A well-known Indiana journalist could get his own national day of recognition.
Indiana’s U.S. Senators Todd Young and Joe Donnelly introduced a proposal to the Senate this week to designate August 3rd of every year as National Ernie Pyle day.
Pyle is a Hoosier native who attended Indiana University. After studying journalism, he became a well-known war correspondent during World War II.
Emily Metzgar is director for the Honors Program at IU’s Media School.
Metzgar says Pyle’s legacy is so important to the school that there’s even a scholars program named after the journalist.
"To have him recognized nationally as a figure that had a significance to journalism and to the history of the United States, especially during the WWII era is really important to us,” she said.
Metzgar says Pyle’s work at the Indiana Daily Student and in general continues to inspire new generations of students.
“We will definitely honor Ernie Pyle in our own way, we are delighted to be associated with him,” Metzgar said.
IU has a statute of Pyle outside of its Media School at Franklin Hall. She says celebrations will most likely include the statute.
