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Before 1961
There
was little radio available in Central Indiana, if you
were fond of listening to classical music.
In
May of 1961 a group of Lilly Researchers pulled their
resources together, formed a corporation and on May
13th the "Lively Arts Station," WAIV-FM went
on the air. The station offered a variety of classical
music, jazz, poetry, interviews, folk music, discussions
of religion, and editorials. Its broadcasts emanated
from a tower on top of the Dearborn Hotel on East Michigan
Street.
The
station struggled financially, and only became profitable
in 1967 when the program format became exclusively classical.
Programs were chosen by station staff and were presented
in their entirety without interruption. This was the
first completely classical music format on radio in
Indianapolis.
The
Society started a scholarship program when it was WAIV,
with the Howard Ladin Musical Scholarship. This
$1,000 annual award, donated by local businessman Mr.
Howard Ladin, was given for several years to a Marion
County High School senior who intended to study music
professionally. The first award was given to David
Collins of Broad Ripple High School in 1967. David
went on to Eastman School of Music to study violin and
is a member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra today.
Decisions
between the owners of WAIV led to the sale of the station,
which eventually became WTLC, but Norbert Neuss was
not about to give up. With the help of some of
his friends he purchased the 2,500 classical record
library from WAIV's new owners, packed them up, and
stored them in the Lilly Pavilion of the Indianapolis
Museum of Art. His hope was to use them later.
That moment came sooner than anyone could have hoped
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Neuss's friendship with Frank P. Thomas, founder and owner
of the Burger Chef System of restaurants, turned out to
be a decisive factor in fulfilling his dream of reviving
classical music on the radio. Norbert, F. Bruce
Peck, Frank P. Thomas and Willis K. Kunz collaborated
early in 1968, and The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis,
Inc. was formed as a public charitable trust under the
laws of the State of Indiana. The Society was granted
exemption from taxes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue code.
Upon
hearing that the Indianapolis Public School System was
constructing a new radio/television center, the Society
approached school officials. After informal discussions
between Norbert and the staff of the school's broadcast
center, the Board of School Commissioners and the Society
arrived at an agreement whereby the Fine Arts Society
would augment the instructional programs of the IPS
station, WIAN-FM, with a second programme of classical
music during prime evening hours.
The
Society was to supply its own announcing and engineering
staffand formulas were set so that the Society would
assume the increased operating cost resulting from the
increased broadcast hours. The formal agreement
was signed late in 1968 and the School Board announced
a completion date of September, 1969.
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In November,
1969 the Society began publishing Profile!, a
tradition started by WAIV. This monthly program
guide, sent to members of the Society during the first
decade, included the first comprehensive cultural calendar
in the area as well as a detailed listing of works and
programs to be heard on the Second Programme.
Feature articles were published on a regular basis by
representatives of the city's most important cultural
entities, including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Profile!
has also presented articles concerning the Romantic
Festival at Butler University and Indiana State Arts
Commission. Profile! is still being published
on a monthly basis and is available to Fine Arts Society
members.
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In
May of 1969 a letter was sent by the Society to 2,500
individuals known to be interested in the arts, explaining
the origins of the Society and its intended broadcast
service, and inviting contributions.
More
than 400 people immediately responded. On July
15, 1969, a special financial commitment from the
Burger Chef System enabled the Society to hire an
Executive Director, Kenneth Lawless, Jr., who began
preparing for the initial programming. Lawless,
a graduate of Eastman School of Music, served both
as announcer and Program Director. He was also
a host of the morning drive program, known as the
First Programme and continued his post as Executive
Director until 1988.
The
Second Programme went on the air in November. The Society's
membership soon grew to 1,000 members and the budget
could now be augmented to allow for a greater variety
of programming.
However,
the Society suffered a serious loss on November 5, 1973,
when a fire destroyed the downtown Thomas Building,
including the offices, hundreds of records, and the
Society's major collection of recorded operas.
During these years, more than 20 different broadcast
services provided the Second Programme with concert
materials from the entire spectrum of worldwide musical
activity. The Society was also especially proud
to bring to the Indianapolis radio audience selected
student and faculty concerts from the School of Music
of Indiana University in Bloomington.
