John W. Burkhart

John W.Burkhart, 91, Indianapolis, died August 25 at 7:30 a.m.

Mr.Burkhart was actively involved in the community in such noted positions as:

Past president of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

Former Director of the United States Chamber of Commerce

Life Director of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce,

Chairman of the Capital Improvements Board

Chairman of the Republican Partys Action Committee

Organized and Chaired the United Student Aid Fund

Chairman: Design For A Decade Campaign; DePauw University

Honorary doctorate degrees from DePauw, University of Indianapolis and Bates College

Sagamore of the Wabash

Calling hours: 10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, Saturday August 28, 1999.

Services: 3:00 p.m. Saturday, August 28, 1999, St. Luke's United Methodist Church , Sanctuary, 100 W. 86th St.

Entombment will be in Washington Park North Cemetery.

Donations: In lieu of flowers, please send to the Scholarship Funds of Vincennes University, DePauw University and University of Indianapolis.

John Burkhart was born In Tipton, Indiana on July 25, 1908.  Due to his father's battle with tuberculosis, the family moved to Sweetwater, Texas when John was only three years old.  The family moved again, to Colorado,Texas.  During this time, his mother kept the family solvent by selling Wearever Aluminum and Hurlbut's Story of the Bible.

When John's father's health failed, the family was taken by his grandfather who had a farm near Tipton, Indiana.   His father, a minister died when John was 14. John's earliest jobs were simple tasks on the farm such as milking the cows and feeding the pigs.

Upon his graduation from Tipton High School at the age of 15, Burkhart was awarded a four year scholarship to DePauw University. While at DePauw John spent his summers helping his grandfather on the farm showing his true love of his family.

After graduating from DePauw, John concluded that he should return to Tipton to help his grandfather. About a year later, he was approached by the Editor of the Tipton Daily Tnbune, who had served with the American forces during World War I and had married a woman from France. The couple had not been back to France, but decided they would do so that summer. The editor asked John if he would serve as Editor during his absence, thus starting John's first entry into the newspaper business.

During the course of that first summer after graduation, John was approached by a high school classmate who had learned of a franchise to sell Skelgas, a bottled gas used primarily by farmers with no access to gas utility services in cities and towns. They agreed to begin this business.
Before they got started (in October 1929, the month of the great Wall Street Crash and the beginning of the worst depression this country has ever encountered) the partner-to-be backed out. But John, with his ever present persistence, decided to go ahead.

It did not take long to discover that the market was not big enough to sustain the business. The entrepreneurial John Burkhart then expanded Skelgas to a full line of appliances including electric refrigerators, washing machines, radios and the like.  John rented the First National Bank building, which was vacant since the bank had failed, and called his store the Wife Saving Service.

About two years later, John was hopelessly in debt.  Available jobs were paying less than the interest on his bank loan so he needed to get a commission job. He decided on life insurance and his keen business sense told him to enter a bigger market. Hence he moved to Indianapolis and joined New York Life.

As Johns good luck would have it, it turned out that Frank Moore, a DePauw classmate of John's, was with the same agency and sold insurance to seniors at Purdue. John was fascinated by that corner of the marker and suggested the two of them establish a General Agency selling this product nationwide.

New York Life turned down the idea of selling insurance to college students but they did win the approval of Lincoln National. By the time the United States became involved in World War II, Burkhart's partnership had Lincoln's largest agency.   However, they were soon out of business because all of their agents were reserve officers and were called up for active duty.

John applied to the Navy for entrance into Officers Training School, but his vision did not meet their requirements.  He was asked to go to Milwaukee and manage a factory maying sextants for the Navy. John accepted, showing his steadfast loyalty to the country he loved so much.

John had always wanted his own company and the close of the war seemed to be the right time to try it out.  Thus came about the College Life Insurance Company Of America with its headquarters in Indianapolis.  Later, a second company was organized, University Life Insurance Company of Amenca.

Perhaps the most spectacular part of the adventure was building the Pyramids which are regarded as the greatest landmark in Indianapolis,one of John Burkhart's many legacies. In 1979, the insurance companies were sold.

A few months later with an old friend from DePauw who lived in St. Louis, John founded the Indianapolis Business Journal , a weekly business newspaper. It turned out to be a needed publication and so, over a period of time, similar papers were launched in St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia,Baltimore, Cincinnati and Dallas. Ultimately, the chain was sold.

Mr. Burkhart is survived by his wife, Lorene Burkhart; daughters, Gay Burkhart and Lisa Peterson; sons William and Scott Burkhart; stepsons Mark and Stewart Shunk; sister Anna Beckman; ten grandchildren; five step grandchildren.

Flanner & Buchanan Washington Park North Mortuary is handling arrangements.

{This obituary is courtesy of Flanner & Buchanan Mortuaries and may be found with other obituaries online at www.flanner-buchanan.com}