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Herman B. Wells

A DAY OF CELEBRATION IS CURRENTLY BEING PLANNED FOR 2023
 

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Herman B. Wells, the most decorated and honored man that has ever or will ever wear the Santa suit.  A man known around the world for the many great things he accomplished in his life. However, the one that always brought him great joy was portraying Santa.  Something he was not really known for...until now.

Herman B Wells  (June 7, 1902 – March 18, 2000), a native of Boone County, Indiana, was the eleventh president of Indiana University (Bloomington) and its first university chancellor. He was pivotal in the transformation of Indiana University from a small, locally oriented college into a world-class institution of higher learning through expanded enrollment, recruitment of new faculty, 

construction of new buildings, new program offerings, and campus beautification projects. He remained steadfast in his support of IU's faculty and students, especially in the areas of academic freedom and civil rights. Wells began his career in banking, but served the university in a variety of faculty and administrative capacities during his seventy-year career at IU Bloomington: instructor and assistant professor, department of economics, dean and professor of administration, school of business administration, acting president, president, university chancellor, interim president and chairman of the board of the Indiana University Foundation as well as other leadership roles at the IU Foundation

 

 

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Santa Claus Career  (1948 - 1999)

Mr. Wells first donned the suit in 1948 at the Association of Women Students Christmas Eve party. In its December 13, 1948 newsletter, the AWS teased, “Yes siree kids, here’s your one and only chance to see red-faced, jolly old Saint Nick himself. Laden with his bag of gifts, he will circulate through the holly bedecked building all evening to hand out free gifts to all good and lucky little coeds and eddies.” In announcing the party, the IDS reported that the true identity of Santa was a closely guarded secret and would only be revealed at the party.

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Despite his costume, the IDS reported that most in the crowd recognized their beloved IU president immediately. If his appearance was not surprise enough, then his announced gift to the Union Board and Association of Women Students surely would have been – a new cabaret piano tied with a red ribbon.  He also handed out apples and candy.  Something he would do at every appearance he made.  His first speech as Santa Claus was recorded at the time.  It is a wonderful window into the insight of what Christmas meant to Herman Wells.

 

 

 

Remarks at .W.S. Party for student body at which President Wells played Santa Claus.

Union Building Bloomington, Indiana

8-11 p.m. December 15, 1948

 

"The Committee has asked me to eve you a Christmas message. The Daily Student has had a good deal of fun over the identity of Saint Nick. Às most of you know, the headline this morning said that "St. Nick is Campus- Bound Today 'Mystery! Claus To Visit Union Christmas Party." The Gables took the headline and posted it without the "Saint" and the "Today," So that it now reads as a Gables bulletin "Nick Is Campus-Bound." Confusion and mystery about Santa Claus is a part of the fun at Christmastime for youngsters big and little. There may be mystery about Santa Claus, but there is no mystery about the meaning of Christmas  and It is not by chance that the central figure we use to symbolize this meaning is a baby.

 

A little more than a century ago the world was preoccupied with Napoleon's march, awaiting with feverish impatience for the news or new military developments. And yet the real those significant events were/about which there was no general interest the events that, occurred in homes - humble and great-- as babies were being born. It a single year between Trafalgar and Waterloo, Gladstone, Alfred Tennyson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Darwin, Felix Mendelssohn, and Abraham Lincoln were born, and thus was cast the shape of much of the future. We are happy at Christmas time because the Christmas Story is our reminder that the world and its men are constantly being born anew, that each new generation has its chance to reach a little closer to infinite beauty, truth, and goodness.

 

Vachel Lindsay says it this way: Except the Christ be born again tonight In dreams of all men, saints and sons of shame, The world will never see his kingdom bright.Stars of all hearts, lead onward through the night Past death-black deserts, doubts without a name,

Past hills of pain and mountains of new sin To that far sky where mystic births begin, Where dreaming ears the angel-song shall win. In all great religions in one form or another the hope of our Christmas story is expressed, and men are reminded each year of the priceless opportunity which is ever theirs to work and strive for perfection. This common goal and this common opportunity bind all men together into one vast fraternal brotherhood.

 

And so I can give to you tonight - to all of you whether you come from a small Indiana town or from a far-away land, and through you to your parents and your loved ones, a sincere Christmas greeting. The beloved American poet, Longfellow, spoke of this season in words well known to most Americans - words which though they were written long, long ago are as appropriate as though they were written this week. I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men! I thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men and in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said; "For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men." Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men!" Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men!

