Hundreds Gather At Statehouse For Birch Bayh Memorial

Hundreds of Hoosiers – including some of the state’s political elite, from both parties – gathered at the Statehouse Wednesday for a memorial to former senator Birch Bayh, who passed away a few weeks ago. 

Speakers at the service included current and former Indiana governors and congressmen, a federal judge and the current Speaker of the Indiana House.

Birch Bayh’s son Evan – who holds his own notable place in Indiana political history – talked about his father’s legacy, from authoring two constitutional amendments to helping craft the anti-discrimination language of Title IX.

READ MORE: Former Indiana Sen. Birch Bayh — 'A Great Hoosier'

“Of course he was an idealist. Of course he was a dreamer," Evan Bayh says. "But he was also a pragmatist and, as one or two of the previous speakers have noted, he was a doer.”

Christopher Bayh talked about his father’s personal side and called him “an incredible fountain of love.”

“I want to share with you the joy he had for life, whistling gospel tunes or Sousa marches, singing aloud to Hank Williams or the Statler Brothers when no music was playing,” Christopher Bayh says.

There were also a few moments set aside for the passing of another Hoosier political legend, Richard Lugar, who died earlier this week.