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112-655: The Lilly Library was founded in 1960 with the collection of Josiah K. Lilly Jr. , owner of Lilly Pharmaceuticals in Indianapolis . J.K. Lilly was a collector most of his life. From the mid-1920s until his death, he devoted a great deal of his leisure time to building his collections of books and manuscripts, works of art, coins, stamps, military miniatures, firearms and edged weapons, and nautical models. J. K. Lilly's collections of books and manuscripts, totaling more than 20,000 books and 17,000 manuscripts, together with more than fifty oil paintings and 300 prints, were given by

224-573: A French chateau-style home with landscaped gardens, from Hugh McKennan Landon, an Indianapolis businessman. Lewis Ketcham Davis designed the home, which was built circa 1909–13; Percival Gallagher, an associate of the Olmsted Brothers , designed its gardens. Lilly and his wife, Ruth, maintained the home as their primary residence. Oldfields and its landscaped grounds were donated to the Art Association of Indianapolis in 1967 and became

336-518: A book, Nye and Riley's Railway Guide , a collection of humorous anecdotes and poems intended to parody popular tourist literature of the day. Published in 1888, the book was somewhat successful and had three reprints. In October 1887, Riley and the association joined with other writers to petition the United States Congress to attempt to negotiate international treaties to protect American copyrights abroad. The group became known as

448-586: A brief performance for the dignitaries at the event before speaking about the need for international copyright protections. Cleveland was enamored by Riley's performance and invited him back for a private meeting during which the two men discussed cultural topics. In the 1888 Presidential Election campaign , Riley's acquaintance Benjamin Harrison was nominated as the Republican candidate. Although Riley had shunned politics for most of his life, he gave Harrison

560-432: A career as a poet. He submitted many poems to Longfellow, whom he considered the greatest living poet. Not receiving a prompt response, he sent similar letters to John Townsend Trowbridge and several other prominent writers asking for an endorsement. Longfellow finally replied in a brief letter, telling Riley, "I have read [the poems] in great pleasure, and think they show a true poetic faculty and insight." Riley carried

672-476: A close friend of Bottsford and scolded him for his mistreatment of her. Her reputation was tarnished by the affair, and she found it difficult to find employment once their relationship was over. In 1884, Riley toured the major cities in the eastern United States again. Following the lectures, he began compiling a second book of poetry. He completed it during July, and Bowen-Merrill published it in December with

784-508: A close friendship with Eugene V. Debs . He enjoyed Riley's works and often complimented his sentiments. Riley had used the pseudonym "Jay Whit" since he began writing poetry but finally began to use his own name in April 1881. Riley renewed his relationship with Bottsford in 1880, and the two corresponded frequently. Their relationship remained unstable, but Riley became deeply attached to her. She inspired his poem "The Werewife", which told of

896-421: A close friendship. Developing and maintaining publicity became a constant job requiring more of his attention as his fame grew. Keeping his alcohol addiction secret, maintaining the persona of a simple rural poet and a friendly common person became most important. Riley identified these traits as the basis of his popularity during the mid-1880s and wrote of his need to maintain a fictional persona. He encouraged

1008-525: A few newspapers believed the poem was authentic, most did not, claiming the quality was too poor to be written by Poe. A Dispatch employee learned the truth of the incident and reported it to the Kokomo Tribune , which published an exposé that outed Riley as a conspirator behind the hoax. The revelation damaged the Dispatch ' s credibility and harmed Riley's reputation. In the aftermath of

1120-469: A few of his dialect poems and consisted mostly of sonnets . The book reprinted many poems Riley had already published but included some new ones he wrote specifically for the book, including "The Days Gone By", "The Little White Hearse", and "The Serenade". The book was Riley's favorite because it included his finest works and was published by the prestigious Longmans, Green Publishers with high quality printing and binding. In late 1888 he finished work on

1232-419: A first attempt to give up liquor by joining a local temperance organization but quit after a few weeks. Without a steady income, his financial situation worsened. Riley began submitting his poems to more prominent literary magazines, including Scribner's Monthly , but was informed that although it showed promise, his work was still short of the standards required for use in their publications. Locally, he

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1344-548: A fourth book, Pipes o' Pan at Zekesbury which was released to great acclaim in the United States. Based on a fictional town in Indiana, Riley presented many stories and poems about its citizens and way of life. It received mixed reviews from literary critics who wrote of it that Riley's stories were not of the same quality as his poetry. The book was very popular with the public and went through numerous reprints. Riley

1456-740: A lecture circuit would provide much needed funds. His agreement for continued employment with the circuit depended on his ability to draw audiences during the first season, beginning in April 1881. He succeeded, drawing the largest crowds in Chicago and Indianapolis . Because of his success in the Midwest, the circuit leaders invited him to make an east coast tour, starting in Boston at the Tremont Temple in February 1882. Riley agreed, signing

1568-533: A month; the shortness of his stay at this job may have been due to his frequent drunkenness at that time. In early 1874, Riley returned to Greenfield to become a full-time writer. In February, he submitted a poem titled "At Last" to a Connecticut newspaper the Danbury News . The editors accepted it, paid him for it, and wrote him a letter encouraging him to submit more. Riley found the note and his first payment inspiring. He began submitting poems regularly to

