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The Evolution of Getting a Living in Middletown

Ball State Teacher's College (2020)

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Ball State and Deindustrialization In the 1960s, the American labor force was highly industrialized. Factory work was a very significant part of many local economies. In towns such as Muncie, Indiana, that was especially true. The city thrived off the economic opportunity that was offered by companies such as BorgWarner, Chevrolet, Ball Brothers Corporation, and many others. The Ball Corporation, which was a major employer in Muncie, announced that it would be close its local glass factory in 1962.[1] This was the beginning of the end of industry jobs. From then on, most large industrial employers in Muncie, would close. In Muncie, the closings seemed inevitable to some union leaders as early as the 1980s. In an interview with Warren Vander Hill, Randall King, a former employee at Broderick's steel foundry and former member of both the local 2045 Union and the international union, said that it was very apparent that closing, layoffs, and eventual total closure was coming. Closings were happening prior to this and Broderick’s stayed open for many years after the 1980s. King had left a company that closed down to work for Broderick’s in the 1970s while they were thriving economically. Deindustrialization happened at a different pace for different companies. The last glass jar factory in Muncie did not close until 2019.[2]

With the economy transitioning away from industry, towns such as Muncie saw increases in the service industry. Jobs such as food server and hotel worker became common. As of 2017, Accommodations and Food services account for 10.5% of all employed people in Muncie and Delaware County.[3] Streets such as McGalliard Road, filled with restaurants, reflect the growth in the food and service industry. [4] Previously industrialized towns such as Muncie have transitioned to “med and ed” towns where the biggest employers are colleges or universities and hospitals. Muncie is home to Ball State University, the largest employer in the Muncie and Delaware County area. It employs over 3,000 people. IU Health Ball Memorial and Physician Practices Team Members is the second largest employer, employing over 2,500 people. They are titans of the economy in Muncie. In comparison, the third largest employer in Muncie, Muncie Community Schools, only employs 650 people.[5] These figures show how much of an impact not only the “med and ed” has on the economy in Muncie, and highlight the economic role of Ball State University.

Ball State University has a major impact on the local economy beyond their large employment numbers. They attract people outside the community such as students, parents, and members from other schools, to come to Muncie for all sorts of different events. This gives the economy in Muncie consumers for things such as food, shopping, and services. Ball State also invests money into the community. Former Ball State President Joann Gora highlighted the renovations Ball State did as being really impactful for Muncie. She said, “You know, we invested, I think it was $521 million in renovating or building new, 29 buildings in 10 years. And it all started with the renovation of McKinley Avenue. And if you talk to anybody in Muncie who was here at that time, they will tell you that the renovation of McKinley Avenue, as simple as that sounds, was really transformative.” Gora also talked about the importance of Ball State “paying it forward” and using what they’ve built to give back to the community. [6] The university works with the Mayor of Muncie, and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission to build the economy of for Muncie’s future.

The Muncie Redevelopment Commission (MRC) also works hard to build up the economy in the wake of deindustrialization by attracting new residents. A big initiative that the city of Muncie is currently taking to bolster the economy is by building and renovating parks. The city is planning to invest $1 million for the building a new park. There is also $600,000 set aside for renovating preexisting parks that are in the Muncie area. The mayor has said that “parks are essential to the economy” because they attract newcomers and visitors.[7]

Deindustrialization has impacted former industrial cities like Muncie for half a century. This long and still ongoing process has affected the economy and caused a shift from industry to a service economy. This service industry has grown substantially and can be seen along places in Muncie such as McGalliard Road. The city of Muncie has also become an economy that has “med and ed” as its pillars, with Ball State University and IU-Ball Memorial Hospital as the two largest employers. Ball State specifically has been very invested in the Muncie community. They have put millions of dollars back into the community in renovations while also attracting consumers to participate in the Muncie economy. As far as the current plans for the city, the MRC and the mayor have talked of building the economy through the building and renovations of parks and other things that make the city more attractive.

[1] “Ball Brothers to Shut Down Glass Tanks,” Muncie Star, 1962, p. 1.
[2] Katie Cox, “Iconic Ball Mason Jar Plant in Muncie to Close in 2019,” WRTV Indianapolis. WRTV Indianapolis, July 10, 2018 https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/delaware-county/starting-next-year-those-iconic-ball-mason-jars-will-no-longer-be-made-in-muncie, (accessed December 1, 2022).
[3] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Site Selection Services - Muncie.” Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana Economic Development Alliance, April 2019. https://muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data.aspx (accessed December 1, 2022).
[4] Roger Conatser, "Muncie, Indiana McGalliard Road and Wheeling Avenue Aerial View." December 2012. Digital Media Repository. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/CntsrArlPht/id/3221/ (accessed December 1, 2022).
[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Major Employers - Muncie.” Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana Economic Development Alliance, 2019. https://muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data/Major-Employers.aspx (accessed December 1, 2022).
[6] Geoff Mearns, "Our Call to Benificence," April 12, 2022. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1729912/10424994-s1e9-i-m-a-big-picture-person-jo-ann-gora-professor-and-president-emerita (accessed December 1, 2022).
[7] City of Muncie. Muncie Redevelopment Commission August 18, 2022. Youtube.com, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ2Fll5h-bk (accessed December 1, 2022).