The
partnership of The Fine Arts Society and the Indianapolis
Public Schools' WIAN, represented a totally unprecedented
and unique approach in financing a radio program without
any tax subsidies. WIAN was able to expand its
broadcast hours by more than 100% at no cost to taxpayers.
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Buxton Hall
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Thanks
to the expansion of program time WIAN was able to qualify
for affiliation with National Publilc Radio and in the
1970's began receiving grants from the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting. WIAN now had the financial
resources to expand its own operation and programming
originating from NPR, but this resulted in increased
restrictions of broadcast time for the Society, and
prompted the Society to seek another outlet for its
programming.
Fortunately,
the University of Indianapolis was in the process of
upgrading its campus radio facility both in signal strength
and stereo broadcast mode. The happy affiliation
of the Society and the University of Indianapolis took
place on January 26, 1983, when the Society broadcasted
its First Program on WICR-FM, 88.7 MHz.
Here, the Society's programming expanded to a total
of 104 hours per week. |
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Many new programs were added including BBC World News.
Since
its move to the University of Indianapolis the Society
has helped underwrite special art exhibits and concerts,
such as the Ravi Shankar Concert and some concerts of
the Ronen Ensemble.
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To
insure its permanence, the Society's Vice President,
Paul Pitz, led a drive to create the Norbert Neuss
Endowment Trust. This was done to insure availability
of funds to pay for services now rendered at no cost
to the Society by Norbert Neuss and F. Bruce Peck
when both of them are no longer available. Started
in 1986, the drive's goal of $125,000 dollars was
realized in December of 1987 and matched by the Krannert
Charitable Trust. The Society now has a quarter
of a million dollars in its reserves. Only the
interest from this fund can be used for the Society's
operational needs.
Certainly
the most rewarding and significant event in the Society's
history happened in 1987, when the Society received
the most coveted George Foster Peabody Award.
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This honor was given to only 28 of over 800 entries
and was only the fourth ever received by an Indiana
broadcast entity in the 48-year history of the award,
administered by the University of Georgia School of
Journalism and Mass Communication. What impressed
the judges most was the manner in which the Fine Arts
Society was able to finance its operations exclusively
from private sources. Signifying the dedicated
service to the community by an organization without
precedent in classical music broadcasting, the quotation
in the booklet for the awards in May 1987 is as follows:
"The
Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis is a public charitable
trust established to promote the understanding and
appreciation of the Fine Arts and Performing Arts..."
Each
year the Society produces and provides funds for more
than 5,400 hours of professionally produced classical
music programming. This programming is broadcast
on WICR-fm, the radio station of the University of Indianapolis.
For the Society's outstanding contribution the Peabody
Board recognizes the accomplishments of both the Society
itself as well as the individual contribution made by
Norbert Neuss, its founder and president.
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Dan Harvey, Norbert Neuss,
and Martha Vores on the air
during the annual fund drive
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In 1987, the Society awarded a $2,000 dollar grant to
Marcus Eley, a clarinettist from Indianapolis who received
his masters degree at IU School of Music. This
grant helped to defray a portion of the cost of his
recital debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. In
1989, Kathleen Byrum, a soprano, native of Indianapolis
and graduate of DePauw University, received a $1,000
grant to help defray her cost of participating as a
voice fellow in the Tanglewood Music Festival.
In
1989 the Society celebrated its 20th year of uninterrupted
service. To give this anniversary special meaning,
the Society inaugurated a special award for civic and
corporate leadership known as the Diploma of Honor.
This award is given annually to two individuals who
have made a significant contribution to the cultural
life of Indianapolis and Central Indiana.
In
June of 1989, one award was given for civic leadership
to Mrs. Evan Lilly Noyes, "for her unique contribution
to the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, which she has so
generously supported for many years, and during which
time has grown into one of Indianapolis' outstanding
Arts Organizations."
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The other Diploma of Honor for corporate leadership
was given in September to P.E. MacAllister, President
of MacAllister Machinery Company "for making
live opera performance a reality in Indianapolis and
for giving twenty years of distinguished and dedicated
service and continuous corporate support to the Fine
Arts Society.
