Thomas V. Barnes

Thomas V. Barnes was born in Arkansas in 1936. His family moved to Gary, Indiana when Barnes was only four weeks old. He graduated from African American Roosevelt High School in 1954 and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1958. He attended law school, obtaining his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from DePaul University in 1972 [1].

Barnes began his political career in Lake County, when he won the Democratic nomination for Calumet Township assessor in 1978. His campaign established Barnes as a man “dedicated to community development…and respect for people” and he served as assessor for a decade [2], [3]. In 1987, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of Gary. The Mayor at the time, Richard Hatcher, had endorsed Barnes’ election to Township assessor. Now, they were political opponents [4].

Barnes won the Mayoral election, defeating Hatcher and promising hope to a city whose economy had been devastated by the decline of the steel mills in the 1970s. He vowed to combat the city’s economic decline and address the growing crime issue by hiring more police officers and increasing their salaries. After his election, Barnes announced his commitment to the city, stating that he could “see a Gary that is clean, safe and working" [5]. Barnes was re-elected in 1991, serving another four-year term [6]. Many of his years in office were dedicated to bringing riverboat casinos to Gary to stimulate economic development. His “last official act” as Mayor was a groundbreaking ceremony for two riverboat casinos, the Majestic Star and Trump Indiana [7]. Barnes lamented the brief five-year existence of Trump Indiana in Gary, admitting that he did not want to accept Trump’s proposal in the first place. His decision was overridden by the state, who had the final say in the matter [8].

In addition to his time as Mayor, Barnes served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Colonel in 1986. In 1988, he was elected Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the U.S. Army for the State of Indiana. He also served as Co-Chair of the World Health Organization Conference in Sweden in 1990. He was DePaul University’s Distinguished Graduate of 1993, and in 1994 was placed in Purdue University’s Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was also inducted into Gary’s Steel City Hall of Fame. He is a life member of the NAACP and AMVETS, a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and a former advisor and board member of Brothers Keeper [9]. When his years as Mayor came to an end in 1995, Barnes returned to work at Barnes Washer Repair and Parts, continuing the family legacy of fine service and hospitality at the business his father had established upon moving to Gary in 1936 [10].

[1] “48th Annual Black History Month Program,” Gary Public Library, Gary Public Library and Cultural center, February 2020, http://www.garypubliclibrary.org/clientuploads/barnes_flyer_2020_.pdf.
[2] “Calumet Attorney Wins Nomination for Assessor,” Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, IN) May 27, 1978.
[3] “48th Annual Black History Month Program,” Gary Public Library.
[4] Emma Lou Thornburgh, Indiana Blacks in the Twentieth Century (Indiana University Press, 2000), 194.
[5] Dirk Johnson, “Economic Decline Seen as Factor in Hatcher Loss,” New York Times (New York, NY), May 7, 1987.
[6] “48th Annual Black History Month Program,” Gary Public Library.
[7] Carole Carlson, “Gary Mayors Offer Glimpse into City Hall Politics at Forum,” Chicago Tribune, Post-Tribune, January 9, 2019, https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-gary-living-mayors-st-0110-story.html.
[8] Lauren Cross, “Gary’s Living Mayors Reflect on City’s Past, Present, and Future,” NWI, The Times, December 14, 2019, https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/garys-living-mayors-reflect-on-citys-past-present-and-future/article_d445ce73-3112-582a-a6e1-a5960aa1d4fc.html.
[9] “48th Annual Black History Month Program,” Gary Public Library.
[10] Michael Puente, “Former Gary Mayor Remembers When trump Came to Town,” Will Radio TV, Illinois Public Radio, April 30, 2016, https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/former-gary-mayor-remembers-when-trump-came-to-town

Student Author: Gwyneth Harris
Faculty/Staff Editors: Dr. Ronald V. Morris, Dr. Kevin C. Nolan, and Christine Thompson
Graduate Assistant Researchers: Carrie Vachon and JB Bilbrey