6/19/2007
Media Contact:
Anne Coffey, [317] 327-6709 |
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Mayor renames Airport Expressway to honor dedicated public servant
Indianapolis – Today, Mayor Bart Peterson, accompanied by leaders from the Indianapolis Urban League and members of the Sam Jones family, announced the new name for the Airport Expressway, the Sam Jones Expressway.
Once the new Midfield Terminal project is complete, the Airport Expressway, created in 1969 as a new route to the airport, will no longer lead to the Indianapolis terminal. In order to alleviate confusion, the city, in conjunction with the State and the Airport Authority, agreed to change the name.
“As we look forward to the opening of our new, world-class terminal, we are also able to support the legacy of a great city leader through this renaming,” said Mayor Peterson. “The dedication and commitment that Sam Jones gave to Indianapolis is truly an inspiration to us all.”
Sam Jones began his career in Ohio and worked in Michigan and Minnesota before becoming the first President of the Indianapolis Urban League in 1966. While president of the Urban League, he worked assure equal access to education, housing and healthcare for all citizens. He also worked to improve police and community relations within the Indianapolis community.
Jones also worked to bring the city to the national forefront by working to hold the 1994 National Urban League Conference in Indianapolis. John Jacob, who was the newly appointed President and CEO of the National Urban League, gave his inaugural speech at that conference. Jones also saw the permanent Urban League facility in Indianapolis completed while he was President, as well as the opening of the Diversity and Race Relations Institute. Jones retired from the Indianapolis Urban League on December 31, 2002.
Jones received numerous awards during his career, including the Whitney M. Young Race Relations Leadership Award from the National Urban League, Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunities and Higher Education, Oscar McCulloch Social Concerns Award and Sagamore of the Wabash from the State of Indiana. Jones also received honorary degrees from Vincennes University, Butler University, Martin University, Christian Theological Seminary and Indiana University. Indianapolis’ top award for diversity, the “Sam H. Jones Best of the Best Award,” also bears his name.
Jones passed away in March of 2003 at the age of 75.
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