Visiting Indiana’s Public and Botanical Gardens
Sample Chapter
Jesse H. and Beulah Chanley Cox Arboretum
Located on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington between the Herman B Wells Library, the Eskenazi Museum of Art, and the School of Public Health, the 11-acre arboretum occupies what was the IU football field 10th Street Stadium. The arboretum is named to honor Jesse H. and Beulah Chanley Cox.
Jesse H Cox (March 18, 1918 – May 12, 2008)
The son of James Dow Cox and Zola Magruder Cox, Jesse was native to Monticello, San Juan County, Utah. The family moved to Indiana, and he attended Washington High School. While there he met Beulah Rose Chanley, whom he would later marry.
College
He attended Indiana University, working at various jobs to pay his tuition. He graduated in 1942 and became involved in the textile industry.
Business Career
He established J. H. Cox Manufacturing Company sometime around 1946, which owned the Aero Drapery Company. He was president of this company from 1946 until 1982. He would own 6 drapery plants in the Midwest. He also purchased property in Florida and established a citrus farm.
Philanthropist
His business activities made him quite wealthy. He donated the funds to construct the Cox Pavilion at IU and established the Jesse and Beulah Chanley Cox Scholarship Fund at IU. This scholarship fund provides funds for students that work their way through college. He and Beulah also donated $70 million dollars to the University.
Cox Hall Gardens
He developed Cox Hall Park and Gardens in Carmel, Indiana. He purchased this property in 1961 from the Williams family, whose ancestor John Williams had purchased in 1855. The couple built a Graystone house on the property and moved in in 1962. In the basement of this house, they had a mural depicting the Governor’s Mansion in Williamsburg, Virginia. They would use his mural as the model for a house they built in 1974 just west of the gray stone house. They donated the property to the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department. After his death he was interred at Zionsville Cemetery, Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana. Jesse H. and Beulah Chanley Cox Arboretum is named after the couple. The arboretum grounds include the Cox Pavilion and the Metz Grand Carillion.
Metz Grand Carillion
The carillon stands 128 feet tall and was installed in 2020. It has 65 bells whose melodies can be heard all over the campus.
Jesse H. and Beulah Chanley Cox Arboretum
Indiana University
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 