In
1984 Dan Harvey began as the announcer/host for the
Fine Arts Society. He became Program Manager for
the Fine Arts Society in 1988 as Brenda Wilkinson signed
on as the Administrative Assistant.
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1990
saw the arrival of Tom Woody as the announcer/host of
the Fine Arts Society's Second Program and in 1991 Meredith
Granger signed on as the announcer/host of the Fine
Arts Society's First Program.
Also
in 1991, the Society rolled out the Mozart Bus Project
to introduce Mozart to more than 36,000 children in
Central Indiana. The next year the Society received
an Addy award for its Mozart Bus from the Advertising
Club of Indianapolis. The Society's Mozart Bus
also provided transportation for inner-city children
so that they could attend concerts at the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra's Hilbert Circle Theatre.
The
Metropolitan Opera Network selected The Fine Arts Society
to present live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera
in 1993. Betty Darboro also was hired in 1993 as the
Director of Development for the Fine Arts Society.
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Tom
Woody |
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In 1994
The Indianapolis Children's Choir and string ensembles
from Park Tudor and north Central High School joined
the Society in celebrating a quarter century of classical
music radio programming at a special anniversary celebration.
The Fine Arts Society's Diploma of Honor was awarded
to Bruce Peck and Brent Miller was hired as the first
Operations Manager for the Society.
In
1995 Society volunteers form The Fine Arts Society Alliance
to coordinate special events and develop education youth
projects and build the Society's endowment through fund-raising
efforts. Five years later the Fine Arts Society
Music Academy was established. The Academy offers free
keyboard lessons and music appreciation classes to disadvantaged
children in the Fountain Square neighborhood.
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2001 saw the retirement of the President of the Board,
Norbert Neuss, after 32 years of service to the organization.
He was appointed President Emeritus.
Laura
Mendelsohn became the second Board President in 2002.
Michael Hunt was also hired as Executive Director of
The Fine Arts Society in that year and the Society began
broadcasting Indianapolis Symphony programs in 2002.
Kathy Ryan was also hired as the part time Education
Coordinator for The Fine Arts Society Music Academy.
Kathy signed on as a full time coordinator in April
of 2003.
The
year 2005 was a year of transition for The Fine Arts
Society as the offices were moved from the Sease Wing
of the Krannert Memorial Library on the campus of the
University of Indianapolis to their current office in
the basement of Cravens Hall. 2005 also saw the
move for WICR to the third floor of the new addition
to Esch Hall. |
Amanda Ratliff tutors a student
as part of the Fine Arts Society
Music Academy. |
Kathy
Ryan also signed on to announce the Society's First
Program of classical music in 2005 as Meredith Granger
switched from mornings to afternoons, hosting the Second
Program of classical music. As Kathy moved to
the announcer of the Society's First Program of classical
music, Laura Warren signed on as education coordinator
for the Fine Arts Society's Music Academy.
In
the summer of 2005 a massive loss was felt throughout
the Society as Bruce Peck passed away. A year
later President Emeritus and retired board president
Norbert Neuss passed away. The current Fine Arts
Society music library has been dedicated the F. Bruce
Peck Library and one of the production studios has been
dedicated the Norbert Neuss Production Studio in honor
of their memory and contribution to the Society.
2006
saw continued growth for the Fine Arts Society as Art
Baker and Joe Boehnlein were hired part time to assist
with producing the Society's radio programming.
Joe signed on full time as Director of Operations in
November of 2007 as Brent Miller switched to the Program
Director of the Society's over-the-air broadcasts. Sue
Collins also signed on in 2006 as a part time Administrative
Assistant for the Fine Arts Society.
Christopher
Tolzmann signed on as the Director of Development and
Marketing and Howdy Bell was hired as an Account Executive
in 2007.
Our
heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to all of our individual
members and corporate underwriters for
making the past 38 years possible. We look forward to
continuing our commitment to provide the best in classical
music programming for our many Central Indiana listeners.
With your help and support, we are heading towards our
40th Anniversary confident of a successful future. |
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