James T. Neal

JamesT. Neal, 95, who died September 27 in Indianapolis, was the third generation inhis family to own, edit, and publish the NoblesvilleDaily Ledger. He began his 36-year newspaper career as a paper carrier andeventually, as editor, guided the newspaper in 1980 to the title of Blue RibbonNewspaper in the annual contest of the Hoosier State Press Association. Nealwrote a daily column six days a week for 25 years.

Hiscommitment to freedom of the press and honest and open government prompted hisinduction in 1990 to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. He had previouslyreceived the Ball State University Honors Award for Distinguished Service inJournalism.

Nealwas born Jan. 5, 1921 in Lebanon, Ind., the son of Ralph Bowman and Mary HonanNeal. The family moved in 1924 to Noblesville where Ralph joined the staff ofthe Noblesville Daily Ledger, acounty-seat daily newspaper published by his father, Charles S. Neal. Agraduate of Butler University with a degree in journalism, Neal also was agraduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served duringWorld War II in Germany for three years as armored artillery lieutenant. Priorto resuming his newspaper career, Neal was sent to Fifth Army Headquarters inChicago where he served as an aide to General James M. Gavin, chief ofstaff. The General reciprocated yearslater when he came to Indianapolis to address the Indiana Republican EditorialAssociation of which Neal was president.

Neal’s defense ofthe First Amendment generated national headlines in July 1965. A HamiltonCounty judge had ordered his arrest for contempt of court after Neal criticizeda court plan to crack down on moving traffic violators. At a preliminaryhearing in the case, the courtroom was jammed to capacity, and some spectatorswore black armbands to protest the denial of freedom of the press. The case waslater dismissed on procedural grounds. A newspaper column Neal wrote on thedeath of his German Shepherd Beowulf also drew national readership.

In the 1970s, Nealorganized and developed Noblesville Cablevision and served as its presidentuntil he and his brother John sold the company in 1984. He also was one of thedevelopers of Indiana television station WHMB (Channel 40) in Indiana.

Nealwas active civically and politically on both the local and state scenes. He wasa founding member of the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club and received the nationalBoys Club Medallion in 1965. He was one of the founders of the Hamilton CountyCommunity Fund, now the United Way.

Nealwas secretary of the Indiana Republican Party for 11 years (1957-68) and servedas its chairman in 1972-73. Edward Ziegner, political editor of The Indianapolis News, in his 1995 book View from the Press Shack, credited Nealwith playing a major role in the 1972 election of Governor Otis Bowen by over300,000 votes, a record at the time. Neal was named a Sagamore of the Wabash byboth Governors Bowen and Robert D. Orr.

Hewas a three-time delegate to the Republican National Convention, served on theRepublican National Committee, and was a Republican member of the IndianaElection Board and Indiana Judicial Nominating Committee. He served on theBoard of Trustees of Butler University and, after the Ledger’s sale in 1985, headed the university’s journalism departmentuntil his retirement in 1987.

Nealserved on the boards of the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the CommunityService Council of Indianapolis, and the advisory board of Conner PrairiePioneer Settlement. In 1991, he and his wife, longtime collectors of NativeAmerican art, were among the founders of the Institute of American Indian ArtsMuseum in Santa Fe.

Hewas a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, the Indianapolis Dramatic Club, thePlayers Club, the Society of Indiana Pioneers, and Meridian Street UnitedMethodist Church. Named a Hamilton County torchbearer for the IndianaBicentennial Torch Relay, he will be represented posthumously by his grandsonon October 13.

Nealwas preceded in death by his sister, Sally Cina, and brother, John R. Neal. Heis survived by his wife of 63 years, Georgianne Davis Neal; daughters Anne(Thomas) Petri and Andrea Neal; grandchildren, Alexandra Petri, Andrew andScott Schmelzer; and sister, Mary Ann Zore (Dr. Joseph) of Englewood, Fla.

Serviceswill be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in the chapel at Meridian Street UnitedMethodist Church with calling an hour prior to services. Memorial contributionsmay be made to the James T. Neal Journalism Scholarship at Butler University orthe Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville.