Bill > HB1013

This bill officially designates "The Hoosier State" as Indiana's official nickname, with a specific focus on recognizing and memorializing Harry Hoosier, an African American Methodist minister from the late 18th/early 19th century. The legislation provides a detailed historical background on Harry Hoosier, highlighting that he was likely born into slavery around 1750 in Maryland, was freed before becoming a minister in the 1770s, and was known for his powerful preaching to both black and white congregations during the Second Great Awakening. Despite being illiterate, Hoosier was a highly respected orator who traveled and preached with Francis Asbury across the mid-Atlantic and Appalachian frontier. The bill explains that new Methodist believers who identified with Hoosier's ministry became known as "Hoosiers," and many of his followers brought this nickname to Indiana in the decades before and after its statehood in 1816. When Hoosier died in 1806, he was reportedly buried in a procession attended by both white and black admirers who considered him a hero. The bill officially establishes this historical context as the origin of Indiana's beloved "Hoosier" nickname, effective July 1, 2025.

Government Affairs

https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/house/1013/details