A resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of The Hoosier Gym and the 35th anniversary of the release of the film "Hoosiers".

III 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 102 Recognizing the 100th anniversary of The Hoosier Gym and the 35th anniversary of the release of the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 10, 2021 Mr. BRAUN (for himself and Mr. YOUNG) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the 100th anniversary of The Hoosier Gym and the 35th anniversary of the release of the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’. Whereas The Hoosier Gym is a basketball gymnasium, mu- seum, and community center located in Knightstown, In- diana, and is famous for being a filming location for the 1986 basketball movie ‘‘Hoosiers’’, starring Gene Hack- man and Dennis Hopper; Whereas, in 1920, the Knightstown Community School had no gymnasium; Whereas, in February 1921, a half dozen Knightstown busi- nessmen met to discuss the fact that Knightstown was lagging behind other towns in the development of chil- dren’s athletic education; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 102 ATS Whereas, after much debate, a plan to build a ‘‘gymnasium and community house’’ was developed and approved; Whereas, to help fund the new gym, the Knightstown busi- nessmen raised more than $14,400 in donations from more than 250 citizens and several local businesses; Whereas, on December 1, 1921, construction of the gym was completed; Whereas, at 105 feet (32 meters) long and 80 feet (24 me- ters) wide, the new gym was big enough to accommodate not only basketball games and spectators (with bleacher seating around the sides and ends of the playing floor), but also many civic and community-oriented events; Whereas it was not long before arrangements were made for several professional basketball teams to play on the new floor, including the EmRoes, the Michigan Rails, and the Baltimore Orioles, and the town even persuaded players from various colleges to compete against local teams; Whereas, by 1966, the gym had become obsolete with the building of a new high school and gym; Whereas the Panthers of Knightstown played their last offi- cial regular-season basketball game at the gym in Feb- ruary 1966; Whereas, after 45 years of serving the community and pro- viding a place for its young people to grow and develop, the gym was closed, and for the next 19 years, the gym saw little use; Whereas, in 1985, interest in the gym increased when a film crew descended upon Knightstown, Indiana, looking for a place to film ‘‘Hoosiers’’; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 102 ATS Whereas ‘‘Hoosiers’’ is an American sports film written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh in his fea- ture directorial debut, and both individuals were raised in Indiana; Whereas the film tells the story of the unique phenomenon known as ‘‘Hoosier Hysteria’’—Indiana’s obsession with basketball; Whereas the film is inspired by the 1954 Milan High School team, which made an unlikely run to win the Indiana High School Boys Basketball State Championship, which consisted of a single class of high school basketball for all schools throughout the State; Whereas about 1⁄3 of the film was filmed in the gym, and the film included many Hoosiers, including players on the team and most of the stand-ins; Whereas Dennis Hopper’s role earned him an Oscar nomina- tion, and Jerry Goldsmith was also nominated for an Academy Award for his score; Whereas the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’ is often considered the greatest sports movie of all time and was added to the National Film Registry in 2001 by the Library of Congress as being ‘‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically signifi- cant’’; Whereas, as a result of the success of this film, the old Knightstown gymnasium came to be known as The Hoo- sier Gym; Whereas The Hoosier Gym has kept the same look as it did when ‘‘Hoosiers’’ was filmed in 1985; Whereas, by 1988, the gym faced possible demolition when the 112-year-old school next door, then serving as an ele- mentary school, was replaced by a new school north of VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 102 ATS town, but Historic Knightstown and Historic Landmarks of Indiana stepped forward to help preserve the gym; Whereas now The Hoosier Gym usually hosts 80 high school basketball games with teams from throughout the coun- try and over 100 games in total each year; Whereas, each year, the gym holds the Hoosiers Reunion All- Star Classic, where Indiana’s best high school athletes play against each other, with the teams named ‘‘Hickory’’ and ‘‘Terhune’’, as in the film; Whereas many of these athletes have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association and the Women’s Na- tional Basketball Association; Whereas ‘‘Hoosiers’’ and The Hoosier Gym have highlighted the cultural impact and importance of basketball in the State of Indiana to the world; Whereas, in 2021, The Hoosier Gym is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’ is celebrating its 35th anniversary; and Whereas the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’, The Hoosier Gym, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and all the other locations throughout Indi- ana used for filming highlight Hoosiers’ love for basket- ball and ‘‘Hoosier Hysteria’’ at its finest: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 1 (1) The Hoosier Gym, which is celebrating its 2 100th anniversary in 2021, continues to remain an 3 important historical and cultural location for the 4 State of Indiana, Henry County, the Town of 5 Knightstown, and the nearly 80,000 basketball en- 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 102 ATS thusiasts and tourists throughout Indiana, the 1 United States, and the world that visit the location 2 every year; 3 (2) the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’, which is celebrating its 4 35th anniversary in 2021, continues to remain one 5 of the top ranked and most influential sports movies 6 of all time, highlights the love of basketball in the 7 State of Indiana, and provides a better under- 8 standing of ‘‘Hoosier Hysteria’’ to the world; 9 (3) both the film and this historical location de- 10 serve recognition for the continued legacies that 11 greatly enrich the State of Indiana, its local commu- 12 nities, and its citizens by providing the world with 13 a better understanding of the love of basketball in 14 Indiana and what it means to be a Hoosier; 15 (4) continued admiration for this film and his- 16 torical location reinforces the quote by Dr. James 17 Naismith, basketball’s inventor, after visiting an In- 18 diana High School State Basketball Championship 19 game that ‘‘Basketball really had its beginning in 20 Indiana which remains today the center of the 21 sport’’, and such admiration continues to promote 22 throughout the world a better understanding of the 23 motto ‘‘In 49 States, it’s just basketball, but this is 24 Indiana’’; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •SRES 102 ATS (5) the anniversaries of the film ‘‘Hoosiers’’ 1 and The Hoosier Gym should be recognized due to 2 the historical and cultural significance each had and 3 continue to have in introducing the State of Indiana 4 and its love of basketball to the rest of the country 5 and the world. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:51 Mar 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR102.ATS SR102 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS