Ball Memorial Hospital records

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.