1680-650: A painter. He completed it and opened a business in Greenfield creating and maintaining signs. His earliest known poems are verses he wrote as clever advertisements for his customers. Riley began participating in local theater productions with the Adelphians to earn extra income. During the winter months, when the demand for painting declined, Riley began writing poetry which he mailed to his brother who lived in Indianapolis. He acted as Riley's agent and offered

1792-571: A part the Indianapolis Museum of Art . In 1934, Lilly began acquiring additional land along Eagle Creek in Marion County's Pike Township , northwest of downtown Indianapolis, to create Eagle Crest, a private retreat on 3,469 acres (1,404 hectares) of land. The secluded property included an operating farm and timberland, as well as a nature preserve. In 1936 Lilly moved his collection of rare books and manuscripts from his home to

1904-400: A perfect wife who could suddenly become a demonic monster. Bottsford pressed Riley for marriage several times, but he refused. They broke off their relationship a second time in 1881 when she discovered his correspondence with two other women, and found he had taken a secret vacation to Wisconsin with one of them. Riley's alcoholism influenced some of his poems during his time working for

2016-489: A philanthropist. His son joined the family business in 1939 and became superintendent of its Kentucky Avenue plant after serving in the military during World War II ; however, he resigned from the company in 1948 and did not succeed his father as president. In 1954, after briefly serving as secretary of the Lilly Endowment, Josiah III resigned and moved to New England. In December 1932, Lilly purchased Oldfields ,

2128-452: A poet, Riley achieved an uncommon level of fame during his lifetime. He was honored with annual Riley Day celebrations around the United States and was regularly called on to perform readings at national civic events. He continued to write and hold occasional poetry readings until a stroke paralyzed his right arm in 1910. Riley's chief legacy was his influence in fostering the creation of a Midwestern cultural identity and his contributions to

2240-438: A result. However, once he extricated himself from a series of poorly negotiated contracts that sought to limit his earnings, he began to accumulate wealth and eventually became a financial success. By the 1890s, Riley had become known as a bestselling author. His children's poems were compiled into a book illustrated by Howard Chandler Christy . Titled Rhymes of Childhood , it was his most popular and sold millions of copies. As

2352-541: A short story entitled "A Remarkable Man". The editors of the Anderson Democrat discovered Riley's poems in the Indianapolis Journal and offered him a job as a reporter in February 1877. Riley accepted. He worked gathering local news, writing articles, and assisting with typesetting. He continued to write poems regularly for the newspaper and to sell other poems to larger newspapers. During

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2464-423: A show at Chickering Hall with Edgar Nye, Samuel Clemens, and several others. Riley was introduced by James Russell Lowell before his performance, and Lowell gave Riley a glowing endorsement to the crowd. His poetry brought both tears and laughter according to The New York Sun . Critic Edmund Clarence Stedman , one of the foremost literary critics of the era, was present and wrote that Riley's dialect poems were

2576-604: A sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 's endorsement, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the late 1870s. He gradually rose to prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest , and then nationally, appearing either alone or with other famous talents. During this period Riley's long-term addiction to alcohol began to affect his performing abilities, and he suffered financially as

2688-499: A ten-year agreement and granting half his receipts to his agent. Before his performance, he traveled to Longfellow's home in Massachusetts and convinced him to agree to a meeting. Their brief meeting was one of Riley's fondest memories, and he wrote a lengthy article about it after Longfellow's death only a month later. Longfellow encouraged Riley to focus on poetry and gave him advice for his upcoming performance where Riley

2800-482: A two-year course at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy , which he completed in 1914, and then returned to Indianapolis to join the family business. In November 1914, Lilly joined Eli Lilly and Company , where he became head of its newly formed Efficiency Division in 1916. He was responsible for the company's employee relations, payroll, and methods and standards departments. Following his enlistment in

2912-680: A vast array of action figures as well as other pop culture memorabilia, which can be accessed through the Lilly Library Request System. The collection is currently housed at the Auxiliary Library Facility (ALF) and can be accessed for use through IUCAT, the Indiana University Library catalog. In 2006, the library received a collection of 30,000 mechanical puzzles and 4,000 puzzle related books from Jerry Slocum . The collection

3024-467: Is divided into two categories: one relates to the period of geographical discovery and exploration and the other consists of additions made by the Lilly Library after the original acquisition. The geographical and discovery collection ranges from the 15th through the 19th century. It includes the great cosmographic and geographic works of Ptolemy as well as narratives of the discovery and conquest of

3136-1125: Is equally astounding that he was able to acquire so many books of such scarcity and quality in the short space of 30 years. Money alone isn't the answer; diligence, courage, and imagination were also essential. The famous books in English and American literature, the books most influential in American life, the great works in the history of science and ideas--all these are among the 20,000 Lilly books in this building." The library now contains approximately 450,000 books, 8.5 million manuscripts, 60,000 comic books, 16,000 mini books, 35,000 puzzles, and 150,000 pieces of sheet music. The library's holdings are particularly strong in British and American history and literature, Latin Americana, medicine and science, food and drink, children's literature, fine printing and binding, popular music, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, and early printing. There are many notable items in

