Harriett Inskeep and Al Campbell are two of the Eli Lilly Lifetime Founders Society members honored at the dedication of the Founder’s Wall at Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation education center. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

A small group gathered at Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation’s education center Saturday afternoon to honor those who spent the last 20 years supporting the foundation and making dreams come true.

The occasion was to unveil and honor the Eli Lilly Lifetime Founders Society, those who have supported keeping Wawasee pure and clean to pass on to the next generation, better than the current generation found it.

It was also an opportunity to honor Eli Lilly, who found Lake Wawasee a delectable spot, the center of his Elysian plain, a peaceful place where he spent one month a year, later two months, from 1888 until 1976. The lake was his refuse for him to hide from the “rigors of the pill factory.”

His love of the lake was passed on to family members, where in his will the only stipulations was that the property remain in the family and they protect the environment.

Terry Clapacs spoke of Lilly and his love of the lake noting only his closest friends were allowed to come to the lake with him. That group, who came through 1959, was known as the Rowdy Rebellers.

Sam Lemon, chairman of WACF, noted the names on the wall believe in the core mission of WACF, to protect the water purity of the lake. Those individuals listed have given a total of $3.5 million, allowing the foundation to acquire property to protect the lake’s water quality.

Tom Yoder, senior board member and a former employee of Eli Lilly and Company, not only talked about his time working for Lilly but about a few of those whose names have been placed on the society’s wall.

Among those mentioned where Sally Reahard, whose husband Ralph was a classmate and roommate of Eli Lilly in Philadelphia. During their early years Lilly and Reahard did efficiency studies and established formulas for lot sizes. Sally came to Wawasee and like others, fell in love with the lake. She had an interest in conservancy, leaving her assets to the Nature Conservancy, through working with her estate a substantial gift was given to WACF.

The society wall also contains the names of the three Lilly families now residing on the Lilly property: Peter and Ginny Nicholas, William and Irene McCutchen and Eli “Ted” and Deborah Lilly.

Harrett Inskeep and Al Campbell were also noted. Both served on the WACF board. Inskeep has been coming to the lake for 83 years and was the third chairperson for WACF.

Campbell was vice chairman when Yoder joined the board and Yoder remembers Campbell stating “you don’t have to get it all done at once. You have to be patient.” Yoder noted when the first property acquisition became available, Campbell and his wife started the ball rolling and Campbell Overlook is named after the couple. That donation did get the ball rolling.

Heather Harwood, executive director, concluded the brief ceremonies noting WACF continues to work on the education center property restoring it to its original wetland status, with the foundation having completed over 1 million shovel ready projects.

The society foundation wall, noting those who have made major financial contributions, was designed and implemented by Harwood and built by George Hardy.