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Ball Memorial Hospital records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-136

Scope and Contents

This collection includes publications and newsletters produced by Ball Memorial Hospital. The collection also includes a 1933 annual report and a transcript of the 50th anniversary celebration program.

Dates

  • Creation: 1933 - 2000

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Administrative History

Presented as a gift to the city of Muncie by the Ball Brothers, Ball Memorial Hospital (BMH) began operation on August 8, 1929. The hospital replaced the 60-bed Muncie Home Hospital, which was located at 1128 S. Mulberry Street and was unable to serve the city’s increasing healthcare demands. BMH opened with a 160-bed capacity, and in its first year of operation, admitted 2,302 patients. In addition, 215 babies were delivered at the hospital that same year.

The hospital quickly grew in the years immediately following its opening. In 1930, Maria Bingham Hall was completed providing facilities for student nurses. By 1937, the hospital’s capacity had expanded to 224 beds. Following an intensive fundraising campaign, BMH was expanded to 450 beds in 1957. However, hospital demands grew at such a rate that by 1963, another fundraiser campaign was launched, resulting in the construction of a five story, 196-bed East Wing. In 1979, work was completed on a ten-story tower with an additional 320 beds, bringing the total number of beds to over 600. BMH completed a $19 million construction project that included a new outpatient medical pavilion, parking garage, driveway, main entrance and lobby. BMH remains as East Central Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive medical facility and serves as Delaware County’s second largest employer.

Extent

0.2 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Edna Hayworth in 1985/07/30.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Related Archival Materials

Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie IN:

MSS.071: Ball Memorial School of Nursing records

MSS.349: Ball Memorial Hospital Auxiliary records

SC.400: Ball Memorial Hospital Homecare Service newsletter

SC.263: Edna Hayworth Ball Memorial Hospital Nursing collection

PSC.084: Ball Memorial Hospital photographs

PSCN.084: Ball Memorial Hospital negatives

Processing Information

Finding aid created 1991/04/17 by K. Dean. Finding aid revised 2001/12. EAD finding aid completed 2009/10/02 by Maren L. Read. EAD finding aid revised 2013/07/31 by Leslie Nellis.

Title
Ball Memorial Hospital records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA