Clay Adra Ball papers

Clay Adra Ball was born November 19, 1877 on the family farm in Monroe Township near Socum (or Sockum) in Delaware County, the fifth of six children born to George Mansfield Ball and Susannah Hale Ball. He attended school in a one-room country schoolhouse, Number 9, until he was 17. After a year of high school in Cowan, he spent a summer at another rural school taught by the Superintendent of Schools in southwest Delaware County, which qualified him to teach school. After teaching for two years, Clay enrolled in Indiana University in 1898 to further his teacher training. By 1903, he had decided to leave teaching and go into medicine and so applied to the Medical College of Indianapolis. By the time that he graduated in 1906, the medical college had merged with others in the state system and so he actually received his medical degree from Purdue.

Clay Ball’s brother was a practicing attorney in Muncie, so after graduating, the young doctor also decided to settle in Muncie. He practiced alone for a while and then joined Drs. Andrews and Mix who operated a hospital in the Old Star Building Office. In 1913, Dr. Ball again went into practice for himself. This time he opened an office in the Western Reserve Building, corner of High and Jackson Streets, where he stayed until 1916, when he met and married Helen Mauk. The young couple bought a brick home at the corner of Adams and Franklin Streets and after some remodeling, Dr. and Mrs. Ball established offices downstairs and living quarters upstairs, where they raised their four sons. After World War II, one of his sons, Dr. Phil Ball joined him in his practice.

Dr. Clay Ball lived to be one hundred and two years old, passing away June 19, 1980.