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SmallerEdmund F. Ball, son of Edmund B. Ball, one of five Ball brothers who
in 1918 purchased the administration building and land which now comprises Ball State
University, was director emeritus of Ball Corporation and retired president/chairman of
the board. Ball had been with the company all of his working life, having started in the
ranks with various manufacturing assignments before becoming glass factories manager in
1936.
From 1936 to 1940, he held that position and was named vice president of glass
operations in 1940. He became executive vice president and member of the board of
directors in 1945 and was elected president in 1948, a position he held until 1956. In
1956, Ball was also named chairman of the board and continued in that capacity from 1963
through 1967, when he assumed the presidency once more. He served as president and
chairman from 1967-1970. In June 1970, John W. Fisher succeeded Ball as president upon his
retirement.
He was born in Muncie, Ind., on Jan. 8, 1905, and attended grade school there before graduating from a school for boys in Asheville, N.C. He continued his education at Wabash College in Indiana and received his Ph.B. degree from Yale University in 1928, becoming active in Ball Corp. the same year.
Ball served with various air and ground force installations from 1941-1945, advancing to the rank of major and also served in the War Department, Washington, D.C. As a staff officer with the Fifth Army, he saw combat in the European-Mediterranean theater and participated in landings and campaigns in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio. He was awarded the Bronze Star. During part of his time in the Fifth Army, Ball served as aide to General Mark W. Clark, and later published a book “Staff Officer,” recounting his experiences. He held a commercial pilot's rating for single- and multi-engine aircraft, and served as a director of Borg- Warner Corporation of Chicago; American National Bank and Trust Company, and Merchants National Bank, Muncie; and the American Fletcher Corporation of Indianapolis.
He was honorary chairman and founder of Muncie Airport, Inc.; chairman, Minnetrista Corporation, Ball Brothers Foundation; chairman of the board of Muncie Aviation Company; chairman of Ball Memorial Hospital Health Services, Inc.; honorary trustee of Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind.; honorary director, Ball Memorial Hospital, and honorary trustee of Asheville School, Asheville. He was a charter member and served 34 years on the board of the Ball State University Foundation.
He was a member of the executive board of directors of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and a charter board member and vice chairman of Public Broadcasting Service.
He was an honorary member of the board of governors at Eastern Indiana Community Television, member of the advisory council of Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, and of the University of Chicago.
Ball was also a former member of the Advisory Council of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.; honorary member of the Board of Associated Colleges of Indiana; member of the Indiana Academy; a trustee of the Muncie YMCA; former member of the Muncie Park Board; member of the advisory council, Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md.; former director of American Open University and an honorary director of the Indiana Nature Conservancy.
He was a past director of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co., Inc.; past president, Glass Container Manufacturers Institute; former director and vice chairman, Public Broadcasting Service; and charter member of the National Council of the Humanities.
His civic and social memberships and offices included past grand treasurer of Grand Encampment Knights Templar; trustee and past treasurer of Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc.; past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Indiana; honorary member of Supreme Council Scottish Rite Thirty-Third Degree; recipient of the Gourgas Medal of Honor and the Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor for distinguished service to fraternity, humanity and country; Knights Templar National Award for distinguished service; Aviation Pioneer OX-5 Hall of Fame; Northwood Institute National Business Leaders Award; member of American Legion and trustee of the Muncie Post and past president of the Muncie Rotary Club; member of Amvets; Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity; Columbia Club of Indianapolis; Yale Club of New York; the Explorers Club of New York and Adventurers Club of Chicago.
Ball received honorary degrees from five institutions including doctor of law degrees from Ball State, DePauw University and Indiana University and a doctor of humane letters from Wabash College and Keuka College.
He was awarded the President’s Medal from now retired Ball State President John Worthen in 1995 for “significant and unselfish contributions to the advancement of the university, community, state and nation.”
He was married to the former Virginia (Beall) Stewart and resided at 1707 Riverside Ave. They had two children, Robert B. and Nancy L. Teed. Ball had three children from his previous marriage to Isabel (Urban) who died in 1949. They are Frank E. Ball, Marilyn B. Heaton, and Fred. C. Ball.
He was born in Muncie, Ind., on Jan. 8, 1905, and attended grade school there before graduating from a school for boys in Asheville, N.C. He continued his education at Wabash College in Indiana and received his Ph.B. degree from Yale University in 1928, becoming active in Ball Corp. the same year.
Ball served with various air and ground force installations from 1941-1945, advancing to the rank of major and also served in the War Department, Washington, D.C. As a staff officer with the Fifth Army, he saw combat in the European-Mediterranean theater and participated in landings and campaigns in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio. He was awarded the Bronze Star. During part of his time in the Fifth Army, Ball served as aide to General Mark W. Clark, and later published a book “Staff Officer,” recounting his experiences. He held a commercial pilot's rating for single- and multi-engine aircraft, and served as a director of Borg- Warner Corporation of Chicago; American National Bank and Trust Company, and Merchants National Bank, Muncie; and the American Fletcher Corporation of Indianapolis.
He was honorary chairman and founder of Muncie Airport, Inc.; chairman, Minnetrista Corporation, Ball Brothers Foundation; chairman of the board of Muncie Aviation Company; chairman of Ball Memorial Hospital Health Services, Inc.; honorary trustee of Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind.; honorary director, Ball Memorial Hospital, and honorary trustee of Asheville School, Asheville. He was a charter member and served 34 years on the board of the Ball State University Foundation.
He was a member of the executive board of directors of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and a charter board member and vice chairman of Public Broadcasting Service.
He was an honorary member of the board of governors at Eastern Indiana Community Television, member of the advisory council of Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, and of the University of Chicago.
Ball was also a former member of the Advisory Council of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.; honorary member of the Board of Associated Colleges of Indiana; member of the Indiana Academy; a trustee of the Muncie YMCA; former member of the Muncie Park Board; member of the advisory council, Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md.; former director of American Open University and an honorary director of the Indiana Nature Conservancy.
He was a past director of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co., Inc.; past president, Glass Container Manufacturers Institute; former director and vice chairman, Public Broadcasting Service; and charter member of the National Council of the Humanities.
His civic and social memberships and offices included past grand treasurer of Grand Encampment Knights Templar; trustee and past treasurer of Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc.; past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Indiana; honorary member of Supreme Council Scottish Rite Thirty-Third Degree; recipient of the Gourgas Medal of Honor and the Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor for distinguished service to fraternity, humanity and country; Knights Templar National Award for distinguished service; Aviation Pioneer OX-5 Hall of Fame; Northwood Institute National Business Leaders Award; member of American Legion and trustee of the Muncie Post and past president of the Muncie Rotary Club; member of Amvets; Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity; Columbia Club of Indianapolis; Yale Club of New York; the Explorers Club of New York and Adventurers Club of Chicago.
Ball received honorary degrees from five institutions including doctor of law degrees from Ball State, DePauw University and Indiana University and a doctor of humane letters from Wabash College and Keuka College.
He was awarded the President’s Medal from now retired Ball State President John Worthen in 1995 for “significant and unselfish contributions to the advancement of the university, community, state and nation.”
He was married to the former Virginia (Beall) Stewart and resided at 1707 Riverside Ave. They had two children, Robert B. and Nancy L. Teed. Ball had three children from his previous marriage to Isabel (Urban) who died in 1949. They are Frank E. Ball, Marilyn B. Heaton, and Fred. C. Ball.
