Lawrence Keith Bulen (December 31, 1925 - January 4, 1999) is one of the most influential political and governmental leaders in Indiana history.
L. Keith Bulen began his primary education in the depths of the Great Depression and graduated from Pendleton High School in 1944 at the height of World War II. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and launched a lengthy service to his nation. Keith studied government and earned his Bachelors Degree in 1949 and Juris Doctor in 1952, both from Indiana University.
Bulen was elected to the Indiana State House of Representatives in 1960 and was reelected in 1962. He was unanimously elected Chairman of Marion County Republican Central Committee in 1966, 1968 and 1970. In this role he helped give birth to consolidated metropolital government (Unigov) in Indianapolis. He helped cultivate Mayor Richard Lugar's career and served as his mayoral campaign chairman in 1967 and 1971, and later campaign chairmen for his 1974 Senatorial campaign. His effectiveness and success as a campaign organizer garnered widespread acclaim. He served as the Indiana Coordinator for Richard Nixon's presidential campaigns in 1968 and 1972. From 1972 to 1974 he was chairman of the board of Campaign Communicators, Inc., a company involved in Presidential, State, and local campaigns.
Bulen held signficant campaign responsiblities throughout the national political career of Ronald Reagan. He coordinated the successful Reagan Indiana presidential campaign primaries in 1976 and 1980. He served as deputy chairman of the national "Reagan for President" Committee from 1979-80 and coordinated the 1980 presidential campaign in 17 eastern states. Bulen developed such a tough campaign reputation that Reagan's staff posted a sign at his victory party that read "Will Rogers never met Keith Bulen".
Following the Reagan administration Bulen remained active in both Indiana and national politics. He served as a senior advisor to President Bush's 1988 campaign. In 1990 he returned to the Indiana House of Representatives and was re-elected again in 1992.
In 1970 Preisdent Nixon appointed Bulen as U.S. Delegate to the Economic and Social Council of the 49th Session of the United Nations, and re-appointed again in 1973 during the 55th Session. He was also the U.S. Observer to the United Nations Natural Resources Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa, in 1972 and attended the U.N. Security Council Meeting in Ethiopia that same year.
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan appointed Bulen as Commissioner of the International Joint Commission, a treaty organization tasked with resolving and preventing problems between the United States and Canada. In this role Bulen was praised for resolving a major boundary water dispute between the State of Washington and the Province of British Columbia.
Bulen also achieved success as a horse owner and breeder. He led the Indiana Standard Bred Association and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. His world champion pacer, Abercrombie, was voted Harness Horse of the Year in 1978. Bulen purchased Abercrombie for a measly $9,500. Abercrombie had a modest freshman season, earning $49,379, but scored a 7-3-3 record from 20 starts and took a record of 1:56 at the Red Mile. At three Abercrombie's talent really shined, as he scored 22 wins from 33 starts, winning the Messenger, the Adios, the Bluegrass, Queen City Pace, and Prix d'Ete, among others and finished second in the Little Brown Jug and Meadowlands Pace. He earned $703,260, which was a single-season mark for that time, and was named Horse of the Year for 1978. The following season, as a four-year-old, Abercrombie become the fastest racehorse of the time, pacing in 1:53 at the Meadowlands. He ended his racing career that fall having won 36 of his 72 lifetime starts with $984,391 in career earnings. He was syndicated in 1979 by Castleton Farm for $3 million and stood his first season at stud (1980) for a fee of $7,500.
Abercrombie was the world's leading money winning sire from 1986 to 1990. As of May 2004, Abercrombie has sired the winners of over $149 million dollars, ranking him as one of the top sires of all time. [1] He has sired 432 pacers who have earned $100,000 or more, and many of his sons and daughter have gone on to prove nearly as prolific as their famous father in the breeding shed. From 1,574 starters sired by Abercrombie, 1,120 have paced faster than 2:00 while 403 have scored marks below 1:55. Some of Abercrombie's top progeny include: Artsplace, p,4, 1:49.2 ($3+ million); Life Sign, p, 3, 1:50.3 ($1.9 million); Goliath Bayama p, 5, 1:48.1 ($1.5 million); Armbro Emerson p, 4, 1:51.4 ($1.4 million); Anniecrombie, p, 5, 1:52.3 ($1.4 million); Dontgetinmyway, p, 8, 1:50.2 ($1.4 million); Kentucky Spur p, 1:52 ($1.3 million); Misfit p,7, 1:49.4 ($1.1 million); and Albert Albert p, 3, 1:52.1 ($1.2 million).
Keith Bulen is credited with cultivating the successes of countless statesman and government leaders. Senator Richard G. Lugar and Governor Mitch Daniels, as well as Bill Ruckelshaus, Bill Hudnut, John Mutz, and former Governor Bob Orr all credit their political careers to Bulen.
Each year the IUPUI Department of Political science hosts the "Bulen Symposium on American Politics." [2] Throwing Chairs and Raising Hell: Politics in the Keith Bulen Era is a book documenting the history of Keith Bulen's legendary leadership. [3] Throughout his lifetime Bulen was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by four different Indiana governors. He was also made a Kentucky Colonel, Commissioned Admiral in the Texas Navy, and awarded the Order of the Paul Revere Patriots by the Governor of Massachusetts.