I’ve lived in Bloomington my whole life, but rarely did I stroll around the Indiana University campus. That obviously changed when I became a freshman at IU in fall 2023, yet my lack of experience on campus led to little knowledge about the people who stand — or sit — for eternity.
As a townie, it’s disheartening. But I’m here to impart the knowledge I wish I had when I became a Hoosier, so you don’t have to be embarrassed.
Herman B Wells
Sitting on a park bench with a golden hand outstretched for a handshake, Herman B Wells has welcomed Hoosiers since the statue’s creation in 2000. He’s situated next to the Rose Well House in the Old Crescent part of campus, and his hand has developed rust since legend says shaking it brings good luck.
Wells held the office of the presidency at IU from 1938-1962 and became the university’s first chancellor — a position created for him — from 1962 until his death in 2000. As president, Wells oversaw IU’s increased student body from 11,000 in 1938 to 31,000 in 1962, and he’s often credited with transforming the university into a world-class institution.
George Taliaferro
Indiana football's first conference title came in 1945 — George Taliaferro’s first season on the team. He forever remains running in George Taliaferro Plaza outside Memorial Stadium, where he’s been since 2019.
Taliaferro was a three-time All-American with IU, and in 1949, he became the first African American player to be drafted in the NFL. His success transitioned to the pros, where he made the Pro Bowl three times from 1951-53.
Hoagy Carmichael
A Bloomington native, Hoagy Carmichael has played his piano in the northeast corner of the IU Auditorium since 2008. Carmichael is an IU alumnus best known for composing “Stardust,” “Heart and Soul” and “Georgia on My Mind.” He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951 for his song, “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.”
John Mellencamp
Adjacent to Carmichael and his piano is John Mellencamp, whose statue joined the Bloomington campus in 2024. Mellencamp is a Seymour, Indiana, native and IU honorary alumnus. The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s best-known songs include “Jack and Diane,” “Small Town” and “Hurts So Good.”
Elinor Ostrom
Residing on a park bench just like Wells, Elinor Ostrom welcomes people to join her for a seat behind Woodburn Hall. The statue was commemorated in 2020 for Ostrom, who cemented herself in history for becoming the first woman to win the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences in 2009.
Ostrom was a faculty member at IU for 47 years, and her statue stands — or sits — alone as the only one dedicated to a woman on IU’s campus.
Ernie Pyle
Just outside Franklin Hall and the Media School sits Ernie Pyle, writing at a makeshift desk wearing clothes fit for the front lines. Pyle never graduated from IU as he dropped out during his junior year to pursue a career in reporting, but he was a summer editor-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student, and his desk remains in the newsroom inside Franklin Hall.
His work as a war correspondent brought him to the European and the Pacific Theater during World War II, and he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944. Pyle was killed by enemy fire in 1945 at the age of 44.
Alfred Kinsey
In 2022, IU installed an Alfred Kinsey statue to honor the 75th anniversary of the institute bearing the same name. Kinsey is known for his work studying human sexuality, including two books that are known as the “Kinsey Reports.”
A white seat is situated next to Kinsey, welcoming a visitor to sit and talk with him. At night, Kinsey’s chair and code sheet light up, as if Kinsey himself is still studying the person opposite him.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's spring 2026 Source Campus Visitor's Guide.