3248-544: Is the largest assemblage of its kind in the world. Mechanical puzzles are hand-held objects that must be manipulated to solve the puzzle. The collection spans multiple centuries and five continents. The collection is on permanent display in the Slocum Puzzle Room and includes puzzles that can be handled by visitors. The Lilly Library is currently developing an online database of the collection. The Lilly contains an extensive collection of material that centers on

3360-645: Is titled 4000 Years of Miniature Books . The Adomeit collection ranges the entire history of human record keeping in miniature form, from cuneiform tablets of circa 2000 B.C. to contemporary small press and artists' books. Michael Uslan , producer of the Batman movies, donated over 30,000 comics to the Lilly Library. Parts of the collection were displayed at the Lilly Library in an exhibition called "Comics as Cultural Mythology: The Michael E. Uslan Collection of Comic Books and Graphic Novels" from September 12, 2005 to December 17, 2005. The Uslan Collection also contains

3472-477: The American Civil War , leaving his wife to manage the family home. While he was away, the family took in a 12-year-old orphan named Mary Alice "Allie" Smith. She was the inspiration for Riley's poem " Little Orphant Annie ". Riley had intended titling the poem "Little Orphant Allie", but a typesetter 's error changed it during printing. Riley's father returned from the war partially paralyzed. He

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3584-532: The Cape Cod area. He also founded the Heritage Museums and Gardens at Sandwich, Massachusetts , in his father's honor. Eli (Ted) Lilly II , Josiah III's son and Joe Jr.'s grandson, maintains a low profile in the Indianapolis area. Lilly's main contributions during his fifty-year career at Eli Lilly and Company included helping to improve its business processes and increase efficiency, establishing

3696-548: The Golden Age of Indiana Literature . With other writers of his era, he helped create a caricature of Midwesterners and formed a literary community that produced works rivaling the established eastern literati. There are many memorials dedicated to Riley, including the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children . James Whitcomb Riley was born on October 7, 1849, in the town of Greenfield, Indiana ,

3808-484: The Journal less often and made fewer lecture stops. He wrote fewer poems but their quality improved; he wrote his most famous poems during the mid-1880s, including "Little Orphant Annie". Riley attempted to secure a new job at a periodical and leave the Journal , but the magazines would not hire him unless he was willing to relocate. Riley was steadfast in his refusal to leave Indiana telling reporters that his rural home

3920-422: The Journal . These included "On Quitting California", "John Golliher's Third Womern", [sic] and "The Dismal Fate of Tit", which each refer to the delirium caused by drinking. Although Riley rarely published anything controversial, some of his poems published from the same period, including "Afterwhiles", allude to drug usage and make vague sexual references. During the early 1880s, Riley still made submissions to

4032-633: The L. S. Ayres and Company department stores. Ayres had the Colonial-style home on Kessler Boulevard, West Drive, built in 1941. The Lilly family purchase adjoining property to expand the estate, known as Twin Oaks, to 22 acres (8.9 hectares). Lilly's daughter, Ruth, lived there until her death in 2009, and it remains privately owned. He also maintained a summer home, called Red Oaks, at Falmouth, Massachusetts . James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916)

4144-631: The Lilly Endowment funded some of Joe's special interests, such as Bibliography of American Literature , which published its first volume in 1955, and grants to the Lilly Library at IU Bloomington . Lilly was a prolific rare book collector and a member of the Grolier Club . He acquired a First Folio of the works of William Shakespeare , a Gutenberg Bible , a double-elephant folio of John James Audubon 's Birds of America ,

4256-506: The Lilly Endowment , which remains as one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. Lilly was also known for his significant collection of rare books and manuscripts, which he donated to Indiana University to form the core collection of the Lilly Library , located on the IU campus in Bloomington, Indiana . Oldfields , Lilly's estate home and grounds in Indianapolis, are part of

4368-474: The Mystery Writers of America association. The library has 94 poems as well as 3,324 examples of correspondence, writing, and memorabilia from Sylvia Plath . The poems are arranged in chronological order and the miscellaneous items are organized by type. 150 books from Plath's only library are housed at the Lilly Library as well. The Lilly Library is located on the southern side of a small square in

4480-511: The U.S. Army during World War I , when he served in France as an officer in the medical supply service, Lilly returned to the family business in Indianapolis, where he spent the remainder of his career. In the late 1920s Lilly and his brother, Eli, established a Planning Department and developed improvements to the company's hiring procedures, employee bonus incentives, working conditions, and efficiency efforts. While Eli served as president of

4592-426: The 1890s, it remained the only major literary magazine to publish Riley's work. Knowing the high standards of the magazine, Riley reserved his best work each year to submit to it, including one of his favorites, "The Old Man and Jim" in 1887. By the end of 1882, Riley's finances began improving dramatically, thanks largely to the income from his performances. During 1883 he began writing his "Boone County" poems under

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4704-648: The French Revolution of 1789. The collection contains approximately seven thousand pieces and includes all types of printed materials, such as journals, polemical pamphlets, and many other documents. The collection consists of 3,362 legal publications. The majority of the other documents are royal and administrative acts published in pamphlet form between 1789 and 1799. There are royal edicts, arrets, addresses, declarations, reglements, lettres patentes, rapports, ordonnances, memoires, lois, and various other titled or untitled official documents. The Mendel collection

