognized those who make history locally, nationally, and across the world with its annual Hall of Legends banquet. Dozens of local luminaries have been inducted, ranging from doctors, writers, and architects to scientists, sculptors, and citizens.

The 2025 class was welcomed on April 24 at the banquet held in Hingst Hall on the Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo campus. Six names were added to the list, including Eddie Bethea, Richard Blacklidge, Jonathon Russell, Sally Tuttle, Dr. Mary E. Wilson, and R.L. Young.

Historical society director Anne Shaw opened the evening by welcoming those in attendance. She then took a moment to honor Bill Baldwin, who worked for the historical society as its caretaker for more than 30 years. Baldwin passed away on Jan. 6, just months after retiring.

With the introduction and commemoration complete, Shaw gave way to historical society board member and Hall of Legends selection committee chief Linda Ferries to give a synopsis of the career of the six inductees. She thanked the selection committee for its work in sifting through the nearly 100 nominees who have been submitted over the past 15 years.

"Selecting legends is a task these volunteers take very seriously," said Ferries. "They aim to find extraordinary individuals and organizations with the connection to Howard County. In making the selections, the committee also works to develop a class that represents the broad range of people who have been born, lived or worked in Howard County.

"The main goal of the founders of the legends program is to provide our young people with role models and examples of the character traits that engender success and contribute to a better world in honoring those who have gone before, along with those still hard at work. I think we can all agree that encouraging the next generation is a worthy goal."

Following are highlights from each inductee’s moment in the spotlight. A video presentation allowed each honoree or their representative to share about their lives.

Eddie Bethea

Bethea arrived in Kokomo in 1971 as the U.S. Air Force brought him to Grissom Air Force Base. Settling here after his service, he established the Kokomo School of Self-Defense and went on to teach an estimated 10,000 students, including several who have become masters and instructors themselves.

"Eddie's lasting impact lies in the relationships he's built and the life lessons he imparts: humility, resilience, and the power of lifting others up," said Ferries. "Eddie is known not only for his athleticism, but for his warmth and inclusivity."

"My mother used to tell me, don't ever look down on anybody unless you're reaching down to help them up," said Bethea.

Richard Blacklidge

Richard Blacklidge followed in his family's footsteps by operating the Kokomo Tribune, becoming the publisher at age 24 following the unexpected passing of his father and grandfather. Aside from a stint in the military during World War II, Blacklidge remained in the publisher's chair for 40 years.

During his time as publisher, Blacklidge pioneered several technological advancements in printing and helped launch the WIOU radio station in Kokomo. He founded the Goodfellows program, providing clothing and gifts for families in need at Christmas. And he served as president of the American Newspaper Publishers Association as the first small-market publisher to do so.

"Dick was known as a visionary and a strong leader in everything he did, but when he died in 1993 at the age of 78, he was also remembered for living a life that was marked by fairness, kindness, generosity and love of family and community," said Ferries. "He didn't see race or economic status. If he saw a need, he would help."

“We were all about people, and we were about telling people stories,” said Richard’s son, Kent Blacklidge. “We were the glue, the heartbeat of this town. My father would be deeply honored by this award, and would thank the Historical Society very, very deeply for recognizing his achievements and his contribution to not only this community, but to the world.”

Jonathan Russell

Jonathan Russell was a well-known local artist and served as the Howard County Historian from 2016 until his passing in 2023. His artwork was quite public, as his sculptures can be seen at the former City Hall along Washington Street (a stone lion), the Kokomo Rescue Mission (the welcoming statue of Jesus Christ), and at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

"John went to work at Western Elementary School as an art teacher, but decided he really wanted to paint, to go out on his own," said his wife, Amy. "So, he started painting signs in our living room.

“John was a very talented person, and he wanted to do so much. His interests were so varied that he would take anything people offered. They’d ask, ‘Can you do this? Can you build that?’ He would say yes, and then he'd come home and study. He'd read up on it, and he'd figure out how.”

Sally Tuttle

Sally Tuttle is a civil rights activist who speaks for indigenous people in Indiana. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Tuttle followed her husband, David, to Kokomo thanks to the military. But it is Sally's dedication to Native Americans that sets her apart.

She has founded and consulted for nonprofits across the state, advocating for healthcare, housing, and veterans' benefits for Native Americans. She also has fought against long-held racial stereotypes and specifically for the formal recognition of the Miami Tribe of Indiana; a fight that continues today.

Tuttle is the vice chair of the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission and helped write the legislation that established it. She also was partly responsible for the annual Drums Along the Wildcat celebration of Native American heritage which takes place in Foster Park.

"I want the native people to be proud of their native heritage, no matter whether it's 182nd blood in their line,” said Tuttle. “Everybody should be proud of every bit of their lineage, whether they're from England or Germany or anywhere else, along with their native blood. Celebrate all of it."

Dr. Mary E. Wilson

Dr. Mary E. Wilson is a Northwestern High School graduate who has impacted global health for more than four decades. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin and went on to a distinguished career in internal medicine and global health, eventually becoming the chief of infectious diseases at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass.

She is the author of "A World Guide to Infections and Diseases," the foremost book on the subject, published in 1991. The book came about after working in Haiti and encountering some of the most infectious and deadliest diseases on the planet. Her experience made her an authority.

"As head of infectious diseases (at Mount Auburn), I realized there was no good source of information," said Wilson. "If you wanted to know what infections might you pick up in a particular location, it was not something you could find. And of course, there was no Internet. There were so many resources that were not available, so I decided I could write a book about it."

Wilson explained that it wasn't her academic achievement that became notable in Kokomo. It was who she encountered while an undergraduate at Indiana University that brought her a modicum of fame.

"The one notable thing that some people in Kokomo actually heard about at the time was that Jimmy Rayl, the 'Splendid Splinter,' was assigned to be my escort when I was on the Cream and Crimson Court at IU. That was much more important to many people than any academics."

R.L. Young

R.L. Young was an architect who defied convention and as a result created some of the most recognizable buildings in Kokomo. Young was responsible for designing the Palmer and Willard schools in Kokomo as well as Grace United Methodist Church in downtown.

He was the architect of the former Kokomo YMCA building as well as the second Kokomo High School, which burned early in the 20th century. The Russiaville train depot, Elwood Haynes' home (now museum), and the Isis Theater which once sat along the 100 block of South Main Street all were Young's designs.

Unfortunately, Young's life ended tragically. Following the death of his wife and the ravages of the Great Depression, he ended up in the Central State Hospital in Indianapolis, irrevocably consumed by mental illness.