Rushville's Booker T. Washington School receives restoration and rehab grant

Fifteen sites significant to Indiana’s African American history are receiving restoration and rehabilitation assistance through two funds established by the late Eli Lilly chemist and preservation champion Standiford “Stan” Cox.

Grants totaling $205,000 are being distributed from the Standiford H. Cox Fund and the Dovie Stewart Cox & Chester A. Cox Sr. Memorial Fund to sites across the state.

Stan Cox, who passed away in 2019, joined Eli Lilly and Co. in 1957 as its first Black chemist. He established the two funds with the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) to support the restoration, preservation, operation, and ongoing maintenance of African American historic sites in Indiana.

The 15 organizations receiving grants include the City of Rushville Parks Department. $20,000 will be utilized for masonry and wood window repairs at the 1905 Booker T. Washington School.

“Preserving Black history often begins with neighbors and volunteers who recognize that a place matters and commit themselves to saving it,” said Jennifer Bartenbach, CEO of Central Indiana Community Foundation. “They organize, raise funds, build support and continue caring for these sites year after year. As public resources for this work become more limited, philanthropy plays an increasingly important role in helping those efforts move forward. Stan Cox’s generosity helps strengthen that grassroots work, giving communities the resources to protect important places and keep their stories alive for future generations.”

“We’re pleased to serve as a preservation advisor on these grants, which continue the visionary work of Stan Cox to protect Indiana’s Black heritage,” said Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services at Indiana Landmarks. “The partnership between the Central Indiana Community Foundation and Indiana Landmarks creates a brighter future for these important local landmarks.”

The Standiford H. Cox Fund supports the restoration, preservation, operation, and ongoing maintenance of African American historic sites in Indiana. The Dovie Stewart Cox & Chester A. Cox Sr. Memorial Fund, which Cox created to honor his parents, provides support for Lost Creek Community Grove at the Lost Creek Settlement near Terre Haute, one of the state’s earliest settlements of free people of color. Since its inception in 2020, the Cox Funds have awarded nearly $1.2 million in grants around the state. Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program serves as a preservation advisor to both funds, recommending projects.

Applications for the next round of grants will be due April 1, 2027. Those who want to suggest a property that might qualify for grants from the funds should contact Indiana Landmarks at coxfunds@indianalandmarks.org.

Born in Brazil, Ind., Cox was an Indiana University graduate who worked for 32 years for Eli Lilly and Co., beginning as a chemist and holding a variety of positions during his career. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic society, he also earned a master’s degree from Butler University. An advocate for academic biochemical research, he endowed the Standiford H. Cox Professorship in Biochemistry at Indiana University in Bloomington.