4816-595: The Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. Over the years Joe donated a total of $ 6 million in Eli Lilly and Company stock to the endowment and Eli contributed stock valued at $ 2.8 million; however, their father made the largest stock contribution, a total of $ 86.8 million. As the company's stock value increased, the Lilly Endowment became one of the largest private foundations in the United States. In addition to its other projects

4928-718: The International Copyright League and had significant success in its efforts. When traveling to one of the league's meetings in New York City that year, Riley was struck by Bell's palsy . He recovered after three weeks but remained secluded to hide the effects of the sickness which he believed was caused by his alcoholism. He made another attempt to stop drinking alcohol with the help of a minister, but soon returned to his old habit. After recovering, Riley remained briefly in New York to participate in

5040-644: The New World. The emphasis of the subsequent acquisitions is on Latin Americana from the 17th through the 19th century, with particular attention to Mexican history. The Mendel Room in the Lilly was dedicated in 1964. The Lilly Library has the personal papers of James Whitcomb Riley in a variety of manuscript collections. There are also miscellaneous uncataloged materials that includes clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, memorabilia, and other ephemera. The majority of his writings and personal correspondence are found in

5152-476: The Night is the only play Riley wrote and published. Written while he was traveling with the Adelphians but never performed, the play has similarities to A Midsummer Night's Dream , which Riley may have used as a model. It concerns a kingdom besieged by evil forces of a sinister queen who is defeated eventually by an angel-like heroine. Most reviews were positive. Riley published the play, and it became popular in

5264-632: The Night". As was common at that time, Riley and his friends had few toys, and amused themselves with activities. With his mother's help, Riley began creating plays and theatricals, which he and his friends would practice and perform in the back of a local grocery store. As he grew older, the boys named their troupe the Adelphians and began to hold their shows in barns where they could fit larger audiences. Riley wrote of these early performances in his poem "When We First Played 'Show ' ", referring to himself as "Jamesy". Many of Riley's poems are filled with musical references. He had no musical education and

5376-538: The Poe plot, Riley was dismissed from the Democrat . He returned to Greenfield to spend time writing poetry. He met Clara Louise Bottsford, a school teacher boarding in his father's home. They found they had much in common, particularly their love of literature. The couple began a 12-year, intermittent relationship, Riley's longest. In mid-1878, the couple had their first breakup caused partly by Riley's alcoholism. Riley made

5488-530: The Riley mss. Hundreds of Riley’s books are listed in Indiana University’s online catalog. On the 150th anniversary of his birth, the library produced an online exhibition that explores James Whitcomb Riley’s impact on American society and the 19th century literary world. The Lilly Library has other Indiana authors in their collection as well. The Lilly Library houses 2,000 motion picture scripts, including

5600-655: The Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music, the Starr Sheet Music Collection, and the Wildermuth Collection of Hoagy Carmichael Sheet Music. The library has the original pen and ink drawings from Dale Messick 's comic Brenda Starr . The collection is organized and searchable by date. The material is made up of papers relating to meetings, correspondence, drafts, conferences, periodicals and books from

5712-842: The United States." Lilly's rare book and manuscript collections became the core collections of the Lilly Library, a special collections library at IU Bloomington that is named in the family's honor. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. acquired Lilly's gold coin collection. His military miniatures are part of the collections of Cape Cod's Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts ; his nautical models are at Mystic Seaport , in Mystic, Connecticut . Joe married Ruth Marie Brinkmeyer of Indianapolis on October 15, 1914. The couple had two children, Ruth (1915–2009) and Josiah (Joe) III (1916–1995). Lilly's daughter became

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5824-454: The act as a huckster , calling himself the "Painter Poet". He traveled with the act, composing poetry and performing at the shows. After his act he sold tonics to his audience, sometimes employing dishonesty. During one stop, Riley presented himself as a formerly blind painter who had been cured by a tonic, using himself as evidence to encourage the audience to purchase it. Riley began sending poems to his brother again in February 1873. About

5936-516: The agent for many of the nation's major performers, to join a one-hundred nights' engagement in New York City in a show that included Samuel Clemens and Dudley Warner . Riley was unable to agree with the Redpath Bureau who had to authorize any other performance under the terms of their contract. He believed his contract with the Redpath Bureau was limiting his opportunities, and his relationship with his agent became strained. Due in part to

6048-523: The association, Riley became acquainted with most of the notable writers in the Midwestern United States, including humorist Edgar Wilson Nye of Chicago. After completing his lecture circuit in 1885, Riley formed a partnership with Nye and his agent to begin a new tour. The Redpath Bureau agreed to allow Riley to tour with Nye, provided he maintained his financial agreements with them. In addition to touring, Riley and Nye collaborated on

6160-596: The board (1953–66) of Eli Lilly and Company , the pharmaceutical firm his grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly , founded in Indianapolis in 1876. Lilly, the younger son and namesake of Josiah K. Lilly Sr. , graduated from the University of Michigan 's School of Pharmacy in 1914 where he was a member of the Chi Psi Fraternity. He served in the United States Army in France during World War I . At Eli Lilly and Company, where his primary focus

6272-404: The central Indiana area during late 1878, helping him to convince newspapers to accept his poetry again. In November 1879, he was offered a position as a columnist at the Indianapolis Journal and accepted after being encouraged by E.B. Matindale, the paper's chief editor. Although the play and his newspaper work helped expose him to a wider audience, the chief source of his increasing popularity