 

And with that message of hope, I say to each of you, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year."

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There are no photos of the suit Mr. Wells wore for that first appearance.  However, he did write to Colonel Robert Shoemaker, Dean of Students: Dear Col. Shoemaker: If I am to play Santa Claus regularly, should we not get a suit that will fit? H.B.W.

The following year, a custom suit from his tailor was delivered to Wells.  This is the same suit he wore the next 50 years.  The suit is currently being preserved at IU.  In 2019. I was given permission to inspect and photograph his suit.  It is an amazing and unique piece of Santa Claus history.

 

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Mr. Wells was not only Santa for the faculty and students at IU, he also traveled to Indianapolis to be Santa Claus for the children at Riley Children's Hospital.  He made this journey from the early 1950's to the 1980's. 

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In 1990, another honor was bestowed to him. Named after Herman B Wells, former president and chancellor of Indiana University and a member of the Riley Memorial Association for more than 50 years, the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research was established to accelerate improved health outcomes for children facing pediatric disease.

 

 

 

Herman B Wells never stopped being a champion for Riley Hospital for Children during his tenure as Indiana University president from 1937 to 1962 and chancellor from 1962 to 2000. But it was his role as Santa Claus that mattered most to kids at Riley. Wells’ appearances as Santa began during his early years as IU president when he dressed up as the jolly old elf and handed out candy canes to students in Bloomington. Soon he added Riley to his list of stops. Hospital patients, staff, the Riley Cheer Guild and Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children’s Foundation)  all welcomed the rotund, jovial Santa with

 

 

open arms. For Wells, the holidays at Riley were a chance to shed his role as president of a university and morph into the big guy in the red suit with a twinkle in his eye. Through his visits to Riley, Wells put a face on the partnership between the foundation and IU that began in 1921 with plans to build James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children. His list of accomplishments as IU president is long, but bringing holiday cheer to Riley kids is among his most beloved achievements.

 

 

 

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Mr. Wells spent his final years in a nursing home.  When Christmas Eve arrived, he would request assistance in putting on his suit.  He would then be wheeled around the facility greeting everyone with a hearty "ho,ho,ho and Merry Christmas."  The life Mr. Wells lived is beyond amazing.  He touched the lives of ten's of millions with his dedication to the youth of the world.  When you look at all of his accomplishments, honors and accolades, it is not surprising that he would find the calling of being Santa Claus to be a special part of his life.

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Until 1997, Herman B Wells was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the "Person holding the most Honorary Degrees"

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Below are some of hos honors and accolades...
 

Positions and appointments
Wells held numerous faculty and administrative positions at IU Bloomington:
   •    Instructor, Department of Economics, 1930–33
   •    Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, 1933–35 (on leave)
   •    Dean, School of Business Administration, 1935–37
   •    Professor of Administration, School of Business Administration, 1935–72
   •    Acting President, 1937–38
   •    President, 1938–62
   •    University Chancellor, 1962–2000
   •    University Chancellor and Interim President, 1968
   •    Chairman of the Board, IU Foundation, 1969–72
   •    President, IU Foundation, 1962–69
   •    Chairman of the executive committee, Indiana University Foundation, 1972–75
   •    Vice-chairman and chairman of the executive committee, IU Foundation, 1975–88
   •    Vice-chairman, IU Foundation, 1988–95
   •    First vice-chairman, IU Foundation, 1988–95
   •    Professor of Business Administration, 1972–2000


Appointments included:
   •    Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
   •    American Council on Education
   •    Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities
   •    National Association of State Universities
   •    Economic analyst for the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Economic Cooperation, in Washington, D.C., 1943–44
   •    Cultural affairs adviser to the U.S. Military Government in West Germany, 1947–48
   •    U.S. delegate to the 12th General Assembly of the United Nations, 1957
   •    Adviser to the Ministry of Pakistan, 1959
   •    Head of the U.S. delegation to Bangkok for the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission on University Problems, 1960
   •    Vice chairman, National Commission on Humanities, 1964–65
   •    Member, President's Committee on U.S.-Soviet Trade Relations, 1965
   •    Director, Indiana Judicial Study Commission 1965-68
   •    Member, President's Special Committee on Overseas Voluntary Activities, 1967
   •    Board of Directors, Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, 1936–71 (Chairman, 1940–71)
   •    Member of the Board of Directors, Lilly Endowment, 1972–2000

