Indiana

Marilyn Durham (née Wall, September 8, 1930 – March 19, 2015) was an American author of fiction. Her best-known novel is her first, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, which was made into a film of the same name.

Marguerite Vivian Young (August 26, 1908 – November 17, 1995) was an American novelist and academic. She is best known for her novel Miss MacIntosh, My Darling. In her later years, she was known for teaching creative writing and as a mentor to young authors. "She was a respected literary figure as well as a cherished Greenwich Village eccentric." During her lifetime, Young wrote two books of poetry, two historical studies, one collection of short stories, one novel, and one collection of essays.

Leon Duray "Jigger" Sirois (born April 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver from the small town of Shelby in northern Indiana. He raced in a variety of racing genres, most notably midget, stock and Indy "Big" cars. Sirois is the son of former longtime veteran Indy 500 mechanic Earl "Frenchy" Sirois, who worked on the winning cars of Lee Wallard, Sam Hanks, and Jimmy Bryan during his 40 year career. Sirois is named after driver Leon Duray. The nickname "Jigger" is in reference to family friend, two-time Indy-winning riding mechanic Jigger Johnson (1931, 1937), as well as a nickname given to him by his older sister.

Johnny Mantz (September 18, 1918 – October 25, 1972) was an American racecar driver.

Harold "Bruce" Jacobi (June 23, 1935 – February 4, 1987) was an American race car driver. In 1987, Jacobi, 51, died of head injuries sustained in a NASCAR race crash at the Daytona International Speedway in 1983. He had 37 USAC Champ Car starts between 1960 and 1970, with a best finish of fourth at Springfield in 1970. Jacobi also completed rookie refresher testing in preparation for the 1967 Indianapolis 500, but did not attempt to qualify.

Leslie Eugene "Gene" Hartley (January 28, 1926 – March 13, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He was born and died in Roanoke, Indiana.
Hartley was the son of midget car driver Ted Hartley, who competed into his 60s. "Auto racing is all I’ve ever known," Gene once said in an interview at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Cliff Griffith (February 6, 1916 in Nineveh, Indiana – January 23, 1996 in Rochester, Indiana) was an American racecar driver.
Griffith served in the United States Army during the Second World War.
Griffith drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950–1952, 1956 and 1961 seasons with 19 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each of those years except 1950. He finished in the top ten 8 times, with his best finish in 4th position, in 1950 at Springfield. His best Indy finish was 9th in 1952.
Prior to joining USAC, Griffith won a pair of championships on the Midwest Dirt Track Racing Association circuit behind the wheel of Hector Honore's legendary sprint car known as the "Black Deuce".

Larret Julian "Crash" Crockett (October 23, 1926 in Cambridge City, Indiana – March 20, 1955 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver. Crockett made 10 Championship Car starts all in the 1954 season with a best finish of 4th in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb which counted for National Championship points at the time and finished in 11th in the 1954 points championship. Nicknamed "Crash" because of frequent racing mishaps, Crockett qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1954. He finished ninth and earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He was killed in a racing accident at Langhorne Speedway the following spring.

Earl Franklin Balmer (December 13, 1935 – October 25, 2019) was an American racing driver who drove stock cars and motorcycles. Balmer competed in the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Grand National Series, winning a Daytona 500 qualifying race in 1966.

Bobby Gene Plump (born September 9, 1936) is a member of the Milan High School basketball team, who won the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state tournament in 1954. Plump was selected Indiana's coveted "Mr. Basketball" in 1954, the award bestowed upon Indiana's most outstanding senior basketball player as voted on by the press. Plump was also named one of the most noteworthy Hoosiers of the 20th century by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. He was also one of the 50 greatest sports figures from Indiana in the 20th century, according to Sports Illustrated.
After graduating from Butler University, Plump played three years for the Phillips 66ers of the National Industrial Basketball League. Following his professional sports career with Phillips 66, he began working in the life insurance and financial consulting industry. "Plump's Last Shot," a restaurant in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana, honors him and is currently run by his son Jonathan.
Bobby Plump and his Milan High School teammates were part of the inspiration behind the 1986 film Hoosiers, starring Gene Hackman as coach of the fictitious Hickory Huskers. Hickory's star player, Jimmy Chitwood, takes his last-second shot in the championship game from the same spot Plump did in the 1954 state final.