6384-455: The collector to Indiana University between 1954 and 1957. These materials form the foundation of the rare book and manuscript collections of the Lilly Library. The extent to which J. K. Lilly realized his collecting goals was summed up by Frederick B. Adams Jr., at the dedication of the Lilly Library on October 3, 1960: "Mr. Lilly's books cover so many fields that it is difficult to believe that any one man's enthusiasm could encompass them all. It

6496-415: The company from 1932 to 1948, Joe's main interests were sales and marketing. During this period the company's growth was significant: "sales increased from $ 13 million to $ 115 million, and the number of employees grew from 1,675 to 6,912." As part of a company reorganization in 1944, Joe became executive vice president, while continuing to maintain responsibilities for the company's marketing effort, including

6608-533: The editors, but after the newspaper shut down in 1875, Riley was left without a paying publisher. He began traveling and performing with the Adelphians around central Indiana to earn an income while he searched for a new publisher. In August 1875, he joined another traveling tonic show run by the Wizard Oil Company . Riley began writing to the well-known American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during late 1875 seeking his endorsement to help him start

6720-453: The elite literary periodicals, but continued to be rejected. Riley found this discouraging, but persevered. He believed he would never be recognized as a true literary figure until one of the prestigious periodicals published his work. Riley undertook occasional reading tours around Indiana, and in August 1880 he was invited to perform at Asbury University . His performance there so impressed

6832-600: The events of 1870, he developed an addiction to alcohol and struggled with it for the rest of his life. Becoming increasingly belligerent toward his father, Riley moved out of the family home and briefly took a job painting houses before leaving Greenfield in November 1870. He was recruited as a Bible salesman and began working in the nearby town of Rushville, Indiana . The job provided little income and he returned to Greenfield in March 1871 where he started an apprenticeship to

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6944-639: The family home. Riley picked up the cadence and character of the dialect of central Indiana from travelers along the old National Road . Their speech greatly influenced the hundreds of poems he wrote in 19th century Hoosier dialect. His mother often told him stories of fairies, trolls , and giants, and read him children's poems. She was very superstitious and influenced Riley with many of her beliefs. They both placed "spirit rappings" in their homes on places like tables and bureaux to capture any spirits that may have been wandering about. This influence can be found in many of his works, including "Flying Islands of

7056-474: The family's home and gardens, to the Arts Association of Indianapolis in 1967. The residence and its grounds are part of the present-day Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation acquired Lilly's Eagle Crest property from Purdue University in 1966 and established Eagle Creek Park and Nature Preserve, "the largest city-owned and -operated park and recreation area in

7168-407: The family's home on North Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis , Indiana, on September 25, 1893. His only sibling, Eli Jr. , was eight years older. Joe's mother suffered from pernicious anemia and died in 1934; his father died in 1948. Lilly was the grandson of Colonel Eli Lilly , who founded Eli Lilly and Company , a pharmaceutical manufacturing business in Indianapolis in 1876. Joe's father

7280-453: The finest he had ever heard, "in which a homely dramatis [ sic ] persona's heart is laid open by subtle indirect, absolutely sure and tender" poetry. As a result of his New York performance, his name and picture were carried in all the major eastern papers, and he quickly became well known throughout the United States. Sales of The Boss Girl increased, resulting in the fifth and largest printing, and Riley finally began to achieve

7392-566: The first printing of the American Declaration of Independence (the Dunlap Broadside ), and a first edition of Edgar Allan Poe 's Tamerlane . He also acquired ninety-four titles on the "Grolier Hundred," a list of one hundred volumes that have been identified as important in the history of printed books. Lilly owned "thousands" of first editions of significant books of literature, history, and science. His collection

7504-769: The funding for construction of a new special collections library on the IU Bloomington campus. The Lilly Library, which is named in honor of the family, was dedicated on October 3, 1960. It houses the university's rare book and manuscript collections. Lilly died at Oldfields , his home in Indianapolis, Indiana , on May 5, 1966. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. Lilly's children, Ruth and Josiah III, were philanthropists like their father. His daughter donated an estimated $ 800 million during her lifetime to numerous charitable organizations and non-profit institutions, most of them in Indiana and in Indianapolis. His son contributed money to community projects in

7616-538: The groundwork for its personnel guidelines, and forming a sales research department. According to Forbes magazine, it ranked as the 243rd largest public company in the world in 2016, with sales of $ 20 billion and a market value of $ 86 billion ( USD ). As of 2014 the Lilly Endowment, which he founded with his father and brother, ranked fifth on a list of the largest charitable foundations in total assets ($ 9.96 billion) and ranked twenty-first in total giving ($ 333.6 million). Lilly's children donated Oldfields,

7728-568: The heart of the Indiana University Bloomington campus. Showalter Fountain is in the middle of the square. Indiana University Art Museum and Indiana University School of Fine Arts are on the opposite (northern) side of the square. Indiana University Auditorium is on the square's eastern side. Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Josiah Kirby "Joe" Lilly Jr. (September 25, 1893 – May 5, 1966) was a businessman and industrialist who served as president (1948 –53) and chairman of

