I started at Purdue University’s Indianapolis Campus on 38th Street, near the Indiana State Fairgrounds, in 1967. I left IUPUI in 1970 for a brief time to move to Southern Indiana but returned in 1972 and remained.
I watched as two major Indiana universities began their dream of merging their Indianapolis campuses into one. I watched as the acronym IUPUI was laughingly called "OO-E-POO-E" by the public and many employees. However, after all my decades on campus, I have seen IUPUI evolve into a world-class, highly-recognized university. I’m very proud to have been able to see this accomplished.
I watched as the 38th Street Campus moved to the Michigan Street Campus. I watched as the homes and businesses around the campus disappeared and buildings went up. I watched as streets between Michigan Street and New York Street disappeared for buildings. I watched services on campus out-sourced. I watched more on-campus housing built, expanding the campus to White River on the west and more housing to the north. I watched as the university played a major role in cleaning up the Indiana Avenue area. I watched as building connectors (gerbil tubes) were erected. I watched as a Campus Center FINALLY was built (it was in the original master plan in 1969). I watched the student population explode as they realized the high-quality education they could achieve at IUPUI in Indianapolis.
Too many memories to jot down.
I was blessed to be at IUPUI from the beginning. The exposure to hundreds of wonderful people ... gave me an education that has no equal.
Helen Davis, Division of Undergraduate Education Retired Staff
How IUPUI changed me
I was blessed to be at IUPUI from the beginning. The exposure to hundreds of wonderful people (employees, students, community) gave me an education that has no equal. Working with students, faculty, and staff with special needs; international students, faculty, and staff; and all diverse populations across campus gave me the broadest, most-memorable, down-to-earth education anyone could receive. All I learned from these very special people impacted me during my 48 years at IUPUI and will always impact me as I go through the rest of my life.
My best memory
I have many great memories; however, if I must choose one, it would be this:
I was in my office in the old Library (now Taylor Hall). I heard the secretary ask someone if she could help them. The young lady wanted to know if Helen Copeland was in this office. The secretary said that there was no Helen Copeland, but there was a Helen Davis (Copeland was my maiden name). My curiosity got the best of me. I went to my door and stated that I was the person she was seeking. She began telling me a story about her father who had been a student on the Purdue 38th Street Campus. He had been sent from office to office to office (I call it the “royal Mickey Mouse treatment”) as he tried to get some information. Evidently, I saw him coming down the hall and asked if he needed any help. He explained his dilemma. I couldn’t help him — he needed the Bursar. I walked him to the Bursar’s Office.
This young man I helped in the late 1960’s remembered my name and what I had done. When his daughter started at IUPUI, he told her if she had any problems, check and see if Helen Copeland still worked there — that person would help her. Stunned was an understatement! He remembered MY NAME and told his child to find me of she had any problems. He remembered ME from 20-plus years earlier because I showed him that I wanted to help. I have no idea who this young man was or if I ever saw him again on campus. But I MADE A DIFFERENCE! If I made a difference in one person’s life, then I feel I was successful!
My mentors
I was mentored by many, many people. The most memorable were my bosses over those 48 years. I learned many things from those 14 people. It was a remarkable career for me.
Story courtesy of:
Helen Davis
Division of Undergraduate Education Retired Staff
