Organizational Note:

The Indiana State Police had a modest beginning as the Motor Vehicle Police.  In 1921 the Indiana General Assembly passed an act which required registration of motor vehicles and created the Motor Vehicle Police to enforce this.  Later the Motor Vehicle Police were granted the authority to enforce vehicle and traffic laws.  A reorganization act in 1933 grouped all the state enforcement agencies into one body by placing them under the Department of Public Safety.  This act officially created the Indiana State Police Department.

The Indiana State Police Department has been headed up by 18 different Superintendents beginning with Al Feeney. As of 1996 Melvin Carraway has been head of the State Police. Currently there are 18 Indiana State Police Posts throughout the state. The State Police perform a wide variety of duties including working with communities to improve public safety, enforcing traffic and drug laws, investigating crimes and enforcing the laws and regulations pertaining to commercial motor vehicles.

Scope and Content Note:

The collection consists of materials dating from 1920-2001. These are the research materials collected by Marilyn B. Olsen for her book, Gangsters, Gunfire, and Political Intrigue: The story of the Indiana State Police, which provides a history of the Indiana State Police Department. The types of materials included in this collection consist of Clippings, Newsletters, Correspondence, Police reports, ISP manuals, Photocopies from books and magazines, Drafts, Notes, and B/W and Color Photographs. The collection is organized in virtually the same fashion as Ms. Olsen had it originally when using the materials for her book writing process. The only change of note has been the placing of the photographs at the end of the collection for preservation purposes.

A copy of Ms. Olsen's book is included in Box 2 of the collection.

Box and Folder Listing:

Box 1:

      1.    General History, 1920-1929.
      2.    General History, 1930-1939.
      3.    General History, 1940-1949.
      4.    General History, 1950-1959.
      5.    General History, 1960-1969.
      6.    General History, 1970-1979.
      7.    General History, 1980-1989.
      8.    General History, 1990-1999.
      9.    General History-Diversity, 1960-1997.
      10.  Superintendents-Feeney, 1939-1955.
      11.  Superintendents-Stiver, 1949-1946.
      12.  Superintendents-Killian, 1944-1962.
      13.  Superintendents-Rossow, 1947-1960.
      14.  Superintendents-Thurston, 1948-1949.
      15.  Superintendents-Everett and O'Neal, 1947-1970.
      16.  Superintendents-Jessup, 1952-1997.
      17.  Superintendents-Zeis, 1957-1975.
      18.  Superintendents-Barton, 1960.
      19.  Superintendents-Everett, 1963-1997.
      20.  Superintendents-Raney, 1979-1997.
      21.  Superintendents-DeBard, 1974-1997.
      22.  Superintendents-Konkle, 1979-1999.
      23.  Superintendents-Shettle, 1997.
      24.  Superintendents-Furnas, 1997.
      25.  Superintendents-Jennings, 1997.
      26.  Superintendents-Carraway, 2000.
      27.  Indiana State Police Posts-General History, 1977-1997.
      28.  Indiana State Police Posts-Dunes Park and Schererville, 1999-2000.
      29.  Indiana State Police Posts-South Bend and Lowell, 1977-1998.
      30.  Indiana State Police Posts-Ligonier and Fort Wayne, 1998.
      31.  Indiana State Police Posts-Peru and Lafayette, 1998.
      32.  Indiana State Police Posts-Redkey and Bremen, 1998.
      33.  Indiana State Police Posts-Pendleton and Putnamville, 1998.
      34.  Indiana State Police Posts-Connersville and Seymour, 1999.
      35.  Indiana State Police Posts-Jasper and Evansville, 1986-1999.
      36.  Indiana State Police Posts-Terre Haute and Bloomington, 1999.
      37.  Indiana State Police Posts-Versailles and Charlestown, 1997-1999.
      38.  Indiana State Police Posts-Toll Road and Port, 1973-1998.
      39.  Specialty Teams-Aviation, 1946-1999.
      40.  Specialty Teams-Underwater Search and Rescue Team, 1976-1999.
      41.  Specialty Teams-Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Explosive  
             Ordnance Reconnaissance, 1991-1999. 
      42.  Specialty Teams-Emergency Response Team, 1975-1999.
      43.  Communications Division, 1949-1999.
      44.  Logistics Division, 1970-1999.
      45.  Motor Carrier Division, 1982-1998.
      46.  Investigations, 1930-1997. 
      

Box 2. 

      1.    Gaming Division, 1994-1998.
      2.    Chaplaincy, 1976-1999.
      3.    Public Information Officer, 1959-1999.
      4.    Civilian Employees, 1995-1997.
      5.    Recruitment, 1937-1994.
      6.    Training Division, 1966-1999.
      7.    Associations, 1967-1995.
      8.    Youth Education and Historical Center, 1971-1999.
      9.    Valor Award Winners, 1990-1997.
      10.  Line of Duty Deaths, 1992-1999.
      11.  Brady Gang, 1936-1937.
      12.  Easton Gang, 1938-1997.
      13.  Indiana State Police Board, 1999.
      14.  Gangsters, Gunfire, and Political Intrigue: The Story of the Indiana State  
             Police, 2001.
      15.  General History Photographs, 1920-1949.
      16.  General History Photographs, 1950-2001.
      17.  Superintendents Photographs.
      18.  Indiana State Police Posts Photographs.
      19.  Specialty Teams Photographs.
      20.  Communications Photographs.
      21.  Logistics Photographs.
      22.  Motor Carrier Division Photographs.
      23.  Investigations Photographs.
      24.  Gaming Division Photographs.
      25.  Chaplaincy Photographs.
      26.  Public Information Officer Photographs.
      27.  Training Photographs.
      28.  Youth Education and Historical Center Photographs.
      29.  Brady Gang Photographs.

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.