7840-562: The helm until 1953 when Eugene Beesley succeeded him to become the first non-family member to serve as the company's president. Lilly was chairman of the board from 1953 until his death in 1966. Following his retirement as company president in 1953, Lilly devoted most of his time to various hobbies. He was known for his philanthropic activities, as well as his collections of rare books and manuscripts, gold coins, antique weaponry, stamps, works of art, and military miniatures. In 1937 Lilly, his father, J. K., and his older brother, Eli, founded

7952-555: The letter with him everywhere and, hoping to receive a job offer and to create a market for his poetry, he began sending poems to dozens of newspapers touting Longfellow's endorsement. Among the newspapers to take an interest in his poems was the Indianapolis Journal , a major Republican Party metropolitan newspaper in Indiana. Among the first poems it purchased from him were "Song of the New Year", "An Empty Nest", and

8064-405: The library he had built on the property, which also included a lodge. In 1958, Lilly donated the property to Purdue University . The Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation acquired Eagle Crest from the university in 1966 to establish Eagle Creek Park and Nature Preserve. In 1955, Lilly acquired the Indianapolis home of Lyman S. Ayres II , the grandson of Lyman S. Ayres , who founded

8176-456: The library's collections. The library also owns the papers of Hollywood directors Orson Welles and John Ford , film critic Pauline Kael , the poets Sylvia Plath and Ezra Pound , and authors Edith Wharton and Upton Sinclair . After the death of Ruth E. Adomeit in 1996, her collection of miniature books was donated to the Lilly. The Adomeit collection is considered to be one of the largest collections of miniature books. The collection

8288-545: The limited success of his latest book outside Indiana, Riley was persuaded to begin working with other midwestern writers to form an association to promote their work. Popular Indiana writer Lew Wallace , author of Ben-Hur , was a major promoter of the effort. During 1885, more than one hundred writers joined the group. They held their first meeting in July, naming themselves the Western Association of Writers. At

8400-584: The local Phi Kappa Psi chapter, he was invited to join as an honorary member. Through the fraternity he met Robert Jones Burdette , a writer and minister in the Indianapolis area. Burdette was a member of the Redpath Lyceum Bureau of Boston, a prominent lecture circuit whose regular speakers included Ralph Waldo Emerson . Burdette encouraged Riley to join the circuit through its Chicago branch. Riley's accumulated debt and low income began causing him trouble in 1881, and he decided that rejoining

8512-416: The meeting Maurice Thompson was named president, and Riley vice president. The association never succeeded in its goal of creating a powerful advertising force, but became a social club and a rival literary community to the eastern writing establishment. Riley was disappointed with the shortcomings of the group but came to depend on its regular meetings as an escape from his normally hectic schedule. Through

8624-490: The poems into a book. Riley agreed and his first book was published in August 1883, titled The Old Swimmin'-Hole and 'Leven More Poems . The book's popularity necessitated a second printing before the end of the year. During this period Riley determined that his most popular poems were those on topics of rural life, and he began to use that as a common theme throughout his future work. The income from his book allowed Riley to ease his busy work schedule; he submitted articles to

8736-707: The poems to the Indianapolis Mirror newspaper free of charge. His first poem was featured on March 30, 1872, under the pseudonym "Jay Whit". Riley wrote more than 20 poems to the newspaper, including one that was featured on the front page. In July 1872, after becoming convinced sales would provide more income than sign painting, he joined the McCrillus Company based in Anderson, Indiana . The company sold patent medicines that they marketed using small traveling shows around Indiana. Riley joined

8848-403: The present-day Newfields . The Smithsonian Institution acquired Lilly's gold coin collection. Cape Cod 's Heritage Museums and Gardens was established in his honor in Sandwich, Massachusetts , and holds some of Lilly's other collections. Josiah Kirby Lilly Jr., known as "Joe" among friends and family, was the younger son of Josiah K. Lilly Sr. and Lilly (née Ridgley) Lilly. He was born at

8960-662: The pseudonym "Benjamin F. Johnson of Boone". They were almost entirely written in dialect and emphasized topics of rural life during the early nineteenth century, often employing nostalgia and the simplicity of country life as elements. "The Old Swimmin'-Hole" and "When the Frost Is on the Punkin'" were the most popular and helped earn the entire series critical acclaim. The topics were popular with readers, reminding many of them of their childhood. Merrill, Meigs & Company (later renamed Bobbs-Merrill Company) approached Riley to compile

9072-444: The sales research, marketing, and distribution functions. The company's increasing size, the complexity of its business, and the resignation of Joe's son, Josiah III, in 1946, caused the company to consider a gradual leadership transition that would separate the company's ownership from its day-to-day management. Prior to his elevation to company president in 1948, Joe was president of Eli Lilly International Corporation. He remained at

9184-427: The same time he and several friends began an advertisement company. The men traveled around Indiana creating large billboard-like signs on the sides of buildings and barns and in high places that were visible from a distance. The company was financially successful, but Riley was continually drawn to poetry. In October, he traveled to South Bend where he took a job at Stockford & Blowney painting verses on signs for

