Part 2

The Exhibition Hall occupies the lower level of the building and covers an acre and a quarter in area. The hall provides ideal accommodations for agricultural and industrial exhibits such as the 4-H Club Fair and the Automobile Show. Because the level has its own separate box office, lobby, and concession stand, events can be scheduled concurrently with those in the Sports Arena without interference. Ramps connect the two levels.

The Coliseum has brought many benefits to Fort Wayne. Local organizations have better facilities for their activities. For example, the 4-H Clubs held their annual fair in the Exhibition Hall and were untroubled by uncertainties of weather. Recently, the Board of Trustees leased sixteen acres adjacent to the building to this group. The Boy Scouts served 1,500 guests at their annual recognition dinner in the Coliseum. During the Christmas season, the Christ Child Festival is held there. Now the regional high school basketball tournaments can be held in Fort Wayne.

An important benefit arises from the major sports events and appearances of famous entertainers. The stars of stage and screen and of the world of sports bring many visitors to Fort Wayne; increased business results for the merchants and the hotel and restaurant owners. Sports announcers and reviewers give much favorable publicity to Fort Wayne because of our fine Coliseum. Thus, the Coliseum, besides honoring the war dead of the community, is a great asset to the citizens of the community. The building admirably fulfills the dual role of a “living memorial.”

OTTO H. ADAMS

Otto H. Adams was one of the first appointees to the War Memorial Commission, which was organized in 1946 to plan a coliseum. He served as a member until the commission was superseded by the Coliseum Board of Trustees; he was then appointed to this official governing body. In January, 1954, he was elected president of the board; previously he had been vice-president and secretary.

The son of William C. and Sophia (Felger) Adams, Otto Adams was born June 5, 1894, in Allen County, Indiana. After completing secondary school, he continued his education at the Indiana University Extension Center in Fort Wayne. For a number of years Mr. Adams was employed by the Indiana Service Corporation. In 1939 he was named General Superintendent of City Utilities; and from 1943 to 1947 he served as City Controller. In 1947 he accepted his present position as controller at Zollner Machine Works, Incorporated.

The United Commercial Travelers elected Mr. Adams “Man of the Year” in 1952 in recognition of his record of community leadership. An editorial in the FORT WAYNE NEWS-SENTINEL on February 9, 1953, commented: “The long-time Fort Wayne civic leader has so many notable facets of achievement in civic leadership, charitable endeavor, and generally unselfish service to his credit that it is virtually impossible to enumerate them all.”

Otto Adams served as chairman of the Allen County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis for seven years. He has served on the directorates of numerous civic organizations, including the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Allen County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Y.M.C.A. He has held office as president of the Lakeside Northeast Community Association and as treasurer of the Anthony Wayne Council of Boy Scouts. He was also a member of the organizing committee of the United Fund. Long associated with the Republican party in Fort Wayne, he has been treasurer of the Allen County Republican Central Committee since 1950.

A veteran of World War I, Otto Adams is active in the American Legion. He is a Mason and is a member of the Quest Club and the Elks. He attends the Trinity English Lutheran Church. Mr. Adams is married and is the father of four children.

JAMES R. FLEMING

James R. Fleming was elected president of the Board of Trustees of the Coliseum in 1952 prior to the dedication of the building. He retained that post until January, 1954. His term of office included a rather critical and very successful period in the operation of the Coliseum.

James R. Fleming was born November 8, 1881, in Henry County, Indiana; his parents were George R. and Sarah (Cummins) Fleming. He completed his elementary and secondary education in local schools and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Law at the University of Michigan in 1904.

After graduation the young lawyer began his practice at Portland, Indiana, where he was soon elected Prosecuting Attorney for Jay County. He was later elected to the Indiana General Assembly and served several years both in the lower house and in the state senate. In 1933 President Roosevelt appointed Mr. Fleming United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. Many notorious criminals then operated in this area; James Fleming held office between 1933 and 1941 and successfully prosecuted many of these gangsters.

At present Mr. Fleming is engaged in the practice of law in Fort Wayne. He is chairman of the board, co-publisher, and treasurer of the FORT WAYNE JOURNAL-GAZETTE; he serves as president and treasurer of Erie Materials, Incorporated, and Erie Ready-Mix Concrete, Incorporated, and the director and general counsel for the Sheller Manufacturing Corporation and its subsidiaries.

In addition to his professional and business interests, Mr. Fleming is active in many civic and social organizations. As a director of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, he became interested in the earliest coliseum plans. His work in advancing this project was publicly recognized in 1949, and he was appointed to the original Board of Trustees.

He has also been a director of the Fort Wayne Art School, the Fort Wayne Civic Symphony, the Fort Wayne Community Concert Association, the Fort Wayne Civic Association, the Fort Wayne Musical Society, and the Fort Wayne and Indiana Presbyterian Foundations. He is a member of the American, Federal, Indiana, and Allen County Bar Associations; the Indiana and the Allen County Historical Societies; the Indiana Society of Chicago; the Fort Wayne Country Club; the Masons; and the Elks. Mr. Fleming is also an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne. He is married and is the father of two children.

DON L. MYERS

Don L. Myers was chosen manager of the War Memorial Coliseum in 1951 prior to the completion of the edifice; he continues in that capacity at the present time. Wide recognition has been accorded him; he was awarded a trophy by the International Association of Auditorium Managers for his efficient and successful management during the 1952-1953 season.

Mr. Myers was born in Wolcottville, Indiana, February 12, 1914. He accompanied his family to Fort Wayne in 1929, attended North Side High School, and graduated in 1931. His first positions were in sales promotion and hotel work; during World War II he was employed in the essential steel industry. He was sales manager for the V. R. Myers Pump Supply Company before his appointment as manager of the Coliseum.

In 1942 Don Myers joined the Fort Wayne Junior Chamber of Commerce and was soon an active member. Through his associations in the “Jaycees,” he became a proponent of the Coliseum. Mr. Myers assisted in the formulation of the initial plans for the memorial, and when the War Memorial Commission was organized to execute the plans, he was chosen president. Later, when the memorial building was under construction, he was elected to the Allen County Council. As a councilman, he used his opportunities to expedite the progress of the Coliseum. Don Myers is a member of the First Baptist Church. He is married and is the father of two children.

ALVIN M. STRAUSS

The Commissioners of Allen County selected A. M. Strauss, Incorporated, to design the War Memorial Coliseum because of the notable achievements of the firm and because that architectural corporation could complete all phases of structural planning. Thus, the need for employing architects from other cities would be obviated.

Alvin M. Strauss, born April 8, 1895, at Kendallville, Indiana, was the son of Abraham and Frieda Strauss. After the completion of his secondary education in the city of his birth in 1912, he was employed for several years in architectural offices in Fort Wayne and Chicago. His career was interrupted during the first World War by military service. Following his discharge in 1918, Mr. Strauss returned to Fort Wayne and opened his own office of architectural consultants. Mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering personnel were added to the staff in the 1940’s. The firm was incorporated in 1950 under the name of A. M. Strauss, Incorporated.

Mr. Strauss is a director of the Indiana Society of Architects and a member of the state Architects’ Registration Board. In addition to these professional organizations, he is a member of the Jewish Federation, the Executives Club, the Elks Lodge, and the Fort Wayne Country Club. He is married and resides at 1220 Illsley Drive.

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.