To commemorate their 100th anniversary, Methodist Hospital installed a timeline in the walkway between the hospital lobby and the main parking garage. The timeline has sixty-three entries; it begins with the Epworth Convention in 1899 and ends with the year-long centennial celebration of the history of Methodist Hospital. The timeline is an excellent surface-level overview of the history of Methodist Hospital.
In 1990, the Methodist Hospital Board commissioned Michael Chelich to paint a portrait in honor of Dr. Frank P. Lloyd. In 1954, Dr. Lloyd helped break the integration barrier by being among the first three Black physicians hired at Methodist Hospital. In 1963, he was promoted to director of the Medical Research Department. During his leadership, the department made pivotal medical advancements. Because of his successful leadership in medical research, he became the president of the hospital in 1981. In his seven years as president, he guided the hospital through major expansion programs and solidified the hospital's footprint in downtown Indianapolis.
Since opening in 1908, Methodist Hospital has had a chapel space in the hospital. Because of space limitations, the first chapel was also used by the interns and bookkeepers. In 1933, Mary Hanson Carey donated the money for a dedicated chapel space in the hospital. With the expansion of the chapel the chaplaincy program also expanded, by the late 1960s, the chaplaincy department was one of the most active programs in the hospital. In 2021, the Daniel F. Evans Center for Spiritual and Religious Values rededicated and refurbished the walking labyrinth on campus as a part of an effort to maintain opportunities for spiritual reflection at Methodist Hospital.
In 1908, Methodist Hospital established a nursing education program with the goal of preparing future nurses for the field. Over its sixty years of operation the nursing school prepared over 3,000 students. The Methodist Hospital School of Nursing closed its doors in 1968 as a result of a national shift toward nursing programs centered in higher education institutions and away from hospital run programs.
In 1933, Mary Hanson Carey donated funds to build a beacon of health lighthouse on the roof of the Julius A. Hanson Memorial Unit. The beacon, dedicated to the servants of religion, medical science, and philanthropy, became a landmark for the hospital. There are still many references to the beacon in the hospital today. The B Building lobby is the location of the beacon’s dedication plaque.
In July of 1899, the city of Indianapolis prepared to host the fourth annual Epworth League Convention. The convention proved to be a great success with thousands of young people attending from across the country. The convention ended with a surplus of $4,750, and a debate on how to use the money ensued. After the suggestion from Reverend Lasby, pastor of Central Avenue Methodist Church, the committee voted to use it as seed money for a new Methodist Hospital. On April 1, 1901, the board appointed Revered Dr. W.R. Halstead as a full-time fundraiser with a salary of $2,500 a year. In 1905, with half of the funds in hand, the Board of Trustees decided to proceed with construction. The cornerstone of the hospital was laid in the same year.
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The cornerstone for today’s IU Health Methodist Hospital was set in place on October 25, 1905. Over the next century, the hospital expanded to become a founding member of IU Health, the largest private health care system in Indiana. Methodist had many firsts throughout its history, including the first insulin trial in the Midwest (1922) and the first successful heart transplant outside of a medical school setting (1982).