9296-583: The second draft script for the film Chariots of Fire . In order to supplement the script material the library added to the collection material from Orson Welles , John Ford , Clifford Odets , and most recently Peter Bogdanovich . The library is home to 800 BBC radio scripts and the papers of Lance Sieveking and D. G. Bridson . The television scripts consist mostly of material from John McGreevey as well as scripts from such television shows as Star Trek and Mission: Impossible . The library houses 150,000 pieces of sheet music. The prominent collections are

9408-415: The sense in which makes for tears as well as for laughter". Although he was a good performer, his acts were not entirely original in style; he frequently copied practices developed by Samuel Clemens and Will Carleton . His tour in 1880 took him to every city in Indiana where he was introduced by local dignitaries and other popular figures, including novelist Maurice Thompson with whom he began to develop

9520-499: The stereotype by writing poetry he thought would help build his identity. He was aided by editorials he wrote and submitted to the Indianapolis Journal offering observations on events from his perspective as a "humble rural poet". He changed his appearance to look more mainstream, and began by shaving his mustache off and abandoning the flamboyant dress he employed in his early circuit tours. By 1880 his poems were published nationally and receiving positive reviews. "Tom Johnson's Quit"

9632-568: The third of the six children of Reuben Andrew and Elizabeth Marine Riley. Riley's grandparents came from Ireland to Pennsylvania before moving to the Midwest Riley's father was an attorney, and in the year before his birth, he was elected a member of the Indiana House of Representatives as a Democrat . He developed a friendship with James Whitcomb , the governor of Indiana, after whom he named his son. Martin Riley, Riley's uncle,

9744-419: The time, and Riley quickly earned a local reputation for his entertaining readings. In August 1878, he followed Indiana Governor James D. Williams as speaker at a civic event in a small town near Indianapolis. He recited a recently composed poem, "A Childhood Home of Long Ago", telling of life in pioneer Indiana. The poem was well received and was given good reviews by several newspapers. Flying Islands of

9856-424: The title The Boss Girl, A Christmas Story and Other Sketches . The book, which contained humorous poetry and short stories, received mixed reviews. It was popular around Indiana, where most of its copies were sold. One reviewer, however, called the poems "weird, nightmarish, and eerie" and compared them to Edgar Allan Poe's works. While Riley was working on his book, he was unexpectedly invited by James B. Pond ,

9968-470: The university. IU announced the donation, which the New York Times estimated its worth at $ 5 million, on January 8, 1956. Lilly eventually donated to IU more than 20,000 books and 17,000 manuscripts, in addition to more than fifty oil paintings and 300 prints. The collection is housed in the Lilly Library building on IU's main campus in Bloomington, Indiana . In the late 1950s, Lilly provided

10080-442: The widespread fame he sought. Clemens disliked being upstaged by Riley and attempted to avoid any future joint performances with him. According to one review, Clemens "shriveled up into a bitter patch of melancholy in the fierce light of Mr. Riley's humour". After returning home from his tour in early 1888, Riley finished compiling his third book, titled Old-Fashioned Roses . Arranged to appeal to British readers, it included only

10192-405: The world, and the largest corporation in Indiana. Lilly helped improve the company's business processes to increase its efficiency, laid the groundwork for its personnel guidelines, and formed its sales research department. He was the last Lilly family member to serve as company president. Lilly was also a philanthropist , as well as a collector. In 1937 Joe, his brother, and their father, founded

10304-427: The year, Riley spent working in Anderson , he met and courted Edora Mysers. The couple became engaged, but ended the relationship after they had decided against marriage in August. Despite local success at having his poems published, his submissions continued to be rejected by established eastern periodicals as being below their standards. Riley began formulating a plot to prove his work was of good quality and that it

10416-457: Was 10 years old, the first library opened in his hometown. From an early age he developed a love of literature. He and his friends spent time at the library where the librarian read stories and poems to them. Charles Dickens became one Riley's favorites and inspired the poems "St. Lirriper", "Christmas Season", and "God Bless Us Every One". Riley's father enlisted in the Union Army during

10528-488: Was 21 years old. At age five, he began spending time at the Brandywine Creek near Greenfield. His poems "A Barefoot Boy" and " The Old Swimmin' Hole " refer to his time there. As a child he was introduced to many people who later influenced his poetry. His father regularly brought home clients and disadvantaged people to help them. Riley's poem "The Raggedy Man" is based on a German tramp his father hired to work at

10640-399: Was able to keep peace in the family, but after her death in August from heart disease , Riley and his father had a final break. He blamed his mother's death on his father's failure to care for her in her final weeks. He continued to regret the loss of his childhood home. He wrote frequently of how it was so cruelly snatched from him by the war, subsequent poverty and his mother's death. After

10752-423: Was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the " Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His poems tend to be humorous or sentimental. Of the approximately 1,000 poems Riley wrote, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include " Little Orphant Annie " and " The Raggedy Man ". Riley began his career writing verses as

10864-465: Was an amateur poet who occasionally wrote verses for local newspapers. Riley was fond of his uncle who influenced his interest in poetry. Shortly after his birth, the family moved into a larger house in town. Riley was "a quiet boy, not talkative, who would often go about with one eye shut as he observed and speculated". His mother taught him to read and write at home before sending him to the local community school in 1852. He found school difficult and

