The mission of the Colonial Dames is to stimulate a spirit of true patriotism and to foster a knowledge of American history. Indiana Dames fulfill our mission through service activities that inspire a sense of pride in our nation and the historical events that led to the formation of our country.
Our Mission in Action
Supporting Our Veterans
The Indiana Society partners with HVAF to serve Indianapolis area veterans.
Lectures & Presentations
The Indiana Society provides educational programs for members, their families and guests at numerous events during the year.
Indiana Society members and guests enjoy field trips to numerous historic locations in the Midwest: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio. Our Society frequently includes joint tour activities with Dames from Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio Societies.
NSCDA Indiana Book Club
The Book Club provides opportunities for informal discussions with a focus on women in history, regional history, and topics which align with our Society’s mission for historical preservation and national history.
Recent books have included:
- Catherine Clinton, Mrs. Lincoln: A Life
- Gwynne Tuell Potts, George Rogers Clark and Wiliam Croghan
- Leila Philips, Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America
- Lynn Olson, Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction
- Joseph McGill, Jr. and Herb Frazier, Sleeping with The Ancestors: How I followed the Footprints of Slavery
- David McCullough, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal
- Indiana author, Lisa Hendrickson, discussed researching and writing, Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West (2021).
FEATURED PROJECT
Witnesses to History: Indiana Dames Share Their Recollections of World War II
From 2017-2019, the Historical Activities Committee interviewed numerous Indiana Dames who had witnessed WW2. Their personal wartime stories of service and sacrifice, as well as a few post-war Dames, shared how their lives were affected by WW2 events at home and abroad. The recordings were sent to our National headquarters at Dumbarton House. In 2023, to honor the late chairman of this project, Witnesses to History stories and post-war accounts were published in magazine format for our Dames and community.