Indiana State Senator Carolyn Brown Mosby (May 10, 1932 – January 19, 1990) (D- Gary, Indiana) was elected to the Indiana State Senate in 1982, filling a vacancy left by Katie Hall (D-Gary) who gave up her senate seat to fill another vacancy when the late Congressman Adam Benjamin (D-Gary) died. Prior to joining the Indiana Senate, Mosby served in the Indiana House of Representatives, first elected in 1978, also representing Gary.
Her most notable accomplishments while in the Indiana legislature include authoring Indiana’s first Minority Business legislation (Indiana Public Law 32 – 1982) which created the Governor’s Commission on Minority Business Development. She was also the original author for the casino gaming legislation that brought casinos to the State of Indiana, with Gary being the site of the first riverboat casino. Her legislative proposals on state financial assistance for minority and inner-city franchises has been used as a model in other states, and became law in the State of Maryland in 1985. Mosby was also instrumental in the passage of a state holiday observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. her persistent efforts in the Indiana Senate were key to the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus’ success in the passage of the King Holiday Legislation in 1986.
Her many legislative activities include the first black to serve on the Indiana Legislative Council, National Conference of Insurance Legislators Executive Committee, National Conference of State Legislators, National Legislative Conference on Arson and National Black Caucus of State Legislators. She was also a member of the State Tourism Promotion Grant Fund Committee, Governor’s Commission on Minority Business Development, Sunset Evaluation Committee, the Interim study Committee on the Uniform Marital Property Act and the Democratic National Committee Platform Accountability Commission. Special among her many recognitions and accomplishments include being named Gary INFO News’ Outstanding Citizen; recipient of the Gary Branch NAACP Ovington Award; receiving the Presidential Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the prestigious and coveted Sagamore of the Wabash Award presented her by former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh. She was also the recipient of a Residence Fellowship at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Politics.
Carolyn was born in Nashville, Tennessee to Alvin Thomas Brown (1912 – 2007) and Mary Snelling Brown (1912 – 1989). A special seriousness of purpose was revealed early on through Carolyn’s studiousness, her violin, trumpet, piano, and playwriting and production skills. She moved to Gary, IN with her mother and sister in 1943. A marriage to the late William E. Jordan Jr., produced one son, William E. Jordan, III (1952 - ). In 1966 she married the late John Oliver Mosby, Sr. To this union one daughter, Carolyn Elizabeth Mosby (1967 - ) was born. Mosby was a 1949 graduate of Roosevelt High School in Gary. She attended the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana and Indiana University Northwest in Gary. In 1951, Carolyn became the first black clerical employee at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company. She was also employed by the University of Chicago in the Economics department where she became friends with Nobel prize winning economists Milton Friedman and Saul Bellow. It was there that she also became friends with Dr. John Hope Franklin (1915 - ), author of From Slavery to Freedom and known as the dean of African American history.
Mosby was honored posthumously by Indiana Black Expo, Inc., renaming their humanitarian award the Senator Carolyn Brown Mosby Above & Beyond Award. The award is presented each year the organization’s Corporate Lunhceon. It has been given to actor Louis Gossett Jr., former NBA player Alan Henderson and gospel recording artist Kirk Franklin, just to name a few. A senior citizens high rise in Gary, also bears her name, along with Indiana State Road 53 – “Broadway”, that runs from the entrance to the U.S. Steel plant in Gary to Crown Point, Indiana.
Indiana State Senator Carolyn Brown Mosby (May 10, 1932 – January 19, 1990) (D- Gary, Indiana) was elected to the Indiana State Senate in 1982, filling a vacancy left by Katie Hall (D-Gary) who gave up her senate seat to fill another vacancy when the late Congressman Adam Benjamin (D-Gary) died. Prior to joining the Indiana Senate, Mosby served in the Indiana House of Representatives, first elected in 1978, also representing Gary.
Her most notable accomplishments while in the Indiana legislature include authoring Indiana’s first Minority Business legislation (Indiana Public Law 32 – 1982) which created the Governor’s Commission on Minority Business Development. She was also the original author for the casino gaming legislation that brought casinos to the State of Indiana, with Gary being the site of the first riverboat casino. Her legislative proposals on state financial assistance for minority and inner-city franchises has been used as a model in other states, and became law in the State of Maryland in 1985. Mosby was also instrumental in the passage of a state holiday observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. her persistent efforts in the Indiana Senate were key to the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus’ success in the passage of the King Holiday Legislation in 1986.
Her many legislative activities include the first black to serve on the Indiana Legislative Council, National Conference of Insurance Legislators Executive Committee, National Conference of State Legislators, National Legislative Conference on Arson and National Black Caucus of State Legislators. She was also a member of the State Tourism Promotion Grant Fund Committee, Governor’s Commission on Minority Business Development, Sunset Evaluation Committee, the Interim study Committee on the Uniform Marital Property Act and the Democratic National Committee Platform Accountability Commission. Special among her many recognitions and accomplishments include being named Gary INFO News’ Outstanding Citizen; recipient of the Gary Branch NAACP Ovington Award; receiving the Presidential Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the prestigious and coveted Sagamore of the Wabash Award presented her by former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh. She was also the recipient of a Residence Fellowship at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Politics.
Carolyn was born in Nashville, Tennessee to Alvin Thomas Brown (1912 – 2007) and Mary Snelling Brown (1912 – 1989). A special seriousness of purpose was revealed early on through Carolyn’s studiousness, her violin, trumpet, piano, and playwriting and production skills. She moved to Gary, IN with her mother and sister in 1943. A marriage to the late William E. Jordan Jr., produced one son, William E. Jordan, III (1952 - ). In 1966 she married the late John Oliver Mosby, Sr. To this union one daughter, Carolyn Elizabeth Mosby (1967 - ) was born. Mosby was a 1949 graduate of Roosevelt High School in Gary. She attended the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana and Indiana University Northwest in Gary. In 1951, Carolyn became the first black clerical employee at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company. She was also employed by the University of Chicago in the Economics department where she became friends with Nobel prize winning economists Milton Friedman and Saul Bellow. It was there that she also became friends with Dr. John Hope Franklin (1915 - ), author of From Slavery to Freedom and known as the dean of African American history.
Mosby was honored posthumously by Indiana Black Expo, Inc., renaming their humanitarian award the Senator Carolyn Brown Mosby Above & Beyond Award. The award is presented each year the organization’s Corporate Lunhceon. It has been given to actor Louis Gossett Jr., former NBA player Alan Henderson and gospel recording artist Kirk Franklin, just to name a few. A senior citizens high rise in Gary, also bears her name, along with Indiana State Road 53 – “Broadway”, that runs from the entrance to the U.S. Steel plant in Gary to Crown Point, Indiana.