“I’m proud,” said Hurley Goodall, a 91-year-old prominent local African American figure who will have a statue dedicated to him by summer 2020.

Goodall was the first black firefighter to serve on the Delaware County Fire Department (1958-1978), the first black elected member to serve on the Muncie Community Schools Board of Education (1970-1978) and the first black legislator from Delaware County, serving on the Indiana General Assembly (1978-1992), according to the Hurley C. Goodall papers located in the archives at Bracken Library. 

The Delaware County Historical Society will partner with Community Enhancement Projects (CEP) to build a bronze statue next summer, said Historical Society President Chris Flook.

Flook said the Historical Society decided to put up a statue of Goodall for a couple of reasons: It wanted to promote local history — Flook said art is the best way to do that — and it wanted to emphasize African American history, something Flook said Muncie lacks.

The Historical Society chose Goodall specifically because of his deep roots in the community. 

“He was just a badass,” Flook said.  

Flook estimated the statue will cost between $70-80,000. The cost includes securing a landscape, paying the artist and paying for the foundry — the act of pouring bronze into a mold, which is not usually done by the same artist. 

The money will come from donations, local foundations and anticipated state funding. Flook said because Goodall was a member of the Indiana General Assembly and knew people from all over Indiana, he expects the state will donate money toward the statue’s construction. 

So far, the project has raised a little under $1,000, Flook said, but donations can be made to the Delaware County Historical Society’s website.

The artist will be chosen by a steering committee, which consists of some members of the Historical Society and other members around the community. Flook said the committee has selected two possible Chicago-area artists and will decide on one in May after the committee reviews previous work done by both artists. 

The steering committee also chose three possible locations for the statue to be placed. Flook said the place they choose will depend on cost and the artist’s opinion. 

The committee said it wants the statue at Cornerstone Park, but it also chose Fireman’s Park and McCulloch Park as backup options. 

John Craddock, president of CEP, said he isn’t sure how CEP will contribute because the statue construction is still in the early stages of planning. 

Julius Anderson, a city council member as well as Goodall’s neighbor and nephew-in-law, said Goodall has been his mentor since the early ’80s.

“Individuals such as myself have followed [Goodall] through his days from the school board to the statehouse and all the change he’s done to Ball State … through his position in the House of Representatives,” Anderson said. “I’m very excited about [his statue].” 

Although no official action has been taken by City Council to build a statue, Anderson said he thinks it will approve the construction. 

Contact Hannah Gunnell with comments hrgunnell@bsu.edu.     

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