Murray Clark receives highly esteemed Whistler Award
On December 2, 2021, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and Mayor Joe Hogsett presented J. Murray Clark with the 2021 Charles L. Whistler Award during a breakfast ceremony at the Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center. The 2020 and 2021 awards were given in a joint ceremony in 2021 due to the pandemic-related cancellation of the Whistler Award celebration in 2020. The annual award recognizes individuals who, outside the regular duties of their chosen professions, have brought together the public and private sectors for civic improvement in Indianapolis.
J. Murray Clark, government and regulatory affairs partner at Faegre Drinker and former Indiana State Senator, is a proud, lifelong Indiana resident who has committed his time, wisdom, and experience to the success of the City of Indianapolis. In the Indiana State Senate, Clark was active in a wide range of issues and recognized repeatedly as an outstanding legislator. In his private practice, he provides strategic legal and governmental affairs counsel to help clients achieve their goals. In addition to his career, Clark is an extraordinary philanthropic and civic leader, serving on the board of the Riley Children’s Foundation, Indianapolis Foundation, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Brebeuf Jesuit, the Hundred Club, and Downtown Indy. A longtime member of GIPC, he is currently an Executive Committee member, served as Board Chair under Mayor Greg Ballard, and was chair of the Whistler Award Selection Committee for several years. He is also known for his leadership in the sports community, having served on the board of the Indiana Soccer Association, Indy Eleven Foundation, and College Football Playoff Championships Indy Host Committee.
“The Whistler Award and winners Milt Thompson and Murray Clark remind us of the years of personal commitment it takes to build a great city,” said GIPC Board Chair Mary Chandler, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations at Cummins Inc. and CEO of the Cummins Foundation. “They inspire us to do more.”
“The Charles L. Whistler Award is named for an individual who helped to make and re-make the city of Indianapolis through a commitment to both public and private sectors,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Milt Thompson and Murray Clark exemplify that commitment and build on Whistler’s legacy, each in their own way.”
Clark has earned accolades for both his volunteer service and professional accomplishments: along with awards from alma mater Brebeuf Jesuit and Indiana Soccer, he has been recognized consistently by Best Lawyers®, Indiana Bar Foundation, Indiana Super Lawyers, Indianapolis Bar Foundation, Indianapolis Business Journal, and The Indiana Lawyer. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in Ohio, Clark earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He and his wife Janet, a pediatric dentist, are parents of four children—Jimmy (Jane), Holly (Peter), Kate, and Annie, all of whom reside in Indianapolis—and grandparents of Teddy, Margot, and Campbell.
To view a recording of the award presentation, please click here. To see more photos of the event, please visit our Facebook page.