Honors and awards
Wells received many honors and awards throughout his career, including the following:
   •    Named one of "America's Ten Outstanding Young Men of 1939" by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce
   •    Gold Medal Award recipient, International Benjamin Franklin Society, 1959
   •    Received Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1960
   •    Received National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Brotherhood Award, 1961–62[
   •    Thailand Government Award of Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant in 1962
   •    Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor from the Grand Lodge of Indiana Free and Accepted Masons, 1967
   •    Thailand Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown in 1968
   •    B'nai B'rith Great American Traditions Award recipient
   •    Received the first Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sons of the American Revolution
   •    Lifetime Achievement Award of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
   •    Six-time recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash designation
   •    Named Indiana University's "Man of the Century"
   •    Named a "Hoosier Millennium Treasure" by Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon in 1998
   •    Named an Indiana Living Legend by the Indiana Historical Society in 1999
   •    Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity Distinguished Service to Music Medal for Alumni Achievement.
   •    Recipient of twenty-eight honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate, summa cum laude, from IU, which was conferred on him in 1962 during his final commencement ceremony as IU's president. Wells received honorary degrees from:
   •    Butler University (1939)
   •    Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1939)
   •    Wabash College (1942)
   •    University of Wisconsin, Madison (1946)
   •    Earlham College (1948)
   •    DePauw University (1952)
   •    Miami University (1959)
   •    Trine University (1959)
   •    University of Louisville (1961)
   •    Anderson University (1962)
   •    Ball State University (1962)
   •    Franklin College (1962)
   •    Indiana University (1962)
   •    Ohio State University (1963)
   •    Washington University of St. Louis (1963)
   •    St. Joseph's College (1964)
   •    University of California Riverside (1964)
   •    University of Notre Dame (1964)
   •    Drury College (1968)
   •    Srinakharinwirot University (1968)
   •    Cleveland State University (1969)
   •    Columbia University (1969)
   •    University of Illinois, Chicago (1973)
   •    Howard University (1976)
   •    University of South Carolina (1980)
   •    Alcorn State University (1986)

Tributes

The main library of Indiana University Bloomington has been named after Herman B Wells since 2005

 

    •    Since 1962, The Herman B Wells Senior Recognition Award is given annually to an IU senior who exhibits a strong academic record, as well as leadership and service to the IU Bloomington campus.

   •    On June 15, 1973, the International Astronomical Union confirmed that minor planet 1721 (approximately 100 miles (160 km) in diameter) within the constellation of Leo was officially named "Wells."

   •    The Herman B Wells Scholar Program, which the IU Foundation established when Wells was in his eighties, provides four-year academic scholarships to a selective group of IU Bloomington students. The program's first group of scholarship recipients arrived on campus in 1990.

   •    In 1991, the Indiana University School of Medicine named their pediatric research center in honor of Wells.

   •    The Vision of Herman B Wells (1993), a PBS documentary of Well's life, was directed by Eugene "Gino" Brancolini.

   •    On October 21, 2000, a bronze statue of Wells by Tuck Langland, a professor of art at IU's South Bend campus, was unveiled in the historic, Old Crescent area of the Bloomington campus. The life-sized statue portrays Wells in middle age, seated on a park bench. Two additional benches, brick paving stones, and low, limestone wall complete the memorial, which is known as the Wells Plaza.

   •    In 2001 the IU Art Museum at Bloomington opened a temporary exhibition, "Living with Art: The Legacy of Herman B Wells," which included selections of Wells's art and antiques collections.

   •    On June 17, 2005, IU dedicated its Main Library in Bloomington as the Herman B Wells Library. The university had to wait five years after Wells's death in order to name the library in his honor due to a university policy that Wells had put in place when he was chair of IU's naming committee. The policy required sufficient time to pass before naming a building in order to determine whether the name would endure or fall out of fashion. A bronze bust of Wells by sculptor Marc Mellon is installed in the library's lobby.

Published works
Wells, Herman B (1980). Being Lucky: Reminiscences and Reflections. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253115560.

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Special thanks to Indiana University, Riley Hospital and Riley Cheer Guild

 

 

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Friends of the Committee:

Riley Cheer Guild
Gigi's Playhouse Indianapolis
Santa Claus Museum and Village
Riley Children's Hospital
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