Founding Fathers, Part 1

A writer interviewed me the other day for some perspective on early American auto racing and events that led up to the development of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was particularly interested in the Speedway's founding fathers, their motivations, contributions and personalities. For example, he told me that someone else had indicated that it was probably Arthur C. Newby that led the charge on developing the giant facility, even more so than Carl Fisher. I think I was pretty clear that this was certainly not the case, at least as certain as anything in the world is.
 
Carl was all instigator, motivator and visionary - to a fault. A look at his track record of launching projects - big, massive projects - should be evidence enough. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was just one of many things Carl did, and if you could have spoken to him before he passed, I really doubt he would have listed it as number one on his hit parade. He did more than anyone to develop and build Miami Beach. Without his energy and vision that swanky metropolitan jewel of American culture would look vastly different today. He struggled mightily for the nation's first transcontinental highway - the Lincoln Highway - and the Dixie Highway, which extended from Chicago through Indianapolis to, conveniently enough, Miami. He kicked off development at Montauk and started several realty companies in Indiana and Florida. His first big venture - the one that made him a millionaire - was Prest-O-Lite, which he and co-founder James Allison sold to Union Carbide. Whatever you say about Carl's career, there always seems to be more to say.
 
That's not to argue that Art Newby wasn't an aggressive, successful businessman. He founded Diamond Chain Company (which still flourishes) and helped found the National Motor Vehicle Company, which was very successful for 20 years. He partnered with Fisher on a number of his deals, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it always seemed to be in a supporting role to Carl. Of the four founders of the Speedway, he put the least amount of his money at risk. Actually, of all things, Newby's passion was probably philanthropy. He made grants to colleges such as Butler University, helped found Riley's Children's Hospital and bought hundreds of acres of land to buffer Turkey Run State Park from encroachment by developers. Privately, surreptitiously, he was known to find homes for the homeless, changing the lives of hundreds directly with his largesse.
 
Another question the writer had was, essentially, did Carl Fisher have a conscience? He pushed headlong into rushing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway into staging race meets and the results were tragic with numerous accidents and five fatalities at the first race meet in 1909. His Prest-O-Lite compress gas factories endured numerous explosions resulting in numerous injuries. Well, okay, nobody's perfect. More on that tomorrow.