[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO MARY FENDRICH HULMAN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a unique and
great American. Mary Hulman was Chair of the board of directors of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway when she died 2 weeks ago at the age of 93.
Most Americans would not recognize her, but they heard Mary Hulman's
voice many times over the years at the Indianapolis 500 when she
commanded the drivers ``Gentlemen, start your engines.'' That may have
been her highest-profile activity, but Mary Hulman was much more.
She was well-known for her generous philanthropic public service,
even though she contributed with little fanfare. She was a major
benefactor and board member of several organizations, including Rose-
Hulman Institute of Technology, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the
Indianapolis Museum of Art and Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute. Ms.
Hulman was steadfast in her devotion to her Catholic faith and her
support for Catholic charities.
The Indianapolis Star said in an editorial that Mary Hulman always
exemplified Jesus' teaching in the gospel of Matthew that giving should
be done away from the blare of trumpets and the sight of men. She never
sought recognition for her charity work and always looked for ways that
she could do more.
{time} 1815
Mary Hulman was born into a wealthy family but she never acted as
though wealth was her birthright. She knew that much is expected from
those who have received much. Over the years, Mary Hulman gave away
much of her fortune. Her gifts included $3.5 million to the
Indianapolis Museum of Art and $2 million to Indiana State University
for a student union complex.
Her daughter's love of horses led Mary Hulman to give $629,000 to
endow the Mari Hulman George School of Equine studies at St. Mary-in-
the-Woods College. She also donated $500,000 needed to repair the
college's science building.
Mary Hulman served on the development board of Wabash College and was
active in the Public Health Nursing Association of Terre Haute. She
also served on many agencies for the benefit of St. Anthony's Hospital
in Terre Haute.
She was the granddaughter of Hermann Fendrich, a German immigrant and
the founder of the LaFendrich Cigar Company. Her father took over the
company and operated it until his death.
In 1926, Mary married Tony Hulman and lived in Terre Haute, where
Tony was a well-known and prosperous businessman. Tony Hulman was the
owner of the speedway for many years. Together he and Mary worked to
keep the Indianapolis 500 the world's premier event in motor racing.
Legendary racer A.J. Foyt said that the new generation of racers will
never know the struggles and hardship of Tony and Mary Hulman that they
endured to make the speedway an international success. The Hulmans had
taken Foyt in and given him food and a place to stay when he was a
young man down on his luck. Mary was known for her kindness to new
racers coming up through the ranks.
Mary Hulman thought her husband had bought a pig in a poke when in
1945 he acquired the speedway. But later she said, ``I was wrong.''
Last year Mary Hulman was inducted into the Speedway Hall of Fame.
St. Francis of Assisi said, ``When there is charity and wisdom, there
is neither fear nor ignorance.'' Mary Hulman spent her life dispelling
fear and ignorance through her support of education and charity to the
less fortunate. Mary Hulman set an example for Americans in
selflessness and sacrifice. The world is truly a better place for her
93 years of life.
Mr. Speaker, I include the following editorial from the Indianapolis
Star on the life of Mary Hulman.
[From the Indianapolis Star, Apr. 14, 1998]
A Gentle Lady
Matthew's Gospel counsels that charitable giving be done in
quiet, away from the blare of trumpets and the sight of men:
``. . . let not thy left hand know what they right hand
doeth.''
That advice characterized the generosity and spirit of Mary
Fendrich Hulman, who committed her life to worthwhile causes
yet managed to escape the spotlight that surround one of
Indiana's richest and most prominent families.
The widow of longtime Speedway owner Tony Hulman died
Friday at age 93. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:05
p.m. today in St. Benedict Catholic Church, Terre Haute.
Although she shied away from publicity, Mrs. Hulman
couldn't avoid the annual minute of global fame that
accompanied the start of the Indy 500 when she issued the
legendary command, ``Gentlemen, start your engines.'' It was
a duty she assumed after her husband's death in 1977 and
continued to take seriously even after her health began to
fail a few years back.
Married to a millionaire businessman, Mrs. Hulman had
philanthropic resources in her own right as the granddaughter
of Hermann Fendrich, a German immigrant who founded
LaFendrich Cigar Co. A patron of the arts, Mrs. Hulman was a
trustee of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and a member of the
board of overseers of Terre Haute's Swope Art Museum.
Her financial contributions to museum, church and higher
education institutions were innumerable. Her faith and love
of the Catholic Church were unmistakable.
``Always gracious and unassuming, she quietly provided
assistance for the museum's ongoing programs and for projects
she knew would benefit the community and the state,'' noted
Richard Wood, chairman of the board of governors of the
Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Mrs. Hulman was an important figure in the racing world and
remembered for her hospitality to drivers and their families.
In 1997, she was inducted into the Speedway Hall of Fame
along with two-time Indy winner Gordon Johncock.
But her role in this community far exceeded just being the
wife of a very famous man. Her commitment to community leaves
a legacy that rivals the motorsports legacy left by her late
husband.
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