The Legion in Indianapolis

Legionnaires march through the snowy streets of Minneapolis at the first national convention in November, 1919.

The first national convention in Minneapolis considered several cities for the permanent national headquarters, including Washington, D.C., St. Louis and Minneapolis along with Indianapolis.

Some members of the Committee on Permanent Headquarters favored Washington initially, wanting to place the headquarters in a location that would enable them to influence politics directly.

Since the United States Census Bureau had just placed the mean center of the U. S. population near Indianapolis, many Legionnaires thought the city an ideal choice.

Led by Dr. T. Victor Keene, Walter Myers and Col. Robert L. Moorehead, the Indiana delegation campaigned vigorously to bring the national headquarters to their state.

Indianapolis physician Dr. T. Victor Keene, chairman of the Indiana delegation to the first American Legion national convention in Minneapolis.

Walter Myers, one of the members of the Indiana delegation to the first American Legion national convention who served on the Committee on Permanent Headquarters.

Myers served on the Committee on Permanent Headquarters and worked to secure votes for Indianapolis from other members of the committee.

Keene set up the delegation headquarters one floor below the convention headquarters and plied elevator operators with chocolates so they would let any visitor asking for headquarters off in front of the Indiana headquarters, giving the delegation more opportunities to campaign for their state.

When a snowstorm struck Minneapolis halfway through the convention, Indiana delegation chairman Keene spent $150 on straw hats for Indiana supporters to wear while making unkind remarks about the weather in Minneapolis. No supporter missed an opportunity to extol the virtues of Indianapolis weather and Hoosier hospitality.

Telegram from Indianapolis Mayor Charles E. Jewett congratulating Walter Myers and the Indiana delegation on the selection of Indianapolis as the site for the permanent national headquarters of The American Legion.

Many delegates agreed that the Midwestern hub of Indianapolis was a logical choice for its accessibility and central location.

The state’s commitment to build a national headquarters building and a memorial to the veterans of World War I offered a natural incentive.

The Indiana delegation won the bid for the national headquarters in a roll call vote on the floor of the convention, winning 361 votes over Washington, D.C.'s 323.

The state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis quickly began work fulfilling their promise of a building for national headquarters and an enduring memorial to the veterans of World War I.