Not a "sentimental charity": a history of the Indianapolis Flower Mission, 1876-1993

Abstract

Founded in 1876 by a small group of young women who resolved to deliver bouquets to patients in the City Hospital, the Indianapolis Flower Mission quickly grew to become one of the most respected philanthropic organizations in the city. During its almost one hundred and twenty year history, the Indianapolis Flower Mission created lasting institutions such as a nurses’ training school, a visiting nurse program, and two hospitals. While historians may be tempted to dismiss flower missions like the one in Indianapolis as naïve or sentimental groups, closer inspection reveals they were much more. My main argument is that though the work of the Indianapolis Flower Mission may at first glance appear trite, it was actually practical and life-saving and deserves serious consideration from historians. First, delivering flowers to the sick and poor had value, especially when we understand how people at the time thought about flowers and what emphasis people placed on spiritual as well as physical health. Second, the Indianapolis Flower Mission quickly transitioned away from simply delivering flowers into work like providing healthcare to the poor. Third, the Indianapolis Flower Mission provided women a respectable way to work outside their homes and gain experience in philanthropic, business, and political activity. Finally, the Indianapolis Flower Mission provides a specific case study that sheds light on other flower missions around the nation and the world.