Editor's note: In honor of the university's centennial year, The Daily News is counting down 100 days to the university's celebration Sept. 6 with 100 of Ball State's most famous traditions and figures. Check back each day to read about Cardinal history.
What now stands as “a symbol of commitment and celebration for members of the Ball State community,” according to Ball State’s website, began as a home purchased to support a growing family.
In 1937, Rosemary Ball, daughter of Frank C. Ball, and her husband Alexander M. Bracken, an attorney who became chairman of the Ball Corporation and served as president of the Board of Trustees, moved into what is now owned by the university and referred to as Bracken House.
The Brackens lived in the house for more than 50 years, where they raised five children and several animals, including three dogs.
The family would often host different gatherings, including a wedding for one of their daughters. In the basement was a kid-size roller coaster and stage for family theater productions.
Tom Bracken, grandson of Rosemary and Alexander and current member of the Board of Trustees, said the “house was the place to hang out in the neighborhood,” in a Daily News article from March 16, 2017.
The house was donated to the university in 1998, and small renovations were done before it became a home for Ball State’s presidents.
John Worthen was the first Ball State president to live in the house. He hosted events such as dinners, receptions and other formal events — a tradition that still goes on today.
The next renovation of the home wasn’t until 2017. Nineteen years after the university received Bracken House, it was refurbished and redesigned to make the home more suitable for university-related events, with the help of a grant from the George and Frances Ball Foundation.
Ball State alumna Deanna Whetstone was the interior designer for the renovations, which took place mainly downstairs. The second floor of the home is for the president and his or her family, and has a full kitchen and other amenities to help them feel comfortable and at home even while events are happening downstairs.
Read more centennial content here.
Contact Brooke Kemp with comments at bmkemp@bsu.edu or on Twitter @brookemkemp.
Read More
Ball State tops Texas A&M in second game of Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament
By Logan Connor / 7 hours ago“It's the reason you come to play in tournaments like this, to play really good basketball teams,” head coach Brady Salle said after his team's Battle 4 Atlantis win
Indiana Pacers defeat the Washington Wizards at home
By Derran Cobb / 11 hours agoIn the Pacers first of four straight home games, the Blue and Gold would defeat the Wizards 115-103. Pascal Siakam led the way with 22 points.
Cardinals fall to Western Michigan in MAC Championship Final
By Daniel Kehn / 13 hours agoBall State ended the 2024 season with a loss to Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship Final.
