From left, former Indiana Senate doorkeepers Dick Clark, Dale Templin and Todd Eggers were residents of Franklin. Templin and Eggers retired as doorkeepers in 2004.
Daily Journal Archive Photo
News from around Johnson County as reported on March 2 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 111 years.
On this day in 2004, the main story in the Daily Journal focused on two Franklin men who were retiring from their jobs as doorkeepers for the Indiana Senate.
Dale Templin had been the Indiana Senate’s principal doorkeeper for 24 years and Todd Eggers had served as doorkeeper for 20 years. Both 85, the men were retiring from their part-time doorkeeper jobs at the end of the 2002 legislative session.
Legislative doorkeepers staff the entrances to the House and Senate chambers, screening those allowed inside the warren of legislative offices from those who aren’t.
Combining grandfatherly charm and polite firmness, they opened doors for senators, staff and anyone else who was authorized. If someone unauthorized tried to sneak in, a state police officer would be called.
At the time three of the 10 Senate doorkeepers were from Franklin: Templin and Eggers, who worked for Senate Republicans, and Dick Clark, who worked for Senate Democrats.
All three enjoyed their interaction with legislators, lobbyists, news reporters and members of the public who wandered past the Senate entrance.
“The people you meet and the people you work with, they’re great: anyone from the vice president of General Motors to a poor soul coming in to get warm,” Templin said.
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Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day
1983
The town of New Whiteland was expected to get its own town court by 1984 after the town council agreed to let ordinances creating the court stand.
1963
Residents across Franklin and Johnson County were digging out after 9.5 inches of snow fell, forcing roads and schools to close.
1923
Franklin residents were celebrating after the Wonder Five of Franklin College won a state basketball championship. The score was 25-17 against the Butler Bullets.
