J. Albert “Al” Smith Jr. Receives Highly Esteemed Whistler Award

Mayor Joe Hogsett, GIPC leaders presented former JPMorgan Chase Chairman with the 2023 Charles L. Whistler Award at annual breakfast ceremony

INDIANAPOLIS – The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and Mayor Joe Hogsett presented the 2023 Charles L. Whistler Award to J. Albert “Al” Smith Jr., former Indiana Chairman for JPMorgan Chase, at a breakfast ceremony this morning at Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center. 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.

“The Charles L. Whistler Award honors an individual committed to going above and beyond to make a lasting positive impact on our city,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “For the past sixty years, Al Smith has played a key part – both out in front and behind the scenes – in countless community initiatives that have made our city better for its residents. From serving as a founding board member for some of the most influential groups in our city, to advocating for affordable housing, transit access, and regional growth, Al has spent a lifetime contributing to a more prosperous and inclusive Indianapolis.”

Smith spent nearly 60 years as a banking leader in Indianapolis, just recently retiring from JPMorgan Chase. Under his leadership, the bank significantly expanded its initiatives around diversity and inclusion, and created new initiatives to support military veteran and reserve duty employees and employees with disabilities. His volunteer work outside of his profession is vast. Smith served on the board of the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership for more than 30 years (twice as chair) and has also been chair of the Indy Chamber, St. Vincent Hospital (now Ascension St. Vincent), the 500 Festival, and Downtown Indy (and was a founding member). Smith’s other board services include the Indianapolis Symphony, the Indianapolis Zoo, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, and GIPC, among many others.

Al has enjoyed a great marriage and partnership with his wife of 59 years, Maribeth Smith, who is a distinguished civic leader in her own right. Together they have three children and 11 grandchildren.

“The name Al Smith has been synonymous with Downtown Indianapolis and so many other nonprofit, civic, and cultural institutions in our city for as long as many of us can remember,” said GIPC Board Chair Heather Wilson. “He and his family have made an indelible mark on Indianapolis, and we are happy to celebrate him with the Whistler Award.”

This year’s event was made possible by the generosity of its many sponsors. Faegre Drinker continued as Title Sponsor, and JPMorgan Chase was the event’s Legacy Sponsor. Visionary Sponsors included AES Indiana, Al Smith & Family, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, Citizens Energy Group, Eli Lilly and Company, IU Indianapolis, the Indiana Neighborhood Housing Partnership, RepuCare, Inc., and The Shaheen Foundation. Loyalty Sponsors were Butler University, Frost Brown Todd, LLC., Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Old National Bank, and Visit Indy.

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About the Charles L. Whistler Award:
Charles L. Whistler understood working for the future. To ensure Whistler’s legacy lives on, GIPC instituted The Charles L. Whistler Award—the most prestigious award given annually to a community volunteer. The Whistler Award continues to honor the legacy of its namesake, a lawyer and community leader in the grand tradition, who gave his time and extraordinary abilities to the Indianapolis community without asking for power or position in return. At the time of his death in 1981, Whistler was a senior partner at Faegre Drinker (then Baker and Daniels) and chair of both GIPC’s Urban Growth and Revitalization Task Force and the White River State Park Citizen’s Advisory Committee.

 Albert Smith Jr.’s name will be added to a limestone and granite monument containing past award recipients’ names located in the Charles L. Whistler Memorial Plaza at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis.

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Past Whistler Award Recipients:

 1983: Thomas H. Lake
1984: Thomas W. Binford & David R. Frick
1985: Frank P. Lloyd
1986: Phillip R. Duke & Thomas W. Moses
1987: Mattie M. Coney
1988: Donald W. Tanselle
1989: Ramon L. Humke & Henry C. Ryder
1990: Richard O. Morris
1991: Eldon Campbell
1992: Michael A. Carroll
1993: William W. Mays & James T. Morris
1994: Fred C. Tucker, Jr.
1995: Robert H. Reynolds
1996: Thomas M. Miller & Sam H. Jones
1997: Dr. Gene Sease
1998: Jack Shaw & Dan & Lori Efroymson
1999: Andrew Paine & Yvonne Shaheen
2000: Rev. T. Garrott Benjamin & Michael Maurer
2001: Jerry Semler & Fay Williams
2003: Alex Carroll & Rev. Charles Williams
2004: Dr. Beurt Servaas & Gerald Bepko
2005: Joseph D. Barnette, Jr. & G. Frederick Glass
2007: P.E. MacAllister & Marge Tarplee
2008: Patrick J. Early
2009: John T. Neighbours & Sallie W. Rowland
2010: Michael G. Browning
2011: Samuel L. Odle
2012: David Shane
2013: John M. Mutz
2014: Martha Lamkin
2015: Thomas A. King
2016: Sarah & John Lechleiter
2017: Andre B. Lacy
2018: Marianne Glick
2019: Bill Shrewsberry
2020: Milton O. Thompson
2021: J. Murray Clark
2022: David L. Johnson

About GIPC:
Founded in 1965, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) is a non-partisan organization that partners with leaders of the public and private sectors of Indianapolis to study, discuss, and address issues of concern and areas of opportunity to advance the progress of the City.