10976-555: Was being rejected only because his name was unknown in the east. He wrote a poem imitating the style of Edgar Allan Poe and submitted it to the Kokomo Dispatch under a fictitious name claiming it was a long-lost Poe poem. The Dispatch published the poem and reported it as such. Riley and two other men who were part of the plot waited two weeks for the poem to be published by major newspapers in Chicago, Boston, and New York to gauge their reaction; they were disappointed. While

11088-441: Was carried by newspapers in twenty states, thanks in part to the careful cultivation of his popularity. Riley became frustrated that despite his growing acclaim he found it difficult to achieve financial success. In the early 1880s, in addition to his steady performing, Riley began producing many poems to increase his income. Half of his poems were written during this period. The constant labor had adverse effects on his health, which

11200-462: Was especially strong in American and British literary classics, as well as the history of science and medicine and Americana. The manuscript collections ranged from Robert Burns 's " Auld Lang Syne " to the original manuscript of James M. Barrie 's Peter Pan . On November 26, 1954, in a letter written to Herman B Wells , president of Indiana University , Lilly described his intention to donate his entire general collection of sixty-nine titles to

11312-404: Was frequently in trouble. Often punished, he had nothing kind to say of his teachers in his writings. His poem "The Educator" tells of an intelligent but sinister teacher and may have been based on one of his instructors. Riley was most fond of his last teacher, Lee O. Harris. Harris noticed Riley's interest in poetry and reading and encouraged him to pursue it further. Riley's school attendance

11424-505: Was his inspiration and to leave would ruin his poetry. Riley renewed his relationship with Bottsford for a third and final time in 1883. The two corresponded frequently and had secret lovers' rendezvous. He stopped visiting other women and their relationship became more dedicated and stable. Bottsford became convinced Riley was seeing another woman, however, and they ended their relationship in January 1885. Riley's sister, Mary, had become

11536-456: Was his performances on the lecture circuit. He gave both dramatic and comedic readings of his poetry, and by early 1879 could guarantee large crowds when he performed. In an 1894 article, Hamlin Garland wrote that Riley's celebrity resulted from his reading talent saying, "his vibrant individual voice, his flexible lips, his droll glance, united to make him at once poet and comedian—comedian in

11648-414: Was marketing and human resources, he served as vice president of marketing, executive vice president of the company, and president of Eli Lilly International Corporation, before succeeded his older brother, Eli Jr. , as company president in 1948 and as chairman of the board in 1953. During Lilly's five decades with the firm, it grew into one of the largest and most influential pharmaceutical corporations in

11760-531: Was quickly becoming wealthy from his books and touring, earning nearly $ 20,000 in 1888. He no longer needed his job at the journal and left it near the end of that year. The newspaper had served to earn him fame and had published hundreds of his articles, stories, and poems. In March 1888, Riley traveled to Washington, D.C. where he had dinner at the White House with other members of the International Copyright League and President Grover Cleveland . Riley gave

11872-456: Was sporadic, and he graduated from grade eight at age 20 in 1869. In an 1892 newspaper article, Riley confessed he knew little of mathematics, geography, or science, and his understanding of proper grammar was poor. Later critics, like Henry Beers, pointed to his poor education as the reason for his success in writing; his prose was written in the language of common people which spurred his popularity. Riley lived in his parents' home until he

11984-410: Was still dealing with the stigma of the Poe plot. The Indianapolis Journal and other newspapers refused to accept his poetry, leaving him desperate for income. On the advice of a friend, in January 1878 Riley paid an entrance fee to join a traveling lecture circuit where he could give poetry readings. In exchange, he received a portion of the profit his performances earned. These circuits were popular at

12096-686: Was superintendent of the Lilly laboratory at the time of Joe's birth and succeeded Colonel Lilly as president of the company in 1898. Joe and Eli followed their father into the family business. Each son served as company president and chairman of the board, but Joe was the last family member to serve as its president. Lilly attended the Holderness School in Holderness, New Hampshire , and graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania , in 1912. He continued his education with

12208-424: Was unable to continue working in his legal practice, and the family soon fell into financial distress. The war's negative effects soon caused his relationship with his family to deteriorate. He opposed Riley's interest in poetry and encouraged him to find a different career. The family finances finally disintegrated. They were forced to sell their town home in April 1870 and return to their country farm. Riley's mother

12320-409: Was unable to read sheet music . His father taught him to play the guitar, and a friend taught him the violin. He performed in two different local bands and became so proficient on the violin he was invited to play with a group of adult Freemasons at several events. A few of his later poems were set to music and song, one of the most well known being " A Short'nin' Bread Song—Pieced Out ". When Riley

12432-406: Was well received. His poems were greeted with laughter and praised in the city's newspaper reviews. Boston was the literary center of the United States at the time, and the impression Riley made on the city's literary community finally encouraged prestigious periodicals to publish his work. The Century Magazine was the first to do so, running "In Swimming-Time" in its September 1883 issue. Until

12544-491: Was worsened by his drinking. At the urging of Maurice Thompson, he again attempted to stop drinking liquor, but was unable to give it up for more than a few months. Riley moved to Indianapolis at the end of 1879 to begin his employment with the Indianapolis Journal . It was the only metropolitan newspaper there with daily editions and had a wide readership. He wrote a regular society column that often included verses of poetry. Thereafter Riley met many prominent people and began

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