Hurley C. Goodall, Former State Representative and Civil Rights Advocate, Dies at 93

Hurley C. Goodall, the first African American to be elected to Muncie, IN’s school board in 1970 who later served a seven-term stint in the Indiana general assembly, died May 12. According to an obituary published in The Star Press, he was 93.

“Among his proudest achievements in the legislature was his involvement in establishing the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, a group that enabled Black legislators to become major players at the Statehouse and to chair important committees that have real power in the legislative process,” the obituary also said.

WTHR reported that when Goodall served in the Indiana general assembly, he sponsored legislation to recognize January 20 as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

According to the Indiana House Democratic Caucus, Goodall’s commitment to public service spanned decades. He was a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for two years before returning home to Muncie in 1947. Goodall’s life was marked by more years of public service as a board and committee member who supported a wide array of organizations. They included Action, Inc. of Delaware County; Arts Commission; Central States Region National Caucus of Black School Board Members; Muncie Human Rights; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Muncie Chapter; and the Whitely Community Council.

In 2019, the Indiana House Democratic Caucus honored former Rep. Goodall. To commemorate his dedicated service to the Muncie community, a life-size statue of him was commissioned by the Delaware County Historical Society and Community Enhancement Projects.

In a statement, State Representative Cherrish Pryor described Goodall’s legacy as awe-inspiring.

“It is an inexplicable feeling to sit on the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus that he founded and walk these same hallways where he stepped up for Black people’s rights. He was the first of many, but he worked to ensure he was not the last